Integration and technical validation of an ethanol fuelled generator coupled to a RPA class 3 pulverization drone

• Grant number: 22/13588-5
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: July 01, 2023
• End date: March 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Aerospace Engineering - Aerospace Systems
• Agreement: SEBRAE-SP
• Principal Investigator: João Vitor Valentin Arruda
• Grantee: João Vitor Valentin Arruda
• Company: Liconic Soluções Tecnológicas Ltda
• CNAE: Pesquisa e desenvolvimento experimental em ciências físicas e naturais ; Atividades profissionais, científicas e técnicas não especificadas anteriormente ; Aluguel de máquinas e equipamentos não especificados anteriormente
• Associated researchers: Enio Daniel Machado de Freitas

Abstract

The drone market doubles in size every year, with one of the main drivers of this growth being the technological activities in the country, where the drone acts as a tool that brings greater operational efficiency and complements the other tools that already exist in this environment. Despite the exponential growth, the same is limited by the high costs of the batteries used in these drones, which besides the high cost of acquisition, have low durability, low reliability and do not have a circular supply chain, which is interrupted at the disposal stage due to the impossibility of recycling LiPo compound batteries nowadays. Liconic's proposal is to implement a hybrid ethanol generator to replace batteries, making use of this abundant national renewable energy matrix. The integration of this system in a drone is complex, because there can be impacts in several aspects of the drone that uses it, such as changes in flight dynamics, changes in operating procedures, changes in cost calculations, and several parameters must be monitored to ensure the proper functioning of the system. Several engineering aspects were studied and implemented in the system so that the impacts caused by the ethanol generator are minimal to the drone and provide a harmonious and economically viable operation between both, being these the objects of interest of this integration and technical validation. (AU)