Novel autophagous (self-consuming) systems combining structure and power functionalities are under development for improved material utilization and performance enhancement in electric unmanned air vehicles (UAV's). Much of the mass of typical aircraft is devoted separately to the functions of structure and fuel-energy. Several methods are proposed to extract structure function from materials that can also serve as fuel for combustion or as a source of hydrogen. Combustion heat is converted to electrical energy by thermoelectric generation, and hydrogen gas is used in fuel cells to provide electrical energy. The development and implementation of these structure-fuels are discussed in the context of three specific designs of autophagous wing spars. The designs are analyzed with respect to mechanical performance and energy storage. Results indicate a high potential for these systems to provide enhanced performance in electric UAV's.
In this study, we identify and survey energy harvesting technologies for small electrically powered unmanned systems designed for long-term (>1 day) time-on-station missions. An environmental energy harvesting scheme will provide long-term, energy additions to the on-board energy source. We have identified four technologies that cover a broad array of available energy sources: solar, kinetic (wind) flow, autophagous structure-power (both combustible and metal air-battery systems) and electromagnetic (EM) energy scavenging. We present existing conceptual designs, critical system components, performance, constraints and state-of-readiness for each technology. We have concluded that the solar and autophagous technologies are relatively matured for small-scale applications and are capable of moderate power output levels (>1 W). We have identified key components and possible multifunctionalities in each technology. The kinetic flow and EM energy scavenging technologies will require more in-depth study before they can be considered for implementation. We have also realized that all of the harvesting systems require design and integration of various electrical, mechanical and chemical components, which will require modeling and optimization using hybrid mechatronics-circuit simulation tools. This study provides a starting point for detailed investigation into the proposed technologies for unmanned system applications under current development.
The experimental characterization of fatigue crack initiation and growth of structural materials can be very expensive and time consuming. Fatigue specimens are typically controlled by a single dominant defect and several specimens are needed to examine the fatigue response for each loading condition of interest. Time and expense add up as millions of load cycles are sometimes required to initiate a crack, and replicate tests are necessary to characterize the inherent statistical nature of fatigue. In order to improve the efficiency of experimentation, we are developing laser-based techniques to produce fatigue test samples with arrays of defects. Controlled arrays of oval shaped micro-defects are laser-micromachined in titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V). Crack initiation from the individual defects in the arrays is monitored using a DC potential drop technique. Results indicate the utility of this approach in multiplying the amount of fatigue data generated per specimen-test. The new fatigue test approach is applicable to a wide range of material systems and initial defect structures.
This paper presents multifunctional structure-plus-power developments being pursued under DARPA sponsorship with the focus on structure-battery components for unmanned air vehicles (UAV). New design strategies, analysis methods, performance indices, and prototypes for multifunctional structure-battery materials are described along with the development of two UAV prototypes with structure-battery implementation.
In multifunctional material design, two or more functions performed by distinct system components or materials are incorporated into a single component or material system to improve system performance. The aim of this paper is to present a framework for the design of structure-battery (power) multifunctional composite materials for unmanned air vehicle (UAV) applications. The design methodology is based on optimization of composite material performance indices and the use of material design selection charts introduced by Ashby and coworkers in a series of papers for homogeneous and two-phase composite materials. Performance indices are derived for prismatic structure-battery composites under various loading conditions. The development of simple design tools in the form of spreadsheet templates is also discussed. Finally, results based on the above-mentioned framework and actual material properties will be presented for structure-battery circular and square struts.
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