Abstract
A new generation of unmanned-air-vehicles (UAVs) called extremely flexible (X) high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) aircrafts are being actively studied today. These special kind of UAVs are characterized by highly flexible structural members undergoing complex motions in space. In this paper, the authors present a numerical framework to study the dynamical behavior of a X-HALE-UAV concept. The aircraft is modeled as a set of rigid bodies linked each other through elastic joints. The motion equations for the entire UAV are derived by using an energetic approach based on Lagrange’s equations for constrained systems, which are differential-algebraic of index-3 in nature. All governing equations are numerically integrated by means of different time-marching schemes such as: (i) direct-based methods (Newmark, Hughes-Hilber-Taylor and α-generalized); and (ii) index reduction-based techniques along with standard packages for ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The simulation tool developed is validated comparing results against well-documented problems. Finally, numerical simulations of a simplified concept of X-HALE-UAV is presented.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Colella, N.J., Wenneker, G.S.: Pathfinder and the Development of Solar Rechargeable Aircraft. E&TR, pp. 1–9 (1994)
Gibbs, Y.: NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: Solar-Power Research, (2015). http://www.nasa.gov
Noll, T.E., Brown, J.M., Perez-Davis, M.E., Ishmael, S.D., Tiffany, G.C., Gaier, M.: Investigation of the Helios Prototype Aircraft Mishap. Mishap Report, vol. I. NASA (2004). http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/64317main/helios.pdf
Schimdt, D.K., Raney, D.L.: Modeling and simulation of flexible flight vehicles. J. Guid. Control Dyn. 24(3), 539–546 (2001)
Reschke, C.: Flight loads analysis with inertially coupled equations of motion. In: AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference and Exhibit, AIAA Paper 2005–6026, pp. 1–21. San Francisco, 15–18 August 2005
Shearer, C.M., Cesnik, C.E.S.: Nonlinear flight dynamics of very flexible aircraft. J. Aircraft 44(5), 1528–1545 (2007)
Cesnik, C.E.S., Ortega-Morales, M.: Active aeroelastic tailoring of slender flexible wings. In: Proceedings of the International Forum on Aeroelasticity and Structural Dynamics, Madrid, Spain (2001)
Su, W., Cesnik, C.E.S.: Dynamic response of highly flexible flying wings. AIAA J. 49(2), 324–339 (2011)
Cesnik, C.E.S., Brown, E.L.: Active warping control of a joined wing airplane configuration. In: Proceedings of the 44th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Material Conference, AIAA Paper 2003–1715, Hampton, Virginia, 7–10 April 2003
Drela, M.: Integrated simulation model for preliminary aerodynamic, structural, and control-law design of aircraft. In: Proceedings of the 40th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference and Exhibit, AIAA Paper 1999–1394, pp. 1644–1656. St. Louis, Missouri, 12–15 April 1999
Patil, M.J., Hodges, D.H.: Flight dynamics of highly flexible flying wings. J. Aircr. 43(6), 1790–1798 (2006)
Wang, Z., Chen, P.C., Liu, D.D., Mook, D.T.: Nonlinear-aerodynamics/nonlinear-structure interaction methodology for a high-altitude long-endurance wing. J. Aircr. 47(2), 556–566 (2010)
Cesnik, C.E.S., Su, W.: Nonlinear aeroelastic modeling and analysis of fully flexible aircraft. In: Proceedings of the 46th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference, AIAA Paper 2005–2169, Austin, TX, 18–21 April 2005
Wang, R., Zhou, X., Zhou, Z.: Longitudinal flight dynamics and control of highly flexible solar UAV, pp. 1–4. IEEE (ICIECS) (2010)
Arguello, M., Preidikman, S., Roccia, B.A.: Desarrollo de simulaciones numéricas para estudiar la dinámica de un concepto de aeronave X-HALE-UAV. Revista Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales 2(2), 16–24 (2014)
Nitardi, L.M., Roccia, B.A., Preidikman, S., Flores F.G.: Estudio de la dinámica de un concepto de aeronave X-HALE-UAV: un enfoque multicuerpo. Mecánica Computacional ENIEF 2016, vol. XXXIV, pp. 2781–2807 (2016)
Nikravesh, P.E.: Computer-Aided Analysis of Mechanical Systems. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River (1988)
Shuster, M.D.: A survey of attitude representations. J. Astronaut. Sci. 41(4), 439–517 (1993)
Géradin, M., Cardona, A.: Flexible mulibody dynamics: a finite element approach. Wiley, New York (2001)
Shabana, A.A.: Dynamics of multibody systems, 3rd edn. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2010)
Bauchau, O.A.: Flexible multibody dynamics. Springer, New York (2011)
Ascher, U.M., Chin, H., Petzold, L.R., Reich, S.: Stabilization of constrained mechanical systems with DAEs and invariant manifolds. J. Mech, Struct. Mach. 23, 135–158 (1995)
Roccia, B.A., Preidikman, S., Gebhardt, C.G., Massa, J.C.: Dynamics of micro-air-vehicles with flapping wings: a multibody system approach. IEEE Lat. Am. Trans. 11(1), 189–195 (2013)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Nitardi, L.M., Roccia, B.A., Preidikman, S., Flores, F.G. (2018). Multibody Dynamic Analysis of a High-Altitude Long-Endurance Aircraft Concept. In: Carvalho, J., Martins, D., Simoni, R., Simas, H. (eds) Multibody Mechatronic Systems. MuSMe 2017. Mechanisms and Machine Science, vol 54. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67567-1_21
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67567-1_21
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-67566-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-67567-1
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)