Multipurpose Aerial Drone for
Bridge Inspection and Fire
Extinguishing
Raquel Remington
Ramon Cordero
Daniel Villanueva
Larry March
Adviser: Dr. Ibrahim Tansel
Problem Statement and Motivation
Building the next Bridge Inspection and Fire
Extinguishing drone
• Design a release mechanism that is more
efficient for the chemical fire extinguisher.
• To make the inspection of bridges safer for
engineers and inspectors.
• To allow fighter to be more efficient in
extinguishing of small fires.
Impacts on Safety
Inspection
- Crane Inspection
- Smoke Stack Inspection
- Power Line Aerial Inspection
- Pipe Lines
- Wind Farm / Wind Mill Aerial Inspection
- Roof top damage Inspection
- Solar Panel Inspection
- Refinery Flare Tip Inspection
- Bridge Aerial Inspection
- Search and rescue
- Insurance companies to inspect damage
- Any application requiring aerial video or still photography
via remote drone injuries
Fire Extinguishing
-Small fires
-Chemical extinguishing testing
Impacts on Economy
Air drone are the next technology
• Easy access
• Fast delivery
• Quick access
• Hard to get places
• No waiting
• Unmanned
• Availability to be tract and real time video
• No life risk
• Hard to get places
Photograph by amazon
Photograph by DHL
Markets
• The quad copter industry is changing rapidly.
The market is expanding as technology improves
and costs decrease, and it can be difficult to keep
track of what companies are even making the
various models out there.
Proposed Structural Design
Mechatronic System
•Auto pilot: Pixhawk
•32 bit ARM Cortex® M4 Processor
running NuttX RTOS
•14 PWM/servo outputs
•External safety button for easy motor
activation
•Multicolor LED indicator
https://store.3drobotics.com/products/3d
r-pixhawk
•High-power, multi-tone piezo audio
indicator
3DR uBlox GPS with Compass Kit
•5 Hz update rate
•25 x 25 x 4 mm ceramic patch
antenna
•Rechargeable 3V lithium backup
battery
•Low noise 3.3V regulator
•I2C EEPROM for configuration
storage
•Power and fix indicator LEDs
•Protective case
•38 x 38 x 8.5 mm total size
• 16.8 grams
http://store.3drobotics.com/products/3drgps-ublox-with-compass
Telemetry kit (radio ste)
•Frequency : 915 or 433 MHz
•Interchangeable air and ground
modules
•Micro-USB port
•Allows for Remote collection of the
Autopilot’s Data
https://store.3drobotics.com/products/3drradio
Video/OSD system
•Sony HAD 520 line camera
•MinimOSD on-screendisplay-board
•5.8Ghz 200mw video
transmitter/receiver pair
http://store.3drobotics.com/products/3dr-fpvosd-kit
•Two 900mAh LiPo batteries
(one for the air, one for the
ground)
Electronic Speed Controller
•Constant Current: 45A
•Input Voltage: 2-6
cells Lipo(7.2V-24V)
• Output: 5.5V/6A
•Max RPM: 240,000rpm for 2
Poles Brushless Motor
• Motor Plugs: Female 4.0mm
Bullet Connector
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__25366__
Turnigy_Multistar_45_Amp_Multi_rotor_Brushless_ESC
_2_6S.html
•Weight: 58g
Power supply
•Capacity: 8000mAh
•Voltage: 6s/ 22.2V
•Weight: 1105g
•Dimensions:195x50x55
mm
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__18210__Turnigy_nan
o_tech_8000mAh_6S_25_50C_Lipo_Pack.html
Power distribution board
•4 female Deans connectors/ 1
XT60 connector
•Sends power and signals to
the different electric speed
controllers to power the
different motors
•Regulates a failsafe power
source to the autopilot
https://store.3drobotics.com/products/quadcopte
r-power-distribution-board-1
Power module
•Supports up to 10s LiPo
battery
•Maximum voltage
supported 45V
•Maximum Amperage
supported 90 amps
http://www.rangevideo.com/3dr-pixhawk/876-powermodule-apmpx4-support-to-10s-battery.html
Brushless Motors
•Kv 480(rpm/v)
•Weight 154g
•Max Current 31 A
•Resistance 62(mh)
•Max Voltage 22(V)
•Power 680(W)
•Diameter C (mm)48
•Can Length D (mm)33
http://www.rcdetails.info/details/6853
Rpm=480(rpm/V)*25.2V
=12096
•Shaft Ø (mm)6
•Length B (mm)33
•LiPo max6
Radio controller
•Spektrum DX8 Radio
Controller
•8 channel radio
•Spektrum ARB8000
•High resolution
radio receiver
•3DR PPM encoder
https://www.spektrumrc.
