Towards an integrated framework for propulsion, aerothermal heating, and control for hypersonic UAVs

Commercial Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are purpose-built vehicles that are tailored to the intended applications and use cases. As the use cases for UAVs continue to grow, so do the needs for new, bespoke vehicle designs. This is especially true in the use of UAVs for high-speed reconnaissance and surveillance where speed and agility must be balanced with reliability, efficiency and environmental impact. To meet the specific performance requirements, the novel UAV designs ultimately revolve around the selection and integration of the propulsion system, while considering aerothermal heating effects and control systems. The current research program seeks develop an integrated framework for the design of a novel class of hypersonic UAVs. This work will help UVAD develop and commercialize the first, designed-in-Canada hypersonic UAV to compete on the global market.

Faculty Supervisor:

Jean-Pierre Hickey

Student:

Partner:

UVAD;Stratus Aeronautics

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Waterloo

Program: