Long Endurance Multi-Rotor Drone

Project

Develop a multi-rotor drone with the following characteristics:

  • Has a 2 hour flight time
  • Can carry a 5 kg payload
  • Fuel source readily available
  • Autonomous flight capabilities
  • Easily transportable by pickup truck

Design Approach

diagram showing the design approach

System

View of entire drone System

Results

Final Dry Weight: 40.26 lb

Final Dimensions: 2.6 ft x 3.3 ft x 1.5 f

Cost to Build: $16,130.66

Top latertal speed of drone carrying 5kg payload graph
Flight time of different configurations graph

Structure Subsystem

  • Chassis
    • Octagonal Main Plate
    • Chassis Rails
  • Arms
    • Landing System
    • Motors
  • Payload System
    • Control system pate
    • Payload Rails
Structure of the drone, the chassis

Electronics Subsystems

  • Pixhawk 2.4.6
  • Power Distribution Board
  • Electronic Speed Controller
  • Frsky RC Reciever
  • GPS Telemetry
Electronic schemeatics

Power/Motor Subsystems

  • 2x Foxtech Engine 2.4 kW
  • 2x 12S Batteries
  • KDE Motors
  • Propellers 27.5"x8.9
motor

Trenton Griffiths, Jacob Kaiser, Zachary Nelson, Patrick Ollerton, Zachary Page

Thank you to Idaho National Laboratories, Jackson Graham, and Jeremy Bradford