Development of an UAV for the Air Cargo Challenge 2017 Competition

• Autor(a) principal: Gomes, Alexandra Almeida
• Data de Publicação: 2017
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.6/7950
• topic: Air Cargo Challenge; Aircraft; Airfoil; Fowler Flap; Low Reynolds Number; Uav; Xflr5; Xfoil; Domínio/Área Científica::Engenharia e Tecnologia::Engenharia Aeronáutica

The present dissertation reports the development of an unmanned remotely piloted aircraft for the Air Cargo Challenge 2017 competition. Air Cargo Challenge is a Design, Build, Fly Aeronautical Engineering competition held in Europe every two years. Given the frequent participation of the Department of Aerospace Sciences from University of Beira Interior in this competition and considering the lack of documentation regarding these participations, this Master of Science Dissertation aims to transmit the accumulated knowledge to future teams and the UAV development community. The aircraft was developed using computer aided engineering tools in the greatest possible extent. The tools used for the development effort include: OpenFOAM®, XFOIL/XFLR5 for airfoil development and detailed wing design and analysis; 3D CAD software as Dassault Systems CATIA® V5 and SolidWorks®; CNC rapid prototyping like 3D printing and CNC hot wire foam core cutting. Experimental test rigs were developed for different studies regarding LiPo batteries for the propulsion and flight testing of high lift devices and roll control. New low Reynolds number airfoils were designed as well as a Fowler flap with an innovative extension mechanism. This mechanism was built using 3D printing technology. Several tests were performed to different batteries to maximize propulsive system power. Furthermore, for the first time in an Air Cargo Challenge, a University of Beira Interior team used mould technology to build the aircraft in carbon fibre reinforced plastics. Several delays and mishaps prevented the development of the aircraft from being completely ready for the competition.