M:2:I Milestone 2 Final Installation and Ground...

Iowa State University

AerE 294X/AerE 494X

Make to Innovate

M:2:I Milestone 2 FinalInstallation and Ground Test

Project: Cardinal FlightTeam: Electrical Team

Author(s):Alex NielsenAngie BurkeChristopher McGroryMitchell SkatterKathryn SpieringsRyan Story

Role:Team Leader

Team MemberTeam MemberTeam MemberTeam MemberTeam Member

Faculty Adviser: Dr. Ran Dai

April 14, 2017

M:2:I Milestone 2 Final Installation and Ground Test Alex Nielsen

Contents

Abstract 2

1 Introduction 3

2 Background 32.1 Deliverable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42.2 Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

3 Problem Identification 5

4 Problem Solution 6

5 Experimental Validation 65.1 Experimental Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75.2 Experimental Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75.3 Experimental Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

6 Discussion 10

7 Conclusion 10

8 Acknowledgments 11

A Appendix 12A.1 Test Plan/Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

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Abstract

The Cardinal Flight Team is working to build a solar powered unmanned aerialvehicle, named Arrow. The team will be divided into groups regarding individualpieces of its construction. This milestone report will cover the last set of tasksfor the Electrical Team for the Spring 2017 term. Throughout this report, theprocess the Cardinal Flight Electrical Team took to complete milestone two willbe explained with detail. The Cardinal Flight Electronics Team devised a way forthe current layout electrical system of Arrow to communicate and store flight datataken during operation. The goal was to be successful in obtaining data for eachflight of Arrow. Calculations and small tests were performed to make sure eachpart of the telemetry system works. In doing this, the team was very successfulin achieving a working system to transmit and store telemetry data from sensorsattached. Some deliverables for this milestone involved completing the installationof all electronics in the aircraft, a list of procedures for testing, and data beingcollected onboard and collected via ground station. This milestone will wrap upthe final electronics assembly of Arrow. This milestone is important because it canmake or break whether or not Arrow will fly. Making sure that the data is receivedis important for future missions of Cardinal Flight.

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1 Introduction

Milestone two of Cardinal Flight Electrical Team during Spring 2017 is to install andground test the electronic components of the aircraft and ground test it. The goalis to determine a configuration within the fuselage that fits all of the componentsand wires in the electrical system and to ensure stable communication between theaircraft and ground station. Measurements were taken of each part to create a modelin SolidWorks to maximize storage efficiency and conclude a final layout. Once thisnew arrangement was complete a series of tests were written up and performed todouble check if the system was still sending and receiving data from the groundstation.

2 Background

The Cardinal Flight Electrical Team was formed to handle all electrical compo-nents of the aircraft being constructed, and to optimize their use. These electricalcomponents consist of motors, speed controllers, flight controllers, batteries, servos,transmitters, and receivers. For this semester and previous semester, the team objec-tive was to help integrate various electrical components such as the flight controller,sensors, and solar panels, into Arrow. Also during the previous semester, the teambegan construction of the solar system of Arrow and recorded the process of theconstruction. The team constructed this solar system as a demonstration for futurepresentations and testing. This solar system was tested under Dr. Ran Dai’s UVlights to ensure that the construction was successful.

The primary function of the Electrical Team is to ensure successful integration andfunctionality within Arrow. To fulfill this function, the team performs initial cal-culations using a theoretical approach on different configurations of an electricalsystem. Once calculations are validated and components consolidated, the teambegan programming the software and conducting tests of the system separate fromthe aircraft. Finally, the system will be installed into the aircraft. To verify that allcomponents are in working order, the Electrical Team will conduct a final groundtest of the components.

The goal of this milestone was to successfully integrate the electrical componentswith Arrow, and validate that they were operating correctly. One of the problemsthat the Electrical Team experienced while reaching our goal was efficient systemconfiguration within our aircraft. Since our Electrical components vary in size,weight, and shape, the team had to evaluate the optimal placement of components,focusing on accessibility and stability of the aircraft.

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2.1 Deliverable

The deliverables for the second milestone of the Electrical Team:

1. Test plan report for the ground evaluation of the telemetry system.

2. Ground test of the telemetry system.

3. Pictures and Video of the electronics installed and operating.

4. Attach data files recorded from aircraft and ground station.

5. Report outlining pictures of flight, flight data, and testing results.

2.2 Tasks

The tasks and dates for milestone two:

1. Hardware installation. (03/31/17)

2. Draft test plan and procedures (03/31/17)

3. Perform Ground Test. (04/07/17)

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3 Problem Identification

The problem to be solved is how to fit the entire electronic system on a cartridgethat will slide into a four diameter inch tube about 32 inches long. This is verydifficult as most of our electronic components will only fit one way inside the tube.This put many constraints on location of certain components. Once the componentsare in place, their respective wires have to be routed to the correct places. Finally,the components have to be secure during flight which means finding a way to strapit all down to the cartridge. In figure 2 you can see the cartridge halfway out of thetube.

Figure 1: Empty Fuselage Cartridge

Another problem is making sure this system is check correctly every time it is aboutto be operated. On top of the operator’s manual from the first milestone, a testplan and procedure document will be needed to ensure the success and confidenceof Arrow’s electrical system.

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4 Problem Solution

To solve this problem and speed up the process of installing the hardware, we mod-eled all the components in SolidWorks. This helped check how the components willfit on the fuselage cartridge and allowed for tolerances and total space needed known.Because the cartridge was essentially three carbon rods, mounting stuff onto themwould prove difficult. A solution to this was 3D printing trays that could allow forflat surfaces to be easily mounted to.

Figure 2: SolidWorks Model of Cartridge Assembly

Once all components were in place, the team went through the test plan. This calledfor checking all connections and making sure there are no shorts in the system. Theground test was carried out by testing the system as a whole, all parts workingtogether and functioning properly.

5 Experimental Validation

The deliverables for the second milestone of the Electrical Team included draftinga test plan report for the ground evaluation of the telemetry system and installingand ground testing of the telemetry system. The system was tested in the first

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milestone, so this milestone was installing it into the confined spaces of Arrow andtesting it to determine if we had any interference from the fuselage or other electroniccomponents once we placed them in close proximity to each other inside the fuselage.

5.1 Experimental Theory

The Electrical team expected to fit all required hardware into Arrow’s fuselage andhave it function correctly. To aid in this, the team created a SolidWorks modelwhich allows the team to be able to rapidly move and determine where componentswill be mounted. This helps guarantee the success of fitting the entire system insideArrow’s fuselage.

Once all the hardware has been installed into the fuselage the team expects toperform a ground test. The ground test is to prove it functions correctly just likemilestone one; however, this time the system will have longer wires and in a confinedspace. To backup our claim this will work, the team had drafted a test plan andprocedure for ground testing. This will essentially be a checklist to help reduce anysort of errors when connecting the system back together, and is expected to reducethe potential mistakes such as incorrect wiring.

5.2 Experimental Procedure

The procedures the electrical team took started with a SolidWorks mock up. Eachcomponent was measured and made as a part that could then be put in an assembly.Moving