Unmanned Hybrid Vehicle. Volume 4 of 4: IPT 3

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Unmanned Hybrid Vehicle. Volume 4 of 4: IPT 3

J. C. Pierce / D. M. Quick / G. F. Morris / R. A. Frederick

Aviation and ground systems must increase use of emerging and advanced technologies to remain viable in complex, future battlefield environments. Unmanned vehicles will become part of future military operations due to: the demand for immediate intelligence on the battlefield, decreasing defense budgets, increasing operational tempos, and the low tolerance for casualties by the public. This work develops and evaluates system level concepts that fulfill these overall requirements using an unmanned hybrid vehicle. The unmanned hybrid vehicle combines the attributes of an autonomous vertical takeoff and landing air vehicle and an autonomous ground vehicle. This allows fast, flexible deployment and quiet, longer duration ground missions. The assumed time of deployment is the year 2012. The study included requirements definition, concept synthesis, and down selection to three final configurations. Engineering students from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and Ecole Supeneurn des Techniques Ae'ronauUques et de Construction Automobile participated on three competing design teams. Team I developed a basic system with coaxial rotors and a fuel cell drive system. The system is one unit that can both fly and operate on the ground. Team 2 developed a separate air and ground vehicle with intermeshing rotors. The integrated ground unit is deployed and retrieved by the air system. Team 3 also developed a separate air and ground vehicle but with a single rotor system that also requires a tail rotor.