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Experimental performance assessment of an electric uav with an alternative distributed propulsion configuration implemented for wetland monitoring

Abstract:

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been recently adopted as an environmental monitoring tool due to the affordable cost and ease implementation for periodic and high-quality data gathering. However, when these devices operate in sensible ecosystems, their propulsion system must comply with low environmental impact policies without compromising their performance. Eco-friendly propulsion designs for UAVs usually present alternative energy sources such as: solar panels, batteries, ram air turbines (RAT), among others. The coupling of these technologies into an operative aircraft is a complicated task that requires a full mission performance assessment in order to match the power requirements during each phase of flight. The present work seeks to assess experimentally in a ground test the performance of LiPo batteries and solar panels as main power source for a previously designed BWB fixed wing UAV. Furthermore, a RAT system is designed using the BEM method and tested on a wind tunnel to assess their suitability as an auxiliary power unit. The results show a good match between the mathematical models and experimental results, moreover they highlight the benefits of using alternative propulsion configurations for decreasing environmental impact, whilst keeping a good performance for the required mission.