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Forward Flight Power Requirements for a Quadcopter sUAS in Ground Effect

Browne, Jeremy P.
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9339-2143
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1637344817766182

Abstract Details

2021, Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, Mechanical Engineering (Engineering and Technology).
Potential energy savings for small unmanned multirotor copters inside Ground Effects (GE) could be used to increase flight time or mission payload. Operating Inside Ground Effects (IGE) presents non-linear thrust responses potentially introducing instabilities requiring more advanced control than currently present on small autopilot systems. While maximum energy savings are found for rotorcraft hover flight IGE, low altitude forward flight has been shown to offer partial energy saving for small forward velocities compared to hover. The aim of this research was to explore multirotor copter forward flight IGE using an aerodynamics model, such as Blade Element Momentum Theory (BEMT), and quadcopter simulation flights. An existing BEMT method designed to include GE was further modified to consider the impacts forward flight on rotor thrust output for sUAS sized propellers. Thrust results were then adapted to the rotor dynamics of the quadcopter model to simulate low altitude flight of a multirotor sUAS. Non-linear dynamic inversion was used to stabilize the rotorcraft dynamics IGE and maintain specific Height Ratios (HR) during forward flight. GE thrust boosts were compensated for using a GE strength determination method which predicted the rotor GE response by monitoring individual rotor altitudes. Rotor power data collected from quadcopter simulation flights both OGE and IGE were used to identify flight conditions with decreased rotor power and measure the control effort needed multirotor flight IGE. Simulation results found average rotor power to decrease with decreasing HR and forward flight velocity. Increasing forward flight velocity was found to decrease the range of HR where GE energy savings were still present. Flight conditions with decreased power requirements were identified and grouped within an increased rotor efficiency region ranging from HRs of 0.5 to 2 and a forward flight ratios of 0 to 1.5. The increased efficiency region included a range of flight conditions with energy savings starting at 5% and a maximum reduction in rotor power of 45% for near-hover flight IGE. Simulation results were also able to identify tradeoffs in rotor power savings between flight altitude and flight speed.
Jay Wilhelm (Advisor)
Sergio Ulloa (Committee Member)
Douglas Lawrence (Committee Member)
Robert Williams (Committee Member)
227 p.
Aerospace Engineering; Energy; Engineering
Ground Effects; small Unmanned Arial Vehicles; VTOL; Power; rotor efficiency; non linear control; blade element momentum theory; dynamic inversion; quadcopter; quadcopter dynamics; forward flight; low altitude

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Browne, J. P. (2021). Forward Flight Power Requirements for a Quadcopter sUAS in Ground Effect [Master's thesis, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1637344817766182

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Browne, Jeremy. Forward Flight Power Requirements for a Quadcopter sUAS in Ground Effect. 2021. Ohio University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1637344817766182.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Browne, Jeremy. "Forward Flight Power Requirements for a Quadcopter sUAS in Ground Effect." Master's thesis, Ohio University, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1637344817766182

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.