• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.131-138
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• 2013

The precision aerial application of small farms, such as paddy, upland and orchard fields using agricultural unmanned helicopters became a new paradigm. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a GPS module and algorithm, controlling drift of agricultural helicopter by the crosswind and maintaining the position for emergency landing. Purpose of the drift control, of which an algorithm works while hovering is related with the emergency sequence that coping with abnormal conditions of rotorcraft system. However, the inertial attitude control cannot detect a drifting motion of fuselage moving at the constant velocity, thus the crosswind takes the helicopter away from the landing position. Performance of the drift control module, based on the GPS that a hovering position did not deviate within 5m in diameter, were tested and evaluated. Initially, the reaction against a disturbing gust wind was sensitive, soon the helicopter maintained its locking position and azimuth within 5m in diameter. It was, however, difficult for the helicopter to recognize the swaying and nodding, the some deviation was expected due to the discrepancy characteristics of the GPS signal. The performance of the drift control proved the effectiveness of the module to maintain the position against an unintended drift during the emergency landing or hovering.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 2017.04a
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• pp.54-54
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• 2017

본 연구는 무인 헬리콥터의 양력을 개선하기 위한 기초 단계로서 V1505A 및 V2008B 기본 두 익형의 400 mm 블레이드 섹션에 해당하는 모델에 대한 풍동실험을 실시하여 양력, 항력 및 동력특성을 분석하고 CFD 시뮬레이션의 결과와 비교하고 검증하였다. 시뮬레이션은 풍동 실험과 유사하게 설정하기 위하여 400 mm 블레이드 섹션의 양 끝을 벽으로 제한하여 3차원 와류현상을 억제하여 모델을 구성하였고, 시뮬레이션의 결과와 비교하여 모델을 검증하였다. 사용된 모델은 로터로부터 $Re=0.32{\times}10^6$ 영역까지는 aminar 모델을 사용하였으며, 그 이후 영역역(>$Re=0.32{\times}10^6$)은 양력 및 저항의 급격한 변화를 올바로 포착할 수 있다는 S-A 모델을 적용하여 확장하였다. 시뮬레이션의 격자는 유동 현상에 있어 박리로 야기된 와류 현상을 관찰하기 위하여 익형 주변에 접하는 부분에 격자를 집중시켰다. 시뮬레이션 방법은 유속은 36~141 m/s 까지 5 수준으로 하였으며, 받음각은 $0{\sim}16^{\circ}$로 7 수준으로 변화 시키면서 공력계수 및 동력을 분석하였다. 양력분석에 있어 익형 V1505A에 비해 익형 V2008B의 특성이 우수하였으나, 익형 V1505A는 실속 이후 양력이 급격히 떨어지지 않고 유지되는 특성을 보였다. 익형 V2008B는 낮은 받음각에서 높은 공력과 낮은 항력을 나타냈다. 동력 분석 결과로 익형 V1505A의 유도동력은 총 동력의 56~72%를 차지하고, 형상동력은 총 동력의 27~43%를 차지하였다. 익형 V2008B는 유도동력은 총 동력의 66~81%를 차지하고, 형상동력은 총 동력의 18~33%를 차지하였다. 익형 V2008B이 익형 V1505A보다 유도동력은 크며, 형상동력은 적게 나와 상대적으로 효율적이라 할 수 있다. 헬리콥터 동력원의 규모는 법률적인 총중량에 의하여 제한되므로 일반적인 농용 소형 무인 헬리콥터 엔진의 사양인 24.5 kW (32PS)를 적용한다면, 익형 V1505A은 받음각 $8{\sim}10^{\circ}$에서 그리고 익형 V2008B은 $7{\sim}9^{\circ}$정도에서 받음각이 제한되며 이때 총 양력은 1200~1300 N 정도로 예상된다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 2017.04a
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• pp.59-59
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• 2017

