Numerical analysis of the support platform for an unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The study investigates a thin-walled support platform for an unmanned aerial vehicle, i.e. aluminum beams connected by flat bars and angle irons. The construction is a kind of frame for a propulsion unit of the designed aircraft which is a combination of a multi-copter and a gyrocopter. This construction was tested for various load patterns to investigate the stresses and strains its profiles are connected. The load patterns correspond to different operation modes of the propulsion system, and the finite element method (FEM) and the SolidWorks software were used for the numerical calculations. The research was done for elastic operation of the individual components of the support platform. The analysis enabled to verify the state of stresses on the critical spots of the construction and to develop a construction for ground and flight tests to verify the correct operation of the propulsion control system and optimize its operation in different flight states.