Using this tool, aspiring aircraft designers with little to no knowledge of aerodynamics or aeronautical engineering can design their own aircraft. My work specifically has related to calculating the aerodynamics of the propellers and modeling how prop-wash can affect the aerodynamics of lifting surfaces, like wings.
I myself have been working on the development of MachUp for over a year now. This tool was developed by graduate students under the leadership of Dr. MachUp is a free, online aerodynamic analysis tool used for aircraft design, analysis, and optimization. Now, he wants anyone interested in fixed-wing drone design to try the software to see what it’s capable of.Have you ever wanted to design your own aircraft? Or built a canard and then spent hours trying to figure out where the center of gravity should be? Or wondered about how stabilizer placement will affect the stability of your aircraft? If you can answer yes to any of these questions (or yes to any questions regarding aircraft design) then MachUp is for you! Hunsaker said he developed MachUp with the goal of putting useful design tools into the hands of engineers at drone startup companies. Designing any aircraft, including drones, requires sophisticated software tools and expert-level knowledge in aerodynamics and aerospace engineering.
“But because each mission is different, each of those applications will require a unique drone that will have to be designed for safe and efficient operation. “For years, we’ve been imagining drones doing everything from delivering packages to monitoring freeway traffic and performing security functions,” said Hunsaker. That’s the heart of the problem for Hunsaker: There is no one-size-fits-all design for drones, meaning different drone models used in different applications will need to be designed from the ground up. As applications expand, a variety of drones will be needed to perform a variety of tasks. Companies including Google and Facebook are exploring the use of drones to provide wireless Internet coverage and, Amazon is developing drones to deliver packages. Drones are already creating new opportunities in agriculture, research, cinematography and data delivery. In the near future, small autonomous aircraft will play a big role in everyday life.
“And if they did, it would be prohibitively expensive for the average user or small startup company.” “The average Joe does not have access to this kind of software,” said Hunsaker. Doug Hunsaker, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, is offering a free online design tool.
0 kommentar(er)
