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Article

Design, Construction and Finite Element Analysis of a Hexacopter for Precision Agriculture Applications

by
Miguel Ernesto Gutierrez-Rivera
1,
Jesse Y. Rumbo-Morales
2,
Gerardo Ortiz-Torres
2,
Jose J. Gascon-Avalos
2,*,
Felipe D. J. Sorcia-Vázquez
2,
Carlos Alberto Torres-Cantero
3,4,
Hector M. Buenabad-Arias
5,
Iván Guillen-Escamilla
6,
Maria A. López-Osorio
6,
Manuel A. Zurita-Gil
2,
Manuela Calixto-Rodriguez
7,
Antonio Márquez Rosales
2 and
Mario A. Juárez
8
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Guanajuato, Salamanca 36885, Mexico
2
Centro Universitario de los Valles, University of Guadalajara, Carretera Guadalajara-Ameca, Km 45.5, Ameca 46600, Mexico
3
Tecnológico Nacional de Mexico Campus Colima, Av. Tecnológico # 1, Col. Liberación, Villa de Álvarez 28976, Mexico
4
Facultad de Ingeniería Mecánica y Eléctrica, Universidad de Colima, Carretera Colima-Coquimatlan, Km 9, Valle de las Huertas, Coquimatlán 28400, Mexico
5
Centro de Investigación en Ingenierías y Ciencias Aplicadas de La Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca 62209, Mexico
6
Natural and Exact Sciences Department, University of Guadalajara, Ameca 46600, Mexico
7
División Académica de Mecánica Industrial, Universidad Tecnológica Emiliano Zapata del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad Tecnológica No. 1, Col. Palo Escrito, Emiliano Zapata 62760, Mexico
8
TecNM/ITS Irapuato, Irapuato 36821, Mexico
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Modelling 2024, 5(3), 1239-1267; https://doi.org/10.3390/modelling5030064
Submission received: 1 August 2024 / Revised: 1 September 2024 / Accepted: 6 September 2024 / Published: 12 September 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Finite Element Simulation and Analysis)
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Abstract

Agriculture drones face important challenges regarding autonomy and construction, as flying time below the 9-minute mark is the norm, and their manufacture requires several tests and research before reaching proper flight dynamics. Therefore, correct design, analysis, and manufacture of the structure are imperative to address the aforementioned problems and ensure a robust build that withstands the tough environments of this application. In this work, the analysis and implementation of a Nylamid motor bracket, aluminum sandwich-type skeleton, and carbon fiber tube arm in a 30 kg agriculture drone is presented. The mechanical response of these components is evaluated using the finite element method in ANSYS Workbench, and the material behavior assumptions are assessed using a universal testing machine before their implementations. The general description of these models and the numerical results are presented. This early prediction of the behavior of the structure allows for mass optimization and cost reductions. The fast dynamics of drone applications set important restrictions in ductile materials such as this, requiring extensive structural analysis before manufacture. Experimental and numerical results showed a maximum variation of 8.7% for the carbon fiber composite and 13% for the Nylamid material. The mechanical properties of polyamide nylon allowed for a 51% mass reduction compared to a 6061 aluminum alloy structure optimized for the same load case in the motor brackets design. The low mechanical complexity of sandwich-type skeletons translated into fast implementation. Finally, the overall performance of the agriculture drone is evaluated through the data gathered during the flight test, showing the adequate design process.
Keywords: UAV; design; finite element analysis; ANSYS Workbench; agriculture applications UAV; design; finite element analysis; ANSYS Workbench; agriculture applications

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Gutierrez-Rivera, M.E.; Rumbo-Morales, J.Y.; Ortiz-Torres, G.; Gascon-Avalos, J.J.; Sorcia-Vázquez, F.D.J.; Torres-Cantero, C.A.; Buenabad-Arias, H.M.; Guillen-Escamilla, I.; López-Osorio, M.A.; Zurita-Gil, M.A.; et al. Design, Construction and Finite Element Analysis of a Hexacopter for Precision Agriculture Applications. Modelling 2024, 5, 1239-1267. https://doi.org/10.3390/modelling5030064

AMA Style

Gutierrez-Rivera ME, Rumbo-Morales JY, Ortiz-Torres G, Gascon-Avalos JJ, Sorcia-Vázquez FDJ, Torres-Cantero CA, Buenabad-Arias HM, Guillen-Escamilla I, López-Osorio MA, Zurita-Gil MA, et al. Design, Construction and Finite Element Analysis of a Hexacopter for Precision Agriculture Applications. Modelling. 2024; 5(3):1239-1267. https://doi.org/10.3390/modelling5030064

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gutierrez-Rivera, Miguel Ernesto, Jesse Y. Rumbo-Morales, Gerardo Ortiz-Torres, Jose J. Gascon-Avalos, Felipe D. J. Sorcia-Vázquez, Carlos Alberto Torres-Cantero, Hector M. Buenabad-Arias, Iván Guillen-Escamilla, Maria A. López-Osorio, Manuel A. Zurita-Gil, and et al. 2024. "Design, Construction and Finite Element Analysis of a Hexacopter for Precision Agriculture Applications" Modelling 5, no. 3: 1239-1267. https://doi.org/10.3390/modelling5030064

APA Style

Gutierrez-Rivera, M. E., Rumbo-Morales, J. Y., Ortiz-Torres, G., Gascon-Avalos, J. J., Sorcia-Vázquez, F. D. J., Torres-Cantero, C. A., Buenabad-Arias, H. M., Guillen-Escamilla, I., López-Osorio, M. A., Zurita-Gil, M. A., Calixto-Rodriguez, M., Rosales, A. M., & Juárez, M. A. (2024). Design, Construction and Finite Element Analysis of a Hexacopter for Precision Agriculture Applications. Modelling, 5(3), 1239-1267. https://doi.org/10.3390/modelling5030064

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