DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION OF COMPOSITE LAYERING FOR A MEDIUM-SIZED UAV WING

Abstract

This study focuses on the design and optimization of a composite wing for a medium-range UAV inspired by the Heron model, aiming to minimize structural weight while meeting safety and performance criteria. When comparing the stress and displacement results of spars with different geometric cross-sections under identical conditions, the rectangular spar performed the best and was thus chosen for the wing configuration to proceed with optimization steps. The 16.6m span wing comprises components such as skin, spars, and ribs, using materials including several types of composites, foam, and epoxy resin. The design was analyzed under static distributed loads applied on two wing spars, with load factors ranging from 3.86g to -1.5g. Using Schrenk’s lift distribution and finite element analysis (FEA) with the Tsai-Wu failure criterion, optimization iterations reduced weight by 20% from 176kg to 142kg - while maintaining a minimum safety of 1.5 and limiting maximum deformation to 723mm. Among the tested fiber orientations, simulation results show that a 0° orientation is the most optimal. Results demonstrate the potential of advanced material and structural optimization in achieving lightweight, high-performance UAV wings.