Development and Simulation of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)

The proper design of the UAV will enable the system to meet its service andfunctional requirements. It will also promote its availability and reliability, therebyextending its useful life in service. This work focuses on the development, sizing of anengine, and simulation of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), including the assemblyof the whole propulsion system in the UAV. The mission of the developed UAV is forshort range (25-100 km). The propulsion system consists of the following: the engine,muffler, electronic ignition system, fuel tank, engine servos, propeller, firewall, andbattery. These components assembled together give the UAV its required thrust forflight. The design calculations were done, and simulations for the design were carriedout using Solid Works and AutoCAD. The developed UAV was constructed using localmaterials such as Styrofoam and wood. It was driven by a two stroke internalcombustion engine (gas engine) and an electric motor controlled by an electric speedcontroller (ESC). The performance evaluation of the developed UAV was carried outusing the virtual X-Plane flight simulator. The results obtained indicated that that thedeveloped UAV can be deployed for the short-range missions. This work providesdesign data for the development of the UAV. Hence, it is envisaged that the outcome ofthe study will be of immense guide to industries, which specialize in the developmentof UAV.