Conceptual design and construction of a UAV wing structure

Sammanfattning: This report presents the design of the wing structure for a UAV called Skywalker X8. A model of the UAV was given and analyzed to design a wing box structure that is twice the size of the current model, with "greener" technology and lightweight materials. The loads that act upon the UAV were simulated and thereafter analyzed with the help of the CFD program called Star CCM+. Modifications on the CAD model and the FEM simulations were performed in Siemens NX. Eight different combinations were tested from the following five materials: CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced polymer), LDPE (low density polyethylene), polyethylene, polypropylene, and balsa wood. The results that best fit the requirements given was the combination of polypropylene as the wing skin and balsa as the honeycomb structure. This design weighed 3.576 kg and had the following stresses: 0.671 MPa, 0.340 MPa, 1 MPa, and 4 MPa for the angle of attacks at 1,2,3, and 6 degrees respectively. A modification of the trailing edge, which was the implementation of a Gurney flap, was made to see if it improved the lift-to-drag ratio, but unfortunately it did not so it was not developed further.