The objective of this project is to test and build a hybrid power system capable of controlled load sharing.
Sponsored by: Lockheed Martin
Team Members
Isaac Arbelaez Venegas Meixu Bao Hao-Wei Hsieh Neel Karani Michael Schiavone Francis Sposato Dylan McMaster Jacques Van der Walt
Instructor: Paul Mittan
Project Poster
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Project Video
Project Summary
Overview
Current UAVs have a limited endurance in the air due to state-of-the-art batteries. This multi-semester project sponsored by Lockheed Martin involves building and testing a hybrid power system that aims to increase this time. More specifically, this system is composed of an electrical source (a battery), as well as a mechanical source (an engine). The spring team was tasked with showing load sharing between these two power sources, as well as designing an interactive Graphical User Interface (GUI) to illustrate collected data.
Objectives
-Understand the problem and system handed by the previous semester’s team.
-Ensure that the throttle servo for the engine adapts to changing load demands from the fan.
-Determine the current direction of the present system and obtain physical data from integrated sensors.
-Demonstrate basic power generation and controlled load sharing between the two power sources.
Approach
-The team split the objectives into separate testing events to account for the progress made throughout the semester.
-Each testing event involved rearranging the physical system.
-Initially, a lot of time was used to study the system handed by the previous semester and create visual schematics to understand the setup.
-A new testing board was developed, and SolidWorks was used to produce 3D-printed mounts for each of the main components of the system.
-Arduino software was implemented to obtain data which was then analyzed using Microsoft Excel.
-To validate our data, current measurements were obtained from in-line sensors with the circuit, and electric speed controllers (ESC).
-Belgium Campus, in South Africa, teamed up with the PSU team to create a GUI that served as a visual representation of data collection.
Outcomes
-Power generation and current direction were verified via successful data collection.
-The engine did not start despite several solutions used to try and fix the component.
-Completing the test events required the use of a motor substitute to start the generator.
-Controlled load sharing could not be shown due to hindrances due to budget issues and hindrances by components throughout the testing events.
-The GUI was successful in trying to upload and show data on the node-red server.
-The following team to work on this project will have access to all physical and virtual documentation to modify the system for future testing.