TEKNOFEST
AEROSPACE
AND
TECHNOLOGY FESTIVAL
INTERNATIONAL UAV COMPETITION
Conceptual Design Report
Team : IEEE KOU TECHNIC
Vehicle Type : Fixed Wing
University : Kocaeli University
Team Leader : Tuana AYDIN
1. Organization Summary
Majors Tasks University Major Degree
Electrical
Baturay YILDIZ Kocaeli University 3
Engineering
Electrical
Emre KARAPINAR Kocaeli University 4
Engineering
Computer
Enes ÇAMUR Kocaeli University 4
Installation of the Science
communication,
Electonic telecommunication and Electrical
Furkan KALEMKUŞ Kocaeli University 4
&Software camera system Engineering
Development and Electronic
design of ground station Furkan YAYLA Kocaeli University &Cmmunctn 3
software Engineering
Designing of target Electrical
Sezer YILDIRIM Kocaeli University 2
detection and Engineering
autonomous system
Electrical
Taha DAŞ Kocaeli University 3
Engineering
Mechanical
Emre BALKESE Kocaeli University 3
Engineering
Making convenient vehicle
design according to competition
and analyze Mechanical
Mechanic Tuana AYDIN Kocaeli University 3
Engineering
Appropriate material
selection, manufacturing and
montage stages Automative
Ziya Can TATAR Kocaeli University 2
Engineering
1.1. Team Organization
1.2. İş Akış Çizelgesi
2. Conceptual Design
The desing of UAVs has been described at the back side of title shaped by main features,
weight and tasks requirments of competition guidelines.
2.1. UAV configuration for Missions
The UAV’S design has been considered with lightness and strength advantages as a priority.
In line with this, the weight of UAVs design accordingly has been determined to be
approximately 2.8kg, in order to accomodate control systems for mission and enable safe
flight and the overall design has been shaped within this framework. The cruise speed has
been determined as 19-24m/s in accordance with the requirements of the competition, as
completing the task in the shortest possible time has significant importance in scoring.
UAV configuration choices Figure-1 have been explained along with their justifications in the
table given below.
Şekil 1- Seçilen konfigürasyona ait tablo
Wing: The single-wing configuration, which is a traditional design, has been preferred in this study
due to its advantages such as reduced weight and drag, ease of manufacturing, stall characteristics,
and improved [Link], since it can be made from line to line as a single piece, it is
possible to achieve a lighter structure with increased strength. It is advantageous for the aircraft’s
yaw balance due to the increase in the vertical distance between the aerodynamic center and center
of gravity.
Furthermore, since it can be made from line to line as a single piece, it is possible to achieve
a lighter structure with increased strength. The chosen wing position is overhead wing for these
reasons. The NACA 2412 wing profile has been selected due to its ability to provide stability in
straight flight, ease of production, high lift coefficient, and positive impact on cruising speed. By
keeping the wing span long and placing the control surfaces towards the wing's outer sections, the
aim was to enhance the capability for sudden and sharp maneuvers
Tail: The classical tail, which has been observed as the most commonly used tail type by
examining similar aircraft, is a succesful type in providing sufficient stability and control with
less weight. It has been decided this tail type that rudders and elevators have been overhead
classical tail considering by being positive impact over sudden and sharp maneuvers, ease of
manufacturing, and costing.
Propeller: The selection of a helical structure carbon fiber propeller aims for low tip speed and high
maneuverability.
2.2. Body and Mechanical Systems
Wing Laser cutting + carbon hand Birch backed foam - balsa
lay reinforcement method
Body Laser cutting Birch plywood
Rudder Laser cutting Birch plywood - folio cover
Elevator Laser cutting Birch plywood - folio cover
Releaser Laser cutting Birch plywood - folio cover
Figure 2 – Production methods and materials used in body and mechanical systems
CNC and laser cutting manufacturing methods have been compared in the production of wings
and mechanical systems, as shown in Figure 2, and the decision has been made to use laser
cutting technology for production, considering factors such as labor costs and the generation
of burrs.
The wings of the unmanned aircraft design have been constructed using foam, with a focus on
prioritizing lightweight criteria. Additionally, the wings have been reinforced with plywood and
balsa to enhance their strength. Birch plywood has been decided to be used in the body, rudder,
elevator, and load releasing lid for the same purpose of having low density and high strength.
"Additionally, holes have been drilled in the body, rudder, and elevator of the vehicle for the
purpose of lightness, while ensuring the balance of the flight is not disturbed. Furthermore, it is
intended to apply a foil covering that does not allow the passage of air in order to maintain flight
stability.
Carbon tubes, which possess lightweight and high strength properties, have been used along
the motor and tail axis. The making of assembling carbon tubes, body, and the tail has been
planned by using the epoxy glue method at the montage stage.
2.3 Mission Mechanism System
The mechanism loading carrier and releaser has been designed so the loads fit with volume inside
of to body of the aircraft using two partial gaps and a servo engine. The servo motor here has
been positioned so that the first valve opens when it rotates clockwise, and the second valve
opens when it rotates counterclockwise. The servo motor that is used is being powered from
the mission control board and the aux output of the flight control board, which communicate
via the I2C protocol. Görevkontrol kartı iki anlık görüntü arasındaki farkı bulup, kırmızı alan
tespiti yapmaktadır. The mission control card detects the difference between two instant
images and identifies the red area. The servo engine releases the load according to the data
taken mission control card by opening the first valve When it returns to the mission area to
release the second load, it processes the same data and the servo motor turns
counterclockwise, opening the second valve and completing the release of the second load.
