TY - JOUR

T1 - Design of an Over-Actuated Hexacopter Tilt-Rotor for Landing and Coupling in Power Transmission Lines

AU - Leal Lopes, Vitor Mainenti

AU - Honório, Leonardo M.

AU - Santos, Murillo F.

AU - Pancoti, Antônio A.N.

AU - Silva, Mathaus F.

AU - Diniz, Lucas F.

AU - Mercorelli, Paolo

N1 - This research was funded by TBE with the supervision of ANEEL (The Brazilian Regulatory Agency of Electricity through project number PD-02651-0016/2019. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.

PY - 2023/6/1

Y1 - 2023/6/1

N2 - It is known that new power transmission line inspection techniques have been developed over the last few years with great potential to improve and, in some cases, even replace traditional inspection procedures such as using helicopters and cars. A series of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) such as fixed-wing or rotary-wing UAVs, and vehicles that climb on the power transmission line, promise to revolutionize the inspection market. In this light, at least 39 new research studies and/or products have been conducted and/or introduced to the market, respectively. However, in an incipient way, some works point to the fusion of some technologies: the development of multi-rotor UAVs and the ability to connect and move over the power transmission line. In line with this, the current work was proposed, with significant unprecedented advances (such as an over-actuated control capacity with tilt rotors, the capability of a displacement in the angle, and the maintenance of active motors on the power transmission line), and the design, modeling, and control of an over-actuated UAV able to move over the conductor cable without the need for a new locomotion system is presented. The aircraft allows for a greater response and the indispensable ability to approximate landing in a power transmission line arbitrary position rather than the catenary lowest point (due to its ability to forward/backward move using the tilting rotors). Its design is detailed, its subsystems are described, and its normal and coupled flight mode dynamics are modeled. The results show good stability and reliable maneuvers for the coupling-to-power-transmission-line flight mode, without any overshoots, and the ability to follow the entire catenary through different Real Control Action (RCA) sets.

AB - It is known that new power transmission line inspection techniques have been developed over the last few years with great potential to improve and, in some cases, even replace traditional inspection procedures such as using helicopters and cars. A series of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) such as fixed-wing or rotary-wing UAVs, and vehicles that climb on the power transmission line, promise to revolutionize the inspection market. In this light, at least 39 new research studies and/or products have been conducted and/or introduced to the market, respectively. However, in an incipient way, some works point to the fusion of some technologies: the development of multi-rotor UAVs and the ability to connect and move over the power transmission line. In line with this, the current work was proposed, with significant unprecedented advances (such as an over-actuated control capacity with tilt rotors, the capability of a displacement in the angle, and the maintenance of active motors on the power transmission line), and the design, modeling, and control of an over-actuated UAV able to move over the conductor cable without the need for a new locomotion system is presented. The aircraft allows for a greater response and the indispensable ability to approximate landing in a power transmission line arbitrary position rather than the catenary lowest point (due to its ability to forward/backward move using the tilting rotors). Its design is detailed, its subsystems are described, and its normal and coupled flight mode dynamics are modeled. The results show good stability and reliable maneuvers for the coupling-to-power-transmission-line flight mode, without any overshoots, and the ability to follow the entire catenary through different Real Control Action (RCA) sets.

KW - dynamic modeling

KW - hexacopter

KW - over-actuated

KW - power transmission line inspector robots

KW - Engineering

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85163803086&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/b1cc81d6-9de8-3eeb-9e93-8b58b42ea441/

U2 - 10.3390/drones7060341

DO - 10.3390/drones7060341

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85163803086

VL - 7

JO - Drones

JF - Drones

SN - 2504-446X

IS - 6

M1 - 341

ER -