Project Quiver PT1 Requirements

Engineering
1

1. Structural Integrity

  • Airframe:
    • The aircraft SHALL incorporate a durable carbon fiber or aluminum frame capable of supporting a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 25 kg and SHALL be designed to accommodate various payload configurations.
    • The airframe SHALL be constructed using:
      • Commonly available off-the-shelf components
      • Common material processing methods.
    • The aircraft’s motor arms SHALL be foldable to enhance portability and ease of deployment.
  • Landing Gear:
    • The aircraft’s landing gear SHALL be shock-absorbing and support the full MTOW during landing, including in hard-landing scenarios.

2. Propulsion System

  • Motors:
    • The aircraft’s motors SHALL be capable of providing sufficient thrust to maintain hover with full payload between 50% - 60% throttle.
  • Propellers:
    • The propellers SHALL be large and efficient to maximize lift and minimize power consumption.
    • The propellers SHOULD be foldable, if feasible, to support ease of storage and transport.
  • ESCs:
    • The aircraft’s ESCs SHALL be compatible with a 12S power supply, integrate with the CAN bus for precise motor control, and provide sufficient current to meet motor requirements.

3. Power System

  • Battery:
    • The aircraft SHALL use a 12S or 14S LiPo or Li-ion battery with sufficient capacity to meet endurance requirements.
  • Battery Management System (BMS):
    • The BMS SHALL monitor battery health, temperature, and charge/discharge rates to ensure optimal battery performance and safety.
  • HV Kill Switch:
    • The aircraft SHALL have a kill switch for the high-voltage electrical network.
  • LV Kill Switch:
    • The aircraft SHALL have a kill switch for the low-voltage electrical network.
  • Power Distribution Board (PDB):
    • The PDB SHALL provide stable 12S or 14S power distribution to all critical components.
  • Battery Case:
    • The battery SHALL be housed in a case permitting easy swap for rapid replacement in the field.
  • Charging:
    • The aircraft SHALL NOT require in-aircraft battery charging capabilities.

4. Flight Control and Navigation

  • Flight Controller:
    • The aircraft SHALL be equipped with a Pixhawk flight controller.
  • GPS Module:
    • The aircraft SHALL have redundant high-accuracy GPS antennas to support reliable navigation.
  • Radar Altimeter:
    • The aircraft SHALL include a radar altimeter for precise altitude measurements, particularly during low-altitude operations.
  • Telemetry:
    • The aircraft SHALL support real-time telemetry data transmission with a range of 5 km.

5. Endurance

  • Hover Time Without Payload:
    • The aircraft SHALL provide at least 25 minutes of hover endurance without payload.
  • Battery Reserve:
    • The aircraft SHALL ensure a 20% battery reserve upon landing for safety considerations.

6. Camera Systems

  • Front-Facing Camera:
    • The aircraft SHALL be equipped with a fixed front-facing camera for navigation or visual feedback.
  • Down-Facing Camera:
    • The aircraft SHALL include a fixed downward-facing camera for mission support and landing assistance.
  • Video Telemetry Range:
    • The video telemetry SHALL have 1 km of range.

7. Payload

  • Payload Capacity:
    • The aircraft SHALL be capable of carrying at least 7 kg of payload during any mission.
  • Quick-Release Mounting:
    • The payload attachment system SHALL incorporate a modular quick-release mechanism, allowing for the attachment of various payloads with minimal setup time.
  • CAN Integration:
    • The payload system SHALL support CAN bus integration to facilitate seamless data communication between the payload and the flight controller.
  • 12V Power Feed:
    • The aircraft SHALL provide a dedicated 12V power line for powering payloads, adaptable to a variety of equipment.

8. Environmental Protection

  • Cooling System:
    • The aircraft SHALL incorporate an effective cooling system for motors, ESCs, and the battery, if necessary, to maintain consistent performance during prolonged flights.

9. Maintenance and Monitoring

  • Modular Design:
    • The aircraft SHALL be designed with modular, easily replaceable arms, motors, and ESCs to facilitate streamlined maintenance.
  • Health Monitoring:
    • The aircraft SHALL provide real-time monitoring of ESC and battery health.
  • Pre-Flight Diagnostics:
    • The aircraft SHALL include a pre-flight diagnostics system to battery levels, GPS accuracy, radar altimeter functionality, and sensor health before each flight.
  • Heading Indicator LEDs:
    • The aircraft SHALL include LEDs with predefined colors around it to indicate its direction.
3 Likes
2

Hey guys, please review and give feedback asap. I think these clear most of the general guidelines.

3

I think it would be nice if we can decide on the following options in the next meeting:

  • horizontal folding arms or vertical
  • 12S or 14S battery
2 Likes
4

It would seem to me that there is a appropriate order of operations working backwards from the top objective. So we have
Mass and Payload, which then leads to discussion about thrust and motion elements required , which then leads to power and then control.
I think it would be much easier to nail down the Motors and ESCs first then decide on the batteries and electrical considerations

5

It would be good to have a life target, either operating hours or months/years (then we would be looking for utilisation stats). (PT1 does not need to demonstrate the life, so it is not necessarily essential at the moment.)

Especially power systems will need to be demonstrated to meet target life values to prove products is indeed cost effective.

Considering the primary focus of PT1, it looks good, thanks!

6

For PT2, we might also consider adding:

-Geo-Fencing
-Collision Avoidance features and associated sensors

considering the operating environment, these seem to be critical.