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Structural Integrity Study for a Quadcopter

Frame to Be Deployed for Pest Control
Ibrahim, Sulaiman
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Technology Minna

Alkali, Babawuya
Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Federal University of Technology Minna

Oyewole, Adedipe
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Technology Minna

Salihu Bala Alhaji

Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Federal University of Technology Minna

https://doi.org/10.5109/4491843

出版情報：Evergreen. 8 (3), pp.667-672, 2021-09. Transdisciplinary Research and Education

Center for Green Technologies, Kyushu University
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 EVERGREEN Joint Journal of Novel Carbon Resource Sciences & Green Asia Strategy, Vol. 08, Issue 03, pp667-672, September 2021

Structural Integrity Study for a Quadcopter Frame to Be

Deployed for Pest Control
Sulaiman Ibrahim1*, Babawuya Alkali2, Adedipe Oyewole1, Salihu Bala Alhaji3,
Aliyu Alhaji Abdullahi1, Ibrahim Aku G.4
1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Technology Minna, Nigeria
2)Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Federal University of Technology Minna, Nigeria
3 Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Federal University of Technology Minna, Nigeria

4 Department of Physics, Federal University of Technology Minna, Nigeria

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:

E-mail: [email protected]

(Received January 7, 2021; Revised September 6, 2021; accepted September 6, 2021).

Abstract: – Quadcopters are one of the most versatile unmanned aerial vehicles deployed for
various purposes. In this study it is going to be used as part of a system used for bird control therefore
the structural integrity is investigated. The aim of the paper is to investigate the structural and
aerodynamic behaviour of a quadcopter intended for bird control. A model of the drone has been
developed in SolidWorks, then structural along with flow analysis carried out using ANSYS software.
The structural analysis reveals a maximum stress of 39.13 MPa of the arm due to thrust and 2.6 MPa
on the frame due to load which are within the safe range for use of purpose.

Keywords: Bird control; computational fluid dynamics; structural analysis; surveillance;

unmanned aerial vehicles

1. Introduction Investigating the load effect on the mechanical structure

Birds are one the most destructive to cereal farms in of the drone may require static structural or transient
Nigeria and their control is of significant concern. Various analysis. This will highlight the stresses that are present in
studies have introduced the use of aerial devices for pest the structure along with the deformations and strains. The
control to varying degrees of success. It may be the most CFD on the other hand reveals the effects of wind acting
effective method of controlling bird population in farms1). on the quadcopter structure. ANSYS Fluent or CFX (high
The use of quadcopters has become popular in recent performance CFD solver) are used in ANSYS workbench.
years due to its high manoeuvrability and simple design2). Some of the parameters obtained from flow simulation are
It is used by hobbyists, in military, agriculture, service the wind pressure, lift and drag forces acting on the
delivery and relief applications. Carrying sufficient quadcopter surface6),7).
weight for some of these applications is of interest Both studies (Structural FEA and CFD analyses) follow
particularly for agricultural, relief and service delivery the same procedure of first discretising the structure
purposes. Investigating the effect of weight on the studied into thousands to millions of elements and solving
mechanical structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle for each element using the suitable governing equations,
(UAV) is important. and then assembling the results thereafter8),9)10).
Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software is an easy way Singh et al.2) studied the static and dynamic
these investigations can be conducted at almost no cost. characteristics of a UAV frame and obtained a maximum
Using FEA software reduces overall time in the design stress of 6.27 MPa and deformation of 5.84 mm for the
process. They allow various operational conditions to be static structural analysis. The stress reducing for the
modelled, analysed and the design enhanced by providing dynamic analysis of the same structure to 0.23 MPa. The
a more standardised iterative process3),4). A 3D model is study employed ANSYS workbench for their finite
often used for the investigation and the necessary element analysis. Most of the stresses were recorded
boundary conditions applied to the model for analysis. across the edges of the UAV arms.
Software like SolidWorks is used to model the drone Kuantama et al.5) used SolidWorks design software to
and investigation regarding the structure and model and carryout finite element study on a quadcopter
computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis conducted structure. The study investigated the effect of thrust on the
in ANSYS software as provided in different literature2),4),5). quadcopter arm and the propeller and rotor's angular