com/Products/Default.as
px?ProdId=SPMAR8000
http://www.spektrumrc.com/Pr
oducts/Default.aspx?ProdId=SP
M8800
https://store.3drobotics.com/
products/8-channel-ppmencoder-version-2
•Receives PWM servo
outputs of the R/C receiver
and encodes them into
a PPM pulse suitable for
the autopilot
Autopilot/radio set up
Power Set up
Proposed Designs of Release Mechanism
Designed: Solidworks 2013
Manufactured: 3D Printing
Material: Polyactic Acid (PLA)
Final Design
Mechatronics: Release Mechanism
Programming: Arduino Software & Mission Planner
Release Mechanism Test
Initial Design Test
Final Design Test
Force Analysis - Rotors
• Required lift of rotors
▫
▫ Weighs 49 N
 Solving dictates that thrust per rotor must be greater
than 12.23N
▫
 Solving for the radius yields:
 Radius of rotors must be greater than 0.055m
Force Analysis – Release Mechanism
• Forces acting upon the grippers
▫
 Rearranging yields:
 Mass of extinguishing grenade is 1.4 kg.
 Force is 3.43N per gripper
Thermal Analysis
• Updraft temperatures1 – 60-100°C
• Carbon fiber maintains integrity up to 2200°C
▫ Epoxy resin can soften at temperatures above
100°C
• PLA can withstand temperatures up to 150°C
• Fire extinguishing grenade - 82°C
• Recommended operating temperatures of 6070°C
Von Mises Stress Simulation
Stress Quality
Stress (kPa)
Maximum
117
Minimum
112
Average
114
Strain Simulation
Strain Quality
Strain (µε)
Maximum
29
Minimum
28
Average
28.5
Factor of Safety Simulation
Deformation Simulation
Deformation
Quality
Deformatio
n (µm)
Maximum
0.258
Minimum
0.245
Average
0.250
Fabrication
• Structural Skeleton
▫ Carbon Fiber tubing and plating
 Manufactured to specifications
• Electronic Components
▫ Prefabricated
• Release Mechanism
▫ 3D printing in PLA
Testing
Total Costs - $1284.26
Item
Individual Cost ($)
Quantity
Total Cost
3DR Video Kit
189.99
1
189.99
XT60 Male Connector
1.25
1
1.25
480 KV Motor
18.00
4
72.00
3DR Pixhawk
199.99
1
199.99
3DR GPS
79.99
1
79.99
Deans Male Connector
1.00
4
4.00
ESC 20 AMP with SimonK
25.99
4
103.96
IRIS + Battery Pack
39.99
1
39.99
Power Board
15.00
1
15.00
3DR Radio Set
100.00
1
100.00
PPM Encoder
24.90
1
24.90
APC Propellers
8.00
1
8.00
Carbon Fiber Tubing
41.25
3
123.75
Propellers
2.80
2
5.60
Carbon Fiber Disk (large)
41.95
2
83.90
Carbon Fiber Disk (small)
31.95
1
31.95
Motor for Claw
24.99
1
24.99
3D Printing
175.00
1
175.00
Sustainability
• Carbon Fiber Structure
▫ Repurposed or downcycled
• Lithium Ion Battery
▫ Recyclable though doing so drives the cost of
lithium up 5 times
• PLA Plastic Components
▫ Recycled chemically and remanufactured to PLA
filament
Standards
•
•
•
•
•
ASME Code of Ethics
SI System of Units
FAA UAS Standards
ASTM Composite Standards
IEEE SA Consumer Electronics Standards
Questions?
References
•
1Clark, Terry, Janice Coen, Mary Ann Jenkins, David Packham. "Modeling the Links
Between Fire and Wind." UCAR.