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We would like to thank the University of Carlos III, campus Leganes, Madrid, for performing laboratories and hangers through our research. We would also like to thank our colleagues at Drone Hopper for their support during the project. This work was conducted to complete the doctoral project of Mohammad Sadeq Ale Isaac with the support of Professor Pascual Campoy, and Doctor Ahmed Refaat Ragab. This work was supported by the ULTRADRON Project, funded by CDTI under the call number PTAP-20231017, focused on "Enabling Technologies for an Intelligent Logistics Unit with Drone Technology" and by the project INSERTION ref. ID2021-127648OBC32,"UAV Perception, Control and Operation in Harsh Environments," funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under the program" Projects for Knowledge Generating."

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Sensing and Control Integration for Thrust Vectoring in Heavy UAVs: Real-World Implementation and Performance Analysis

Publicat a:Unmanned Systems. - 2024-06-04 (), DOI: 10.1142/S2301385025500396

Autors: Isaac MSA; Peña PF; Luna MA; Ragab AR; Campoy P

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Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have garnered significant attention among researchers due to their versatility in diverse missions and resilience in challenging conditions. However, electric UAVs often suffer from limited flight autonomy, necessitating the exploration of alternative power sources such as thermal engines. On the other hand, managing thermal engines introduces complexities and internal uncertainties into the system. In this paper, an Adaptive Robust attitude controller (ARAC) is proposed to address these challenges by drawing inspiration from helicopter solutions while minimizing mechanical intricacies. Specifically, the designed algorithm employs Thrust Vector Control (TVC) for an industrial heavy Multi-Ducted Fan (MDF), known for its superior static stability compared to conventional ducted fans. Subsequently, an integrated flap vanes system is positioned at the exhaust of the ducts for precise attitude control, effectively removing unwanted yaw moments associated with traditional propellers. This research builds on prior authors' works to establish a proper mathematical and aerodynamic model. Also, using former simulation results to conduct real flight experiments aimed at enhancing TVC functionality. The findings highlight the effectiveness of this approach for heavy UAV applications. It is worth noting that the practical value of this research lies in its potential to significantly extend flight autonomy supplied by thermal engines and improve the resilience of UAVs in challenging real-world missions. This is particularly achievable provided that the design of flap vanes aligns closely with the dimensions of the duct system, offering a promising solution to a critical engineering challenge in the field of UAV technology.

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