Theoretical Design and Analysis of Drones (UAVs)
Price:
$11,000.00
$2,999.00
A project-driven course teaching complete UAV design methodology—from mission analysis to preliminary design—using industry-standard computational tools (AVL, ANSYS Fluent) to analyze aerodynamics, stability, and performance.
Theoretical Design and Analysis of Drones (UAVs)
Price:
$11,000.00
$2,999.00
A project-driven course teaching complete UAV design methodology—from mission analysis to preliminary design—using industry-standard computational tools (AVL, ANSYS Fluent) to analyze aerodynamics, stability, and performance.
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Section 1
Foundations of UAVs
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Course Introduction & Philosophy. Definitions: UAS, UAV, Drone, RPAS. Anatomy of a Drone: Airframe, Propulsion, Avionics, GCS, Link. Historical Context & Modern Applications.
Episode 1 21m 47s
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Section 2
The Design Process
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The Systems Engineering Approach. From Mission Statement to Design Requirements. Key Performance Parameters (KPPs): Range, Endurance, Payload, Speed. Design Trade-offs and Constraints (cost, regulations).
Episode 1 35m 34s
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Section 3
Configuration Selection
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In-depth comparison: Fixed-Wing, Rotary-Wing (Multirotors), Hybrid VTOL. Pros, Cons, and Mission Suitability of each. Introduction to Initial Sizing Concepts.
Episode 1 47m 5s
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Section 4
Aerodynamics for UAVs
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Session 4
Review of Aerodynamic Fundamentals. Low Reynolds Number Flight. Airfoil Selection for UAVs: Databases and critieria (L/D max, gentle stall). Introduction to Lifting Line and Vortex Lattice Theory (the basis of AVL).
Episode 1 Coming Soon
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Section 5
Initial Sizing
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Session 5
Weight Estimation: Empty, Payload, Fuel/Battery. The Master Equation: W₀ = Wₛtructure + Wₚayload + Wₑnergy. Estimating Wing Loading (W/S) from stall, climb, cruise. Estimating Thrust-to-Weight (T/W) from climb and cruise.
Episode 1 Coming Soon
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Section 6
Stability & Control I
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Session 6
Concepts of Static and Dynamic Stability. Longitudinal Stability: The Neutral Point, Static Margin. The role of the tail (horizontal stabilizer). Introduction to Stability Derivatives (Cₘᵅ, Cₙᵝ, Cₗᵝ).
Episode 1 Coming Soon
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Section 7
Stability & Control II
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Session 7
Lateral-Directional Stability: Dihedral effect, Dutch Roll. Vertical Tail Sizing for Directional Stability. Control Derivatives and Introduction to Control Surfaces.
Episode 1 Coming Soon
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Section 8
High-Fidelity Analysis: CFD I
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Session 8
Introduction to CFD: Navier-Stokes Equations, Turbulence Modeling overview. The CFD Workflow: Geometry -> Meshing -> Solving -> Post-Processing. Meshing for External Aerodynamics.
Episode 1 Coming Soon
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Section 9
High-Fidelity Analysis: CFD II
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Session 9
Setting Boundary Conditions and Solver Parameters. Analyzing Results: Pressure Contours, Streamlines, Coefficient Convergence. Validating Low-Fidelity (AVL) vs. High-Fidelity (CFD) results.
Episode 1 Coming Soon
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Section 10
Propulsion & Systems
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Session 10
Electric Propulsion Systems: Batteries, Motors, Propellers. Matching Propellers to Motors and Airframes. Introduction to Autopilots and Flight Control Systems.
Episode 1 Coming Soon
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Section 11
Design Iteration & Refinement
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Session 11
Using analysis results (AVL, CFD) to refine the design. Dealing with real-world problems: addressing instability, high drag, etc. Finalizing performance predictions (Range, Endurance).
Episode 1 Coming Soon
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Course In Progress
Course still in development. Check back often for updates.
1. Course Description
This project-based course provides a rigorous overview of the complete unmanned
aerial vehicle (UAV) design process. Students will learn to translate a mission
profile into quantifiable design requirements, select and justify a configuration,
perform initial sizing, and analyze the aerodynamic, stability, and control
characteristics of their design using modern computational tools. The philosophy is
rooted in aerospace engineering fundamentals: balancing performance, stability, and
control through iterative analysis. Practical application is emphasized through
hands-on use of industry-standard software like AVL (Vortex Lattice Method) and
ANSYS Fluent (Computational Fluid Dynamics) to model, simulate, and refine
conceptual designs.
2. Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
* Deconstruct an operational need into a formal set of design requirements and
constraints.
* Evaluate and select appropriate UAV configurations for a given mission.
* Perform initial sizing for weight, wing loading, and power requirements.
* Apply fundamental aerodynamic and stability theory to UAV design.
* Utilize computational tools to predict aerodynamic coefficients and static
stability derivatives.
* Conduct basic high-fidelity CFD analysis to validate and refine low-fidelity
models.
* Synthesize analysis results into a coherent preliminary design review package.
* Effectively communicate a technical design choice and its justification.
3. Prerequisites
Introductory Aerodynamics (or equivalent)
Familiarity with basic mechanics and dynamics.
Basic proficiency with a programming language (Python/MATLAB) for data
analysis is recommended but not required.
4. Required Software & Tools
- AVL (Athena Vortex Lattice): Open-source tool for aerodynamic and stability
- Aanalysis. XFLR5: Open-source tool for airfoil and wing analysis (complements AVL).
- ANSYS Fluent: For computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
- CAD Software: for 3D geometry creation for CFD.