Multibody Modeling and Simulation of Monocopter Micro Air Vehicle

Abstract

In the current paper, seven degrees of freedom multibody model of a monocopter air vehicle is developed based on the Newton-Euler approach along with nonlinear simulation in different flight phases. Aerodynamic forces and moments are modeled using blade element momentum theory. The sole control surface is modeled like a conventional flap on a wing. Free flight simulation is performed in MATLAB Simulink environment to evaluate the behavior of the system and to demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed model. Simulation results show harmonic oscillations in Euler angles, linear and angular velocities that are consistent with the physics and mathematical foundations. Static stability of the vehicle is evident in free flight by careful choice of initial conditions. The presented multibody model is useful for comparative study and design purposes.