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 EVERGREEN Joint Journal of Novel Carbon Resource Sciences & Green Asia Strategy, Vol. 08, Issue 03, pp667-672, September 2021

velocity and air flow produced around the propeller. analysis2). The model is created in SolidWorks 2020 with
Results of the study revealed the possibility of flight dimensions obtained from product user manual and other
instability or high vibrations due to rotational velocities of literature5). The total loads the UAV will carry was
propellers selected for the set up. determined likewise and represented in Table 1.
Ahmed et al.6) modelled and analysed the frame of the
F450 quadcopter. The model was developed using Table 1. Weight estimation
AutoCAD software and analysis in ANSYS Workbench. S/N Components Quantity Mass (kg)
The study examined the upper and bottom plates 1. Frame 1 0.312
separately then the complete assembled frame. The 2. Propeller 4 0.052
maximum equivalent stress obtained on the top plate was
3. Motor 4 0.208
2.25 and 23.0 MPa on the frame assembly when the load
was applied. 4. Electronic speed 4 0.108
Felismina et al.11) studied the aerodynamic behaviour controllers (ESC)
of a UAV with an applied seeder for agricultural practices. 5. Battery 1 0.320
A suitable inclination during operation was sought by the 6. GPS module 1 0.025
study to allow for better battery live economy. The study
7. Flight controller 1 0.050
concluded that the 30° was most suitable for take-off
while the 0° was most suitable for operations. 8. Camera 1 0.028
Al-zogphy et al.12) studied the impact of airflow on 9. Micro pump 1 0.113
quadcopter frame to ascertain if the frame is suitable and rigid 10. Liquid 1 0.200
enough to afford components weight. The geometry was created 11. Mp3 player 1 0.200
using Autodesk Inventor 2017. The frame material considered
Total 1.616
for the analysis was PLA-PLUS and executed by 3D-
printing machine afterwards. The maximum elastic stress
The frame mass is obtained using SolidWorks mass
was determined to be 1.1498 MPa while the strain was
property function. The total weight 𝑊𝑊𝑡𝑡 is obtained using
0.0011151. The stresses were observed on the extreme
Eq. 18).
edges of the frame.
The model intended for investigation when imported to
Wt = WE + WP (1)
the ANSYS workbench must have sufficient boundary
conditions defined. Those conditions are derived from the
Where, WE is the empty weight in Newton (N) and WP
actual conditions in the real world. The thrusts, wind,
is the payload weight in N. The empty load includes the
modal and weight effects may be investigated as
frame, battery, electronic speed controllers (ESCs) and
required13). The basic steps followed are choosing the type
motor weights while the payload are additional weights on
of study, applying a suitable mesh on the geometry,
the frame. Weight acting directly on the upper plate is
applying the boundary conditions and finally running the
determined as 9.2 N, this is the weight that directly acts
analysis13), 14), 15), 16).
on the plate. It includes the weight of the components
The objective of this study is to carryout structural and
listed in Table 1 except for the frame, propellers, motors
CFD analyses on a F450 quadcopter frame to ascertain the
and the Electronic speed controllers (ESC). The mass is
suitability for deployment in a pest control system. The
determined as 0.936 kg, and is converted to weight by
quadcopter is to deter pest by broadcasting selected
multiplying with acceleration due to gravity.
sounds and intermittent spraying. The study will
investigate the effect of the load on the structure and
0.936 × 9.81 = 9.18 N
ascertain if the selected frame is suitable for the system.
The required thrust Thr in N, is the minimum thrust that
2. Methodology will be able to lift the total UAV weight. It was determined
The method is adopted from previous literature1),17). using Eq. 2, as stated by Saheb and Babu17), 18).
The model is selected, modelled and analysed as
represented in Fig. 1. 𝑊𝑊𝑡𝑡 ×2
𝑇𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑟 = (2)
4

