Unmanned Powerline Surveillance Aircraft Group Name Watchmen Brock

Unmanned Powerline Surveillance Aircraft Group Name: Watchmen Brock Arp, Cameron Whigham, Lorenzo Stewart, Wade Vine ISYE 4900 - Aerospace Senior Design Project Abstract The purpose of our project is to provide powerline workers and linemen with a safe way to inspect the power lines. Our Aircraft is an UAV that is capable of surveying 200 linear miles in a normal working shift. The aircraft will be launched/landed and operated from an F-150 pickup truck with a facilitated launch mechanism attached. The aircraft must maintain an altitude of 150 -400 ft. It will be recovered via net that will extend from the truck as the plane comes in for a landing, This will eliminate the need for landing gear. The goal for this project was to create a long range stable aircraft that weighed less than 55 pounds. Methodology Our method for bringing this design to fruition was of a multistep nature. The first step consisted of brainstorming multiple early designs then incorporating the best parts of each into a singular initial design. This initial design was then fleshed out into a basic theoretical working aircraft through the use of multiple simple mathematical models found primarily in Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach by Daniel Raymer. It was during this stage that our design underwent several alterations, first from a tilt-rotor to a tilt-wing before finally settling as a more standard design aided by a launch mechanism. This theoretical was then modeled in the CAD software Solidworks where we had it undergo multiple simulations to confirm the veracity of the numbers we had previously found. Materials/Manufacturing Material selection was paramount for our design due to the weight constraint and the high stress for a captured landing. An EPP (Expanded Polypropylene) foam such as Aero. Cell or Elapor that is lightweight, easy to mold (cut with a hot wire), and very durable to withstand the stresses of flight and the landing will make up the wing and tail. There is a rubber bladder in the wing to hold the fuel, and a lightweight aluminum rod running through the wing for support. These materials will make the aircraft easy to manufacture and be cost effective. The skin of the aircraft can be an epoxy coat, or fiberglass tape depending on the preference of the user. Design Specifications Flight Parameters: Takeoff Weight: 35 lbs Cruise Velocity: 40 mph Aircraft Planform: Wingspan: 11. 029 ft Wing Area : 16. 544 ft^2 Wing Lift Coefficient: 0. 6 Taper Ratio: 1 Wing Sweep: None Drag Coeff. : 0. 013 Airfoil: DAE -11: Fuel Weight: 15 pounds Flight Altitude: 150 -400 ft Engine Selection The idea was to select an engine that generated enough thrust to exceed the 16. 2 lbf drag which was calculated within Flow Simulation in Solid. Works. This would allow for acceleration of plane and steady flight. Our team utilized the 2. 5 hp of a DLE 20 CC-Gas Piston-Prop Engine as our initial engine. We then did a propeller efficiency calculation to see what propeller could satisfy the Velocity requirements of 40 mph and 5000 ft altitude. It was a success verifying our initial selection to be adequate. This was shown by rate of efficiency being only needed to be 69% with historical data showing that props only lose 20% within efficiency for piston prop engines under most conditions which would equate to 80% being greater than 69%. Creating a Factor of Safety of 1. 15 for thrust requirements via efficiency. The propeller that helps make our system achieve the desired 16. 2 lbf thrust would have a diameter of 2. 14 ft each. Results and Discussion Wing Chord: 1. 5 ft Aspect Ratio: 7. 35 Wing Loading: 2. 115 lb/ft^2 Airfoil Lift Coeff. : 0. 667 L/D Ratio: 16. 641 Zero Lift Drag Coeff. : 0. 0188 Upon completion our design will be able to fly and return to base either for refueling or storage upon completion. Optimization of the engine-propeller combination would help to increase thrust or or minimize specific fuel consumption. Part of our future work is an extensive trade study to see which piston-prop combination would grant us the best thrust while minimizing SFC. This would help us to fly faster for longer durations. Another area we would further our research on is materials selection. There may be lighter materials available which would improve our thrust to weight ratio, granting us faster flight. There may also be more inexpensive materials so that we could build more planes (in the event of destruction or increased demand). Lastly there could be a better way to manufacture and assemble it so that it is easier to transport and operate. At full scale this could very well change how we survey and service power lines, especially in hard to reach places. Figure 1 - Velocity Plot at 40 MPH and 5000 ft Figure 2 - Pressure Plot at 40 MPH and 5000 ft