Design of a multifunctional UAV based on composite materials: integration of vacuum infusion, CFD analysis, and intelligent energy management
Abstract
This study proposes an integrated design approach for a multifunctional UAV using composite materials, combining vacuum infusion, CFD-based aerodynamic analysis, and an STM32-based energy management system. CFD results showed a lift coefficient <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>C</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>L</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mi> </mml:mi> </mml:math> 0.812, drag coefficient <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>C</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>D</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> </mml:math> 0.055, and <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>L</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>/</mml:mo> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>D</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mi> </mml:mi> </mml:math> 14.7, representing a 28 % improvement over aluminum structures. FEM analysis indicated a maximum stress of 312.4 MPa with a safety factor of 1.12, while vacuum infusion achieved 98.7 % resin impregnation, enhancing stiffness by 28 % and reducing weight by 25 %. The automated energy management system increased energy efficiency by 16.3 %, extending flight duration and improving operational stability.