Design of Interlocking for the Micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Vertical Take-Off and Landing Mechanism

This report is written for the purpose of highlighting the result of the analysis and simulation after some background research for the project titled Design of Interlocking for the Micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Vertical Take-Off and Landing Mechanism. This report also details the scope of study, research methods, literature review and outcome of the project.

Micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (MUAV) is an unpiloted aircraft which can be remote controlled or fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans or more complex dynamic automation systems. The vertical take-off and landing function of the quad rotor fan powered Micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MUAV) requires an interlocking mechanism which allows for the vertical and horizontal motion of the MUAV. The mechanism is required to rotate the angle of the fans and lock it in place to perform vertical takeoff and landing operation within MUAV specifications. This project focuses on the design of an effective interlocking mechanism that is capable of rotating the quad rotor to horizontal position and locks the engine in variable angle position which includes the study on its integrity and operation. Various systems for the UAV VTOL mechanism are studied to provide a good design reference. The whole process of designing takes place from the determination of MUAV specification, generating the design concept, selecting design, developing engineering configuration, simulate the design with Autodesk Inventor, and producing the engineering drawings as a result.

Based on the study, the simple arm and driveshaft configuration is chosen due to its compact and lightweight characteristics. The design also meets the spatial and geometrical requirements to complement the existing MUAV structure and fan design. The rotation of the fan is achieved through the driveshaft connected to a lightweight miniature motor and the analysis of the design shows that it can well withstand the stresses involved in operating conditions. The detail of this analysis is tabulated in this report.