Stability Parameter Range of a Tethered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Abstract

In this study, the stability parameter range of a tethered quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) under the action of the transient wind field is numerically analyzed, which can provide a theoretical basis for the design and application of such systems. Three factors affecting the stability of tethered UAV system are determined, namely, cable tension, cable elongation, and UAV vibration velocity, and the corresponding judgment criteria are obtained. Specifically, the priority of the three criteria sequentially decreases. According to these criteria, the stability parameter range of the tethered UAV is examined under the cable parameters such as length, diameter, and elastic modulus and the environmental parameters such as the amplitude and period of the wind field. The results show that for designing the tethered UAV structure, by reducing the length of the tethered cable and increasing its diameter and elastic modulus, the working stability of tethered UAV system can be improved.