Selection of Modelling Conducting A 7.92 N thrust was obtained as the required thrust to
specific model in Static and hover the quadcopter in the air. To calculate the produced
frame SolidWorks flow analysis thrust for the system three (3) components are selected.
1. Propeller 1045
2. Battery with capacity 3300 mAh
Fig. 1: Methodology block diagram 3S/11.1 V and
3. 930 Kv motor [12,14].
DJI F450 quadcopter frame structure is used for this

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 Structural Integrity Study for a Quadcopter Frame to Be Deployed for Pest Control

Eq. 3 is used to determine the thrust produced by the

motor, 𝑇𝑇𝑚𝑚 in N [4].

𝑇𝑇𝑚𝑚 = 3�2 × 𝜋𝜋 × 𝑟𝑟𝑝𝑝2 × 𝜌𝜌𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 × (𝑃𝑃 × 𝜂𝜂ℎ )2 (3) 1

Where 𝑟𝑟𝑝𝑝 is the radius of the propeller in m, 𝜌𝜌air is the 2

3 6)
air density 1.225 kg/m , P is the power in W and ηh is
P

the hovering efficiency. P is obtained from Eq. 45).

𝑃𝑃 = 𝑘𝑘 × 𝑁𝑁 𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝 (4)
Where k is the propeller constant, N is the speed in
revolutions per minute ((rpm) in thousands) and pf is the
power factor. N is determined using Eq. 5, as stated by 1. Arm 2. Upper plate 3.Lower plate
Huang et al. 20).
N = Kv × V (5) Fig. 2: Mesh results for frame structure

After setting the fixtures the loads were applied as

Where Kv represents the rpm per volt from the
depicted in Fig. 3 and analysis conducted.
specification of the motor and V is the voltage supplied in
V, from the battery to the motor. k and pf for 1045
propeller values are 0.144 and 3.2 respectively20). The
produced thrust is 15.72 N.

2.1 Structural analysis FEA set up

The 3D model was imported to ANSYS workbench.
Thereafter the materials were selected and applied from
the material library from ANSYS material database. The
material used are Nylon 6 (PA6) for the arms and E-glass
fibre for the frames2). The properties are given in Table (2)
from the ANSYS engineering data base.

Table 2. Material properties

Fig. 3: Application of boundary conditions to frame structure
Material Property Value
Nylon 6 (PA6) The same procedure is used for the single arm
Density 1140 kg/m3 investigation as seen in Fig.4.
Young’s modulus 1060 MPa
Poisson ratio 0.35
Bulk modulus 1177.8 MPa
Shear modulus 392.59 MPa
Tensile ultimate 49.7 MPa
strength
Tensile yield strength 43.1 MPa
E-Glass
Density 2660 kg/m3
Young’s modulus 73000 MPa
Poisson ratio 0.22 Fig 4: Application of boundary conditions to the arm
Bulk modulus 43452 MPa
2.2 CFD analysis set up
Shear modulus 29918 MPa
Wind is considered the most challenging obstacle for
drone deployment, which is why knowing the wind
The analysis was conducted in two phases; (i) Analysis
characteristic of the deployment area is of immense
of the complete frame and (ii) Analysis of single arm.
interest21). Hopefully the study area where the quadcopter
Mesh was applied to both geometries separately. The
will be deployed is Bida, Niger State Nigeria which has
mesh from frame structure is given in Fig. 2.
relatively low wind speeds. A speed of 7 m/s is suggested

