UAV Senior Design 7/8 Project – 2018-2019

This project was conducted by a group of last year Bachelor students and supervised by Mr. Shlomo Shpund and Dr. Shimon Saraf.

 

The Zirmey Silon Program is a collaboration between the Aerospace Engineering faculty at the Technion IIT, MAFAAT, IDF and the industry. Its purpose is to introduce the students to the area of jet propulsion and its challenges.

Within this program, a design project of a jet propelled UAV drone is offered to students in their senior year of their B.Sc. With guidance from engineers from the industry, the students are developing an entire drone over three years.

In the first year of the program, the students started with deriving the requirements of design. In following, the system was conceptually designed considering the different disciplines including the propulsion system, aerodynamics, structure, control etc. In this process, different small jet engines were examined and a thermos-dynamical analysis was made to create an engine deck. Furthermore, in the area of platform aerodynamics, the form of the system was designed. It was iterated in consideration with the characteristics of the desired flight mission (high velocities, max cruise at Mach 0.5) and with the use of a jet engine. Another goal of the first year’s team is to establish a simulation platform that corresponds to the flight conditions and flight controllers, the engine parameters (via the engine deck) and the fuel system.

Here are the milestones of the project:

First Year

1. Establishing a team of students, briefing of preliminary and conceptual design, simulation and HIL.
2. Conceptual design.
3. Initial design – Choosing the best configuration.
4. SDR/SRR design surveys, primary PDR design survey.
5. Establishing an HIL simulation.
6. Acquiring engines and establishing/ purchasing a running facility.
7. End of semester and end of year reporting.

Second Year

1. Establishing a team of students and briefing for advanced design and HIL simulation.
2. Advanced design.
3. CDR advanced design survey.
4. Initiate the production of LLI components.
5. Hardware and Software integration in HIL.
6. Integration of an engine and fuel system in the experimental body.
7. End of semester and end of year reporting.
8. Planning and establishing a facility to measure the effect of flow distortions.

Third Year

1. Establishing and training a team of students to accompany production, integration and ground experiments
2. Completion of production and integration of aircrafts.
3. TPDR – Test Production Design Review.
4. Aircraft License in the Civil Aviation Authority
5. Ground experiments.
6. Aerial experiments.
7. End of semester and end of year reporting, including configuration review for further development/ flying.

 

 

 

For a glimpse to the making of the model, feel welcome to view the Video: