Reducing energy consumption of vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicle using hybrid technical solutions

Abstract

The paper describes possibilities of increasing the energy efficiency and reducing the takeoff weight of unmanned medium-heavy vertical takeoff and landing aerial vehicles of the airplane type. The authors propose a new hybrid type of unmanned aerial vehicle with a hybrid propulsion system, its aerodynamic design, method of realization of vertical takeoff/landing and cruising mode of flight which make it possible to reduce the takeoff weight of the aircraft, the weight of the basic propulsion system and the mass growth factor in comparison with the existing unmanned aerial vehicle of similar class, made according to the previously known technical solutions. The authors propose a methodology for optimizing the parameters of the configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle considering the peculiarities of the implementation of vertical takeoff. The paper presents calculations of characteristics of vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicles of existing types and the new hybrid type. The authors give quantitative estimates of improving unmanned aerial vehicle characteristics due to the new proposed technical solutions.