무인 헬리콥터의 양력을 개선하기 위한 익형 설계 단계로서 두꺼운 익형(V1505A)과 얇고 처진 익형(V2008B)의 기본 두 익형의 특성을 예측하는데 있어 회전하는 블레이드의 현실적 조건을 반영한 3D 모델을 마련하고 성능을 예측하였다. Fluent를 이용한 400 mm 선형모델의 시뮬레이션에서는 V1505A 익형은 높은 받음각에서 안정적인 특성을 보인 반면 V2008B는 비교적 높은 동력효율 특성을 보였으나, 높은 받음각에서는 실속 이후 양력이 급락하는 특성을 나타낸다. 형성된 노드 수는 약 870,000개로 하였다. 시위길이 135 mm인 익형 V2008B의 형상은 ANSYS (Fluent v16.2)를 이용해 반경(길이) 1,502 (1,380) mm 의 로터 블레이드를 구성하였다. 충분하지 않은 유동장이 익형 표면에서의 유동의 영향에 영향을 주지 않도록 직경 20 m의 원방경계(far field)를 형성하였다. 사용된 매쉬의 형태는 정사면체 형태로 로터 표면으로부터의 첫 번째 두께 높이는 0.001 m이고 10개의 층으로 형성하였다. 정지 비행하는 헬리콥터의 상태를 가정하여 회전좌표계를 이용하여 정상상태의 유동을 해석하고 사용된 난류모델은 넓은 영역에서의 유동을 고려하여 Realizable $k-{\varepsilon}$ 모델을 사용하였다. 내측그립 받음각 $6{\sim}22^{\circ}$에 대하여 현실적인 회전속도를 연동하여 600~1000 rpm을 적용하였다. 반복수(iteration)는 2000으로 하여 잔차값(residual)이 충분히 수렴하도록 하였다. 전체적으로 실제 헬리콥터가 발휘하는 양력보다는 낮은 수치로 예측되었으며 모델 및 해석 조건에 대한 검토가 필요해 보인다. 양력 값은 받음각 $10^{\circ}$에서 자중(약 68 kgf)을 극복하였고 받음각 $12^{\circ}$에 유상하중 20 kgf을 발휘하며 888 N의 양력을 보였다, 이어 받음각 $22^{\circ}$에서 실속 현상이 발생하였다. 받음각이 증가함에 따라 항력 역시 증가하였으며 받음각 $12^{\circ}$에서 121 N이었고 실속에 이르며 항력은 갑자기 증가할 것으로 예측된다. 본 연구는 변이 익형 개발의 선행 단계로 기본 익형에 대한 공력특성을 CFD 시뮬레이션을 통하여 예측하였다. 예측 값은 현실적 실험방법을 통하여 검증이 되어야 하며 이후 변이익형에 대한 예측과 설계가 가능하다.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.79-84
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• 2014

The precision aerial application of agricultural unmanned helicopters has become a new paradigm for small farms with orchards, paddy, and upland fields. The needs of agricultural applications require easy and affordable control systems. Recent developments of MEMS technology based on inertial sensors and high speed DSP have enabled the fabrication of low-cost attitude system. Therefore, this study evaluates inertial MEMS sensors for estimating the attitude of an agricultural unmanned helicopter. The accuracies and errors of gyro and acceleration sensors were verified using a pendulum system. The true motion values were calculated using a theoretical estimation and absolute encoder measurement of the pendulum, and then the sensor output was compared with reference values. When comparing the sensor measurements and true values, the errors were determined to be 4.32~5.72%, 3.53~6.74%, and 3.91~4.16% for the gyro rate and x-, z- accelerations, respectively. Thus, the measurement results confirmed that the inertial sensors are effective for establishing an attitude and heading reference system (AHRES). The sensors would be constructed in gimbals for the estimating and proving attitude measurements in the following paper.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.159-163
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• 2014

Agricultural unmanned helicopters have become a new paradigm for aerial application. Yet, such agricultural helicopters require easy and affordable attitude control systems. Therefore, this study presents an affordable attitude measurement system using a DCM (direction cosine matrix) algorithm that would be applied to agricultural unmanned helicopters. An IMU using a low-cost MEMS and an algorithm to estimate the attitude of the helicopter were applied in a gimbals structure to evaluate the accuracy of the attitude measurements. The estimation errors in the attitude were determined in comparison with the true angles determined by absolute position encoders. The DCM algorithm and sensors showed an accuracy of about 1.1% for the roll and pitch angle estimation. However, the accuracy of the yaw angle estimation at 3.7% was relatively larger. Such errors may be due to the magnetic field of the stepping motor and encoder system. Notwithstanding, since the intrinsic behavior of the agricultural helicopter remains steady, the determination of attitude would be reliable and practical.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.302-309
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• 2010

Aerial application using an unmanned agricultural helicopter would allow precise and timely spraying. The attitude of a helicopter depends on a number of dynamic variables for roll-balanced flight. Laterally tilting behavior of a helicopter is a physically intrinsic phenomenon while hovering and forwarding. In order to balance the fuselage, the rotor should be counter-tilted, resulting in the biased down-wash. The biased spraying toward right side causes uneven spray pattern. In this study, a raised tail rotor system for the roll-balanced helicopter was studied. Thrust of the tail rotor system was measured and theoretically estimated for the fundamental database of the roll-balanced helicopter design. The estimated tail thrust and roll-moment would be used to design the raising height of tail rotor and roll balancing dynamics. The unmanned agricultural helicopter required the tail rotor thrust of about 39.2 N (4.0 kgf) during hovering with a payload of 235.4 N (24 kgf). A raised tail rotor system would compensate for the physical tilt phenomena. A further attitude control system of helicopter would assist roll-balanced aerial spray application.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.289-295
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• 2008

