University of Alaska Fairbanks Student-Built Heavy Lift Multirotor (HLM) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) as a Platform for Conducting Arctic Research

Abstract:

The Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI) leads the way in achieving safe and reliable unmanned aircraft system (UAS) integration for autonomously scientific research and public service missions. ACUASI is one of seven Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) UAS Test Sites and is the lead for a Department of Transportation Integration Pilot Program (IPP) site. Under IPP, vital mission sets include conducting Beyond-Visual-Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) missions to perform linear infrastructure inspections and to deliver high-priority items to outlying villages. Capable UAS require complex payloads/sensor systems to accomplish their tasks, and, in turn, require significant capacity and flight endurance. ACUASI’s home institution possesses an aerospace engineering minor, complete with UAS design and operations courses. Students work on state-of-the-art hardware to construct UAS capable of supporting ACUASI’s missions. During the fall 2019 semester, UAF and University of Alaska Anchorage students designed and built two Heavy Lift Multirotor (HLM) UAS in support of ACUASI mission needs, carry payloads/sensors up to 5 kg for 20 minutes, support autonomous BVLOS flights, and fit the FAA's small-UAS designation. The adapted Tarot X-4 HLM is modified to carry Tmotor P80 motors with 30-inch dia. props while the adapted Tarot X-6 is powered by Tmotor P60 motors with 22-inch dia. props. The Tarot-X6 has flown for 46 mins, during its initial flights, and 26 mins with a 4.2 kg payload, while the prototype X-4 is being retrofitted to address structural limits to its payload and may be redesigned as a larger (> 55 lb.) UAS. We feature the student-led systems that met challenging UAS operations requirements and simultaneously report on how the research supports the students to create complex commercial-grade UAS possessing the heavy payload capacity and flight times needed to accomplish real-world scientific research and demanding public service missions in the Arctic.