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 EVERGREEN Joint Journal of Novel Carbon Resource Sciences & Green Asia Strategy, Vol. 08, Issue 03, pp667-672, September 2021

by Radiansyah, et al.22) for wild life monitoring speed to

be employed for UAVs, same will be adopted for the study
since the drone is to be deployed for pest monitoring and
control. Relatively low speeds is essential for proper
monitoring of the site and bird detection while in
operation.
ANSYS FLUENT was used for the analysis with only
the external body excluding cavities and internal spaces
considered23). The quadcopter was initially inserted in an
enclosure and the body subtracted from the enclosure
leaving the essential features of the body for study. Mesh
was then applied to the structure for further study to be
conducted.
For boundary conditions laminar flow option is selected Fig.6: Deformation results for frame structure
for the analysis11). The aerodynamic behaviour of the
quadcopter moving at 0° and 30° inclination was As for the arm investigation the stresses were spread
investigated11). across the length of the arm towards the fixtures24) and
range from 0.0015 to 39.13 MPa. As seen in Fig. 7.
3. Results and Discussion
The results are categorised into structural and flow
simulation analyses based on the studies conducted.

3.1 Structural analysis

The maximum stress obtained on the complete frame
subjected to 9.2 N load is 2.60 MPa along with a strain of
0.0016 with a factor of safety value 15. The stresses are
more prevalent on the top plate at regions with holes as
seen in Fig. 5. These areas are generally the stress
concentration areas due to dimensional irregularities in
the geometry of the structure. The areas where the arm
joins the plates also has considerable stress recorded up to
1.21 MPa. The stresses might be lower since ductile
materials (Nylon 6 PA6) are tougher than brittle (E-glass)
ones. Fig. 7: Stress results for quadcopter arm

Both stresses are within the safe working stress of the

components so design is safe2),5),6). The stress
concentration areas behave similar to those recorded in
previous literature2),24),25),26). Singh, et al.2) describes the
maximum stresses on the quadcopter arms located
towards the inner parts, where they are attached the plate.

3.2 CFD analysis

The drag and lift force obtained are 1.02 N and 0.41 N
respectively for the 0° flight configuration of the drone.
Fig. 5: Frame structure results for stress analysis The total pressure on the surface is determined to be 3.508
× 10−5 MPa as shown in Fig. 8. The pressure is more
The minimum of 0.0008 MPa however, is present at the prevalent on the arms in the same direction as the wind
mid regions of the arms towards the fixtures away from flow.
joint areas. The maximum deformation recorded is 0.97 There is an increase in the drag force to 1.78 N as the
mm as shown in Fig. 6. The deformation is maximum quadcopter is tilted 30°. More of the arm structure is
where the load was applied. resisting the wind which results in the pressure increase.

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 Structural Integrity Study for a Quadcopter Frame to Be Deployed for Pest Control

Fig. 10: Flow current lines on frame for 0° inclination

Fig. 8: Total surface pressure flow simulation result

The force becomes -0.78 N as seen in Table 3. The

negative value insinuates a push downwards. This will
necessitate expending more force to keep the drone
hovering10),28),29).

Table 3 CFD Results

Inclination Drag Lift Pressure
S/N (°) (N) (N) (𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏−𝟓𝟓 MPa)

1. 0 1.02 0.41 3.508

2. 30 1.78 -0.78 3.689
Fig. 11: Flow current lines on frame for 30° inclination
−5
Also increased is the total pressure to 3.689 × 10
MPa. The pressure is present more in the geometry areas
4. Conclusions
with sudden changes and sharp corners28) as seen in Fig. The drone’s structure selected to be deployed for bird
9. The most inclined motors facing the wind and the lower control has been successfully analysed for suitability of
plate experience more of the increased pressure described. purpose. The structure was modelled in SolidWorks and
analysed using ANSYS Workbench simulation tools.
Maximum stresses obtained are 18.51 and 39.13 MPa for
the frame and arm structures respectively. The stress is
well within safe working limits for the material, therefore
safe for use. The CFD flow reveals a higher drag of 1.9 N
during roll and pitch motions. Minimising those
movement patterns will be incorporated in designing the
flight mission during operation to save battery life when
drone is deployed.

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