Helical UAV – an 'Aerial Screw' inspired conceptual design for a passively cooled UAV

Abstract

A fleet of aircraft thriving in the military, commercial as well as recreational industry of recent decades has been that of the ‘Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)’, more commonly referred to as ‘Drones’. Their versatility in structure and function suitable for a wide range of applications have drawn considerable interest from leading institutions, industries, and governmental organisations. However, owing to their electronic nature, UAVs have shown significant performance deterioration in high temperature environments. This has been limiting their service in hot climatic regions such as those of the Middle East. In this context, this project investigated on the challenges of operating UAVs in high ambient temperatures and corresponding solutions. Consequently, based on the literature research and primary knowledge of aerodynamics, heat transfer and properties of common materials, a conceptual design has been proposed for a passively cooled, payload-carrying quadcopter body. The technology involves utilizing sun-shielding, natural ventilation and cooling by heat sinks and thermal radiation. The design bears prominent resemblance to the 'Aerial Screw' designed by Leonardo da Vinci which served as an inspiration for the use of a helical structure in the vehicle body, the major heat shielding and distinguishing feature of the UAV. The design in its general layout has been constructed using AutoCAD software and presented with general evaluation, possible flaws, development methods and prospects for the concept.