Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8125-8192

Semester

Fall

Date of Graduation

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Committee Chair

Christopher Griffin

Committee Member

Mario Perhinschi

Committee Member

Dimas Abreu Archanjo Dutra

Abstract

Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles have exploded in popularity in the past 15 years among researchers and for industrial uses such as agriculture, search and rescue, and infrastructure inspection. Fixed wing and multirotor designs present two major paths that can be taken with these technologies. Fixed wing platforms have superior aerodynamic efficiency but require large areas for takeoff/landing and cannot hold a constant position in space, limiting their use. Multirotor configurations offer a more versatile platform that can maneuver in 3 dimensions independently but lack the endurance of fixed wing vehicles. This thesis analyses a quadrotor biplane and a variable wingspan quadrotor as two possible solutions to add the efficiency of fixed wing flight to the capability of multirotor platforms. A NACA 2210 airfoil was selected for both platforms based on analysis conducted via XFLR 5 which provided sufficiently accurate aerodynamic data for the desired flight conditions while having low computational requirements. Aerodynamic data from this program was used with mass, thrust, and wind models to create a six degree of freedom simulation in Simulink to measure performance. Each platform was assessed on its energy efficiency, practicality, and handling characteristics through multiple simulated scenarios. Flight control logic was designed and implemented based on proven control methods used in open source flight control software. This control scheme was sufficient for each platform to complete each test case and allowed the hybrid platforms to transition from hover to fixed wing flight without the loss of altitude. The biplane quadrotor platform was found to have the most improved performance by the criteria studied, with energy expenditure decreased by up to 15% in certain flight simulations. This platform also required zero additional mechanical or electrical components and increased mass by only 5%. The variable span design was found to be more aerodynamically efficient but was compromised by the additional mechanical complexity and weight of the actuation mechanism. The variable span model also suffered from a fundamental weakness of this method of hybridizing a quadrotor: the limited roll control authority afforded by differential motor torques.

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