Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Pulsed Propulsion of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles by Centrifugal Force Modulation - First-Order Theory and Practicability

Version 1 : Received: 12 March 2024 / Approved: 28 March 2024 / Online: 28 March 2024 (08:31:42 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Holzapfel, W. Pulsed Propulsion of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles by Centrifugal Force Modulation—First-Order Theory and Practicability. Applied Sciences 2024, 14, 4229, doi:10.3390/app14104229. Holzapfel, W. Pulsed Propulsion of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles by Centrifugal Force Modulation—First-Order Theory and Practicability. Applied Sciences 2024, 14, 4229, doi:10.3390/app14104229.

Abstract

A novel technique suitable for propulsion of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) is discussed in this paper. This approach utilizes the rotational energy of airborne gyro rotors and converts it into translational propulsion for the vehicle. The energy conversion is achieved by generating precisely directed centrifugal force pulses through short-duration rotor unbalances. The accurate control of the timing and magnitude of these unbalances is crucial for successful propulsion generation. Our first-order theory of controlled unbalance propulsion (CUP) predicts the potential for achieving high translational accelerations and vehicle velocities up to orbital levels. Power saving levitation of UAVs can be attained. In this paper, we provide traceable evidence that pulsed centrifugal propulsion is based on well-established laws of physics and can be realized using state-of-the-art technologies.

Keywords

unmanned aerial vehicles; vehicle propulsion; controlled unbalance propulsion; energy storage/conversion; high speed rotors; centrifugal force modulation 

Subject

Engineering, Aerospace Engineering

Comments (0)

We encourage comments and feedback from a broad range of readers. See criteria for comments and our Diversity statement.

Leave a public comment
Send a private comment to the author(s)
* All users must log in before leaving a comment
Views 0
Downloads 0
Comments 0


×
Alerts
Notify me about updates to this article or when a peer-reviewed version is published.
We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience.
Read more about our cookies here.