The closing of valves has been provided after the throwing by using a tyre is the same weight
with the valve. The design has been made so that there will be no change in the center of
balance when the loads are released.
2.3. Electrical, electronics and power systems
The electronic equipment to be used in the design and development of the UAV, as well as the
radio control, ground station software, and systems, have been aggregated under this section
according to the competition guidelines.
2.3.1. Flight Control Systems
The flight control card is a circuit board that serves as the fundamental building block of the
system, where the control signals received from the user are processed and the engine power
is adjusted based on the information gathered from the sensors. The control of the UAV with
this card demonstrates the significance of each piece of information received from the sensors.
For this reason, parameters such as high processing power and sensor compatibility have been
preferred. Besides the ease of installation and firmware support, Pixhawk is the most suitable
control card for the system, providing confidence for autonomous flight with its stable flight and
balance features. The Pixhawk 4 Control Card, which is equipped with the STM32F427 processor,
provides ease of wiring through its pin configuration. The GPS will be connected to the I2C and
GPS ports along with the accelerometer and gyroscope, which are high-performance and low-
noise IMU sensors on the card. The SE100 model GPS has been selected based on evaluating
the price/performance ratio, considering its critical importance for autonomous flight.
2.3.2. Mission Control System
The system established with the flight control card is responsible for the flight of the UAV. This
auxiliary computer will be able to communicate with the flight control card and receive data
from the GPS and the Raspberry V2 camera located at the front of the UAV. The algorithm
developed based on image processing will be able to detect the targeted red area with this
system. The necessary software is planned to be developed uniquely. The accuracy of
information exchange between the flight control card and the auxiliary computer is of great
importance to ensure the successful completion of the mission as intended. It has been
determined that the NVIDIA Jetson Nano is the most suitable choice as the auxiliary computer
capable of running modern artificial intelligence algorithms, with its high processing power and
suitable weight and dimensions. The Jetson Nano, powered by CUDA technology and equipped
with an Arm Cortex processor, will provide ease for artificial intelligence software development
with optimized library options
2.3.3. Power System
There are 2 Li-Po batteries in the aircraft, one with 4 cells and the other with 3 cells. 4 cells Li-
Po battery has a capacity of 5000 mAh and powers SunnySky X2826 1080KV brushless motor
through a 70A ESC. The remaining system is powered through the Pixhawk power module
using a 3-cell Li-Po battery. A UBEC is connected to the power module to ensure a stable
power supply for the servo motors and to provide power to the mission control card. While
making the choice in this section, the takeoff safety of the UAV is given priority, and a
propulsion system with the appropriate weight according to the specifications is aimed for.
Electronic Weight Capacity Voltage Discharge
Material
4S Li-Po Cell 395g 5000 mAh 14,8V 50c
3s Li-Po Cell 67g 850 mAh 11,1V 25c
According to the competition rules, an 80-amp fuse suitable for the current drawn by the ESC
is connected to the positive terminal of the Li-Po battery. A stop button has been added to allow
external intervention in case of emergencies.
2.3.4. Ground Station System and Software
The ground control station of the unmanned aerial vehicle consists of two parts: an RC
controller and a proprietary software interface.
Since the flight mode can be changed using the switches on the RC controller, it allows the user
to control the UAV. Considering ease of use and price/performance ratio, the FlySky Fs-i6 RC
controller and its compatible 10-channel Flysky FS-iA10B Receiver have been preferred.
The proprietary software interface has been designed using Java Swing toolkit and the AWT
library. The data received from sensors, state of UAV location, flight position, and state of instant
data of battery are shown over the ground station computer by SPI communication protocol in
this interface. Xbee telemetry module has connected to the flight control card to increase the
stability of signals that transfer the data. The live video during the flight is transferred instantly to the
ground station through the OSD (On Screen Display) and camera transmitter. In this way, the
managing, viewing and communication are provided on the ground station.
2.4. Thrust and Lifting calculations
Prop Volts Amps Thrust Watts Efficiency
(inch) (V) (A) (g) (W) (g/W)
6.3 500 69.93 7.15000715
10.7 750 118.77 6.314725941
15.7 1000 174.27 5.738222299
11.1 21.3 1250 236.43 5.286977118
26.5 1500 294.15 5.099439062
33.6 1750 372.96 4.692192192
34.6 1800 386.06 4.686767693
5.1 500 75.48 6.62427133
8.6 750 127.28 5.892520427
APC11x5.5 12.4 1000 183.52 5.448997384
16.9 1250 250.12 4.997601151
21.9 1500 324.12 4.627915587
14.8 26.2 1750 387.76 4.513100887
31.5 2000 466.2 4.29000429
37.2 2250 550.56 4.086748038
44 2500 651.2 3.839066339
51 2750 754.8 3.643349232
55.8 2960 825.84 3.584229391
The brushless DC motor Sunnysky X2826 KV1080 RC has been selected according to the
thrust and lift calculations based on the analysis and tables provided above for the unmanned
aerial vehicle (UAV). The cell that feeds to the engine is determined as 4s 5000mAh.
1
𝑊=L= 𝑝𝑉 2𝑆𝐶𝐿
2
2𝑊
𝐶𝐿 =
𝑝𝑉2𝑆
𝐶𝐷 = 𝐶𝐷,0 + 𝐾(𝐶𝐿)2
1
𝑇𝑅 = 𝐷 = 𝑝𝑉 2𝑆𝐶𝐷
2
𝑃𝑅=𝑇𝑅 𝑉
2.5. Visualization of Design Confuguration