Optimization of High Payload Unmanned Aerial Vehicle’s Propellers based on Energy Formation by using Computational Vibrational Analyses
Naveen Kumar Kulandaiyaappan, Raj Kumar Gnanasekaran, Vijayanandh Raja, Feonsa Antonitta Bernard, R. Vaidegi, Ramesh Murugesan, Senthil Kumar Madasamy, Vijayakumar Mathaiyan, Arul Prakash Raji, S. Meenakshi, Prisha K. Asher, Jagadeeshwaran Ponmariappan
Abstract
View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2021-3729.vid As the development and applications of heavy payload carrying UAVs has increased manifold in recent years, wherein it has been observed that propellers undergo frequent vibrations. As with every load bearing structure, UAV propellers too have a natural frequency value which amplifies the effect of load and causes permanent structural damage along with a loss of stability and lifetime of a UAV. This paper discusses the computational vibrational optimization analysis performed on the optimized two propellers having a diameter of 10 inches and 20 inches respectively with pitches of 8 and 20 inches. The conventional approach based procedure is implemented in this work in order to construct the various UAVs’ propellers. With the consideration of Aerospace industries’ weight gyro effect, the three important lightweight materials are underwent these computational vibrational analyses. Based on the various types of lightweight materials, the ten materials are derived, which are comes under three families such as Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite, Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite and Aluminium Alloy. The advanced approach implemented in this work is computational vibrational analyses, which comprises of conventional modal simulation, CFD outcome based forced vibrational simulation, and random vibrational simulation. Thus, the advanced computational tool, i.e., ANSYS Workbench 17.2, has been used for this work and it is supported soundly. The major sensitivity tests are conducted with the respect to the outcome of computational analysis and thus the trustworthiness of predominant end data is validated. Through these validated data, the Piezoelectric patch based vibrational energies generated on UAV’s propellers are estimated. Finally, an opt lightweight material with respect to UAV’s propeller is shortlisted through these advanced computational simulations.