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A vertical take-off and landing plane (VTOL plane) is a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (FWUAV) configuration with the ability to take off and land vertically. It combines the benefits of fixed-wing and multirotor configurations, which gives it a high cruising range and independence from a runway. This configuration requires arms as mountings fo...
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Citations
... Fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have garnered significant interest in recent years due to their unique capabilities [10]. These aircraft can combine the efficient long-range flight characteristics of traditional fixed-wing UAVs with the vertical takeoff and landing capabilities of helicopters, making them ideal for a variety of applications, including surveillance, reconnaissance, and delivery [11,12]. One of the key challenges in designing fixed-wing VTOL UAVs is the development of an effective aerodynamic model that captures the complex flight dynamics of these aircraft [13]. ...
... This model is essential for designing and implementing control algorithms that can ensure safe and stable flight under various operating conditions [14]. Additionally, performance analysis is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of the control system and identifying areas for improvement [11]. In addition, UAVs are commonly used in a variety of industrial segments, including agro-based control, forest and coastal surveillance, victim lookup, broadcasting, and photography [5,6]. ...
This research focuses mainly on the aerodynamic modelling and performance analysis of a model predictive controller for a hybrid fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing of unmanned aerial vehicle. The aerodynamics, which comprises several aerodynamic characteristics including the lift, drag, and thrust coefficients, is modelled using Newton’s second law of motion. The force and moment equations were obtained, and they were then converted into matrix and state equation form, together with the transformation matrices. The essential equations with six degrees of freedom (6 DoF) and 12 state matrices including the control input and manipulating variables were obtained. The proposed model predictive controller (MPC) was designed using the optimal model predictive controller design parameters, such as a sampling time of 0.1, a prediction horizon of 15, a control horizon of 3 and additional controller settings. With a settling period of 3 s, an overshoot of 0.5865, and a steady state inaccuracy of 0.00785, the MATLAB simulation demonstrates that the system variables, including roll, pitch, and yaw, are stabilized. This MPC control is more effective in anticipating and optimizing the UAV than other control strategies. Eventually, the controller’s simulation on MATLAB Simulink demonstrates the controller’s ability to stabilize and control the system in a real-time application. Autonomous vertical takeoff and landing operations depend heavily on the mathematical model and architecture of the flight controller. Among the uses are inspection, monitoring, and rescue.
In recent years, the demand for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) has driven the emergence of new aircraft designs, with the Staggered Rotor System being widely applied in these vertical take-off and landing aircraft. Due to the complex aerodynamic interference between rotors, the spacing between them has a significant impact on the performance of these new aircraft configurations. A testbed was designed and validated to investigate the effects of parameters such as axial distance and lateral distance between rotors on the thrust performance of the Staggered Rotor System. A series of systematic thrust tests was conducted on two co-rotating small-scale rotor models, with particular focus on thrust testing of individual rotors in isolation and their comparison to the conditions of the Staggered Rotor System. During the experimental process, as both the axial and lateral distance varied, an orthogonal experimental design was employed to assess the influence of aerodynamic interactions caused by different rotor diameters on rotor performance. This study conducts an analysis of experimental data to investigate the influence of these factors on the performance of rotor systems’ thrust, while also examining the aerodynamic interference and aerodynamic force evolution patterns of rotor systems under varying parameters. Furthermore, rotor speed also plays a crucial role in the performance of the system. Therefore, when designing vertical take-off and landing aircraft with multiple rotors, it is essential to consider the influence of these factors during the optimization process.
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