The task of chemical spraying has been seriously considered as an irritating and annoying job for Korean rice farmers. An agricultural unmanned helicopter was suggested to solve this problem so as the farmers to have more decent farming condition. The objectives of this study were to analyze the adoptability of an experimental rotor blade (SW05) using the CFD simulation and also to compare the simulation results with experimental results. The simulation results showed that the induced power of this rotor reached to $57{\sim}63%$ of total power and the profile power was about $37{\sim}43%$ of total power. Therefore it can be concluded that this rotor's performance characteristics were not so efficient for the size of unmanned helicopter due to the low induced power and high profile power relatively compared with ones of conventional rotors. The comparison with experimental results showed that the tested lifts were less than 70% of simulated ones at the grip pitch of $12^{\circ}$ and decreased to 40% at the $18^{\circ}$ grip pitch. Therefore, it can be concluded that the rotor was too oversized to be used for a 15.4 kW (21 PS) engine.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 2008

An agricultural unmanned helicopter was suggested for an alternative to current pesticide application methods to solve such problems as high cost, low efficiency, shirking task and unsafe work. To pursuit this trend, researches on the development of unmanned helicopters have been accelerated in Korea as well. In this research, a guide type centrifugal clutch that plays an important role in the unmanned helicopter was studied. Theoretical analyses and experimental tests were conducted for designing an optimal clutches. Main design factors of the guide type centrifugal clutch were found to be spring constant, free length of spring, mass of friction sector, contact area, allowable pressure, number of friction sector, friction coefficient, radius of drum, and clutch arrangement. And these design factors could be the functions of engaging engine speed and desired power transfer capacity. The result of the single clutch test showed the power transfer capacity of 14.1 PS at 5,800 rpm and the result of the dual clutch test showed that the capacity of 17.7 PS at 5,600 rpm. These experimental results agreed well the theoretical simulations.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 2009

Aerial application using an agricultural unmanned helicopter was suggested for an alternative against current pesticide application methods. Centrifugal clutches play important roles in the performance and safety of the helicopter operation. A previous study analyzed and verified the power transfer theory of the guide type centrifugal clutch. Based on the clutch theory, optimal designs of the clutch became possible and feasible using a simulation method. Design criteria of the clutch were the power transfer capacity of 24.66 kW(33.5 PS) at the rated engine speed and the engaging range speed of 3,000${\sim}$3,500 rpm. Various designs were accomplished using the simulation. An optimal clutch was simulated by determining the values of spring constant and mass of friction sector, which were 94,700 N/m and 123.7 g, respectively. The design performed the power capacity of 24.86 kW(33.8 PS) and engagement speed of 3,069 rpm, meeting the design criteria. Using the designed clutch, an efficient transfer of the power would be possible for the unmanned agricultural helicopter.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.342-351
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• 2012

Purpose: Aerial spraying with an agricultural unmanned helicopter became a new paradigm in the agricultural practice. Laterally tilting behavior of a conventional agricultural helicopter, resulting in the biased down-wash and uneven spray deposit is a physically intrinsic phenomenon while hovering and cruise flights. Authors studied and developed a roll-balanced agricultural helicopter with a raised pylon tail rotor system. In this study, the attitude of the roll-balanced helicopter was determined using the Kalman filter algorithm, and the quality of roll balancing of a bare-airframe helicopter was evaluated. Methods: Instantaneous attitudes were estimated using the advantage of gyroscope, followed by the long term correction and prediction using accelerometer data for the advantage of convergence. The attitudes of the fuselage were calculated by applying the Kalman filter algorithm. The spraying maneuver of the helicopter was performed at a field of 50 m long, and the attitude data were acquired and evaluated. Results: The determination of attitude using the inertial measurement unit(IMU) and Kalman filter was reliable and practical. The intrinsic attitude of the developed helicopter was stable and roll-balanced. The deviation of roll angle was ${\pm}6.3^{\circ}$ with an average of $0^{\circ}$, referring to roll-balanced. Conclusions: Handling quality of the roll attitude determined to be steadily balanced. The balancing behavior of the developed helicopter would result in an even spray pattern during aerial application.