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Evaluation of quad ducted‐fan helicopter

Masafumi Miwa (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan)
Shinji Uemura (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan)
Yasuyuki Ishihara (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan)
Akitaka Imamura (Department of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Osaka Sangyou University, Osaka, Japan)
Joon‐hwan Shim (Division of Computer, Control and Electronic Communications Engineering, Korea Maritime University, Busan, South Korea)
Kiyoshi Ioi (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Kinki University, Osaka, Japan)

International Journal of Intelligent Unmanned Systems

ISSN: 2049-6427

Article publication date: 10 May 2013

1335

Abstract

Purpose

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With the purpose of clearing up the risk to rotor blades, this paper develops a quad ducted‐fan helicopter using four ducted‐fans instead of four rotor blades in a quad rotor helicopter.

Design/methodology/approach

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Auto hovering test, auto cruise test, and altitude control simulations were conducted to estimate the flight performance of the quad ducted‐fan helicopter.

Findings

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Flight performance of the test quad ducted‐fan helicopter is almost same as a commercial quad rotor helicopter, and it succeeds to decrease the risk to the rotor blade. However, endurance is shorter than that of the quad rotor helicopter, because of the ducted‐fan characteristics.

Research limitations/implications

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The test quad ducted‐fan helicopter can fly for about four minutes with two packs of fourcell (16.8 V)‐2200 mAh Lipo batteries, and it needs about 3.3 times as much energy as quad rotor helicopter. The authors will improve the performance of quad ducted‐fan helicopter by aerodynamics analysis and design of ducted‐fan system

Practical implications

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This is expected to reduce the risk of rotor blade mounted on multi rotor helicopter.

Social implications

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The research will facilitate the development of safety autonomous multi‐copters in various civilian applications.

Originality/value

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The research purpose is to realize safety multi‐copter flight using ducted‐fan instead of rotor blade.

Keywords

Citation

Miwa, M., Uemura, S., Ishihara, Y., Imamura, A., Shim, J. and Ioi, K. (2013), "Evaluation of quad ducted‐fan helicopter", International Journal of Intelligent Unmanned Systems, Vol. 1 No. 2, pp. 187-198. https://doi.org/10.1108/20496421311330083

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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