Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drones have received a
lot of attention for their agricultural applications, and recently,
engine-generator hybrid drones have been studied to maximize
their efficiency in agricultural applications, such as extendin...
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drones have received a
lot of attention for their agricultural applications, and recently,
engine-generator hybrid drones have been studied to maximize
their efficiency in agricultural applications, such as extending
flight time and increasing payload capacity. However, engine
vibration is not only associated with efficiency issues such as
reduced flight performance, shorter flight time, and reduced
durability of the drone airframe, but also with risks that can
seriously threaten the stable operation of the drone. These
problems are mainly caused by the fact that the vibration
generated by the engine drive of the drone is transmitted to the
entire drone through the structure supporting the engine.
Therefore, it is necessary to study how to minimize the
transmission of vibration through the damping device connected
to the airframe. This study was conducted in this context, and
experiments were conducted to determine how effectively an
engine mount applied to an engine-generator hybrid large
agricultural drone can reduce the transmission of vibration from
the engine to the airframe.
Three types of vibration damping mounts with different
vibration transmission characteristics were fabricated and tested.
Model 1 was machined from aluminum and combined with a
rubber damper, Model 2 was made of metal alone, and Model 3
used an industrial rubber damper as a mount. Accelerometers
were attached to the engine frame, fuselage frame, fuselage top,
flight controller (FC), and propeller motor, and a vibration
measurement system was configured using LabVIEW. Vibration
data for each mount type was measured by location to compare
the vibration values and frequency ranges of models 1, 2, and 3
at each location. It was found that Model 1, with its structural
separation of the engine from the airframe and the use of rubber
dampers and anti-vibration pads, reduced the acceleration
characteristics of the engine vibration compared to Model 2, with
metal mounts, and Model 3, with rubber dampers.
This study confirms that the vibration damping device named
Model 1 is the most effective in reducing the vibration
transmitted from the engine to the drone airframe. The
application of this vibration damping device will contribute to
reducing the negative effects on the flight control unit and
motors, which can help improve the stable flight of the drone
and the structural stability of the drone airframe.