SIMNET: UAS Consultant Part 1 Project Supplement City of South Lake Tahoe

SIMNET: UAS Consultant Part 1

Project Supplement

City of South Lake Tahoe Wildfire Mitigation UAS Project Requirements

Design an uncrewed aircraft system for detecting and monitoring wildfires

The aircraft must be able to take off and land safely and reliably in small places, and within the high-wind conditions of South Lake Tahoe

The aircraft weight should be such that it can be operated under FAA Part 107 rules

For transportation purposes, aircraft must fit inside a box with a size of 1.1m

The system must be able to monitor wildfires for at least 30 minutes per battery charge

Your first order of business will be to translate the mission requirements above into design requirements and constraints in this table. You will use this as a basis in SIMNET to create your design.:

Design Requirements and Constraints

Airframe Configuration

Payload Mass [kg]

Maximum Airframe Size [mm]

Minimum Flight Time [min]

Maximum Aircraft Weight [kg]

The next step is to select the best multirotor/copter UAV configuration for this mission. Select which type of multicopter UAV configuration you would like to use for this mission (choose between quadcopter, hexacopter, or octocopter), and describe your rationale.

The next step is to consider the sensor payload that the aircraft will carry. The aircraft will be designed around the weight and size of this payload. Describe the type of sensor you would choose for this mission and provide your rationale. Search online for an adequate sensor brand and model and provide your rationale for your selection. Note the weight of this sensor.

Now use SIMNET to design the aircraft. Launch SIMNET using the link below and use the Designer Pane on the left.

Launch SIMNET
https://www.simnet.aero/account/enter-workspace?aircraft=H140Hexacopter&layout=1Design

The following values will stay fixed during the design iteration process:

Airframe Configuration: Select the multicopter configuration of your choice (quadcopter, hexacopter, or octocopter)

Airframe Construction Weight: This parameter specifies whether the aircraft’s airframe has a lightweight, medium, or heavyweight construction. For your aircraft, set this value to ‘Medium’

Payload Type: Select the ‘Payload Mass’ option.

Payload Mass [kg]: Enter the mass of your chosen payload, in kilograms

Iteratively change the following values in the table, until you reach a design that matches your design requirements identified in the table on page 1 (airframe size, flight time, and aircraft weight).

Propeller Pitch [% of Propeller Diameter]: The propeller pitch is a measure of the ‘twist’ of the propeller blades. A value of around 33% provides the best flight time. Higher values may increase the aircraft’s top speed, at the expense of lower flight time.

Target Thrust to Weight Ratio: This value determines the maximum thrust that the propulsion system can deliver. Higher values make the aircraft more maneuverable, but result in a heavier and more expensive aircraft, with lower flight time.

Battery Weight [% of Aircraft Weight]: The size of the battery, expressed as a percentage of the total aircraft weight.

Battery Cell Count: The number of cells used by the battery. Higher numbers are required for high thrust-to-weight aircraft, or large aircraft. If the Designer Pane provides you a ‘Design Warning’, you may find you need to adjust this value. Otherwise, you may leave it at the default value.

Once you find a design that matches your design requirements, click on the ‘Generate Design’ button. Note that any changes made in the Designer Pane will not be applied to

the current design (and will not reflect on the Viewer and Performance panes) until you

click on the ‘Generate Design’ button. Choose a name for your UAS and save your design by clicking on ‘Aircraft->Save As’ on SIMNET’s toolbar.

Optional: If you would like an extra challenge, you may open the ‘2. Edit’ layout and use the Editor Pane to further customize your design. You can use this tutorial video as a reference: https://youtu.be/-HwGvUidq4Q

Use the results provided by the Design Pane and Performance Pane to fill the table below. This must be submitted as part of your lab report.

Aircraft Name

Design Specifications

Airframe Configuration

Quadrotor

Motor Specifications

211 5 Amps 120 Watt

ESC Specifications

6 AMPS 6 S

Propeller Specifications

33

Battery Specifications

6SIP 5071 mAh 20C

Payload Specifications

Sensor Type

Camera / Gimabal

Sensor Brand and Model

10x Zoom Lightweight 365g 1080P HD 3 Axis UAV Camera Drone Gimbal IP Camera

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Lightweight-365g-3-Axis-Drone-Gimbal_62039546568.html

Performance Specifications

All Up Weight [kg]

2.6

Airframe Size [mm]

1.097

Hover Time (80% capacity) [minutes]

32.7

Maximum Speed [m/s]

19.7

Maximum Range [km]

20.4

Thrust to Weight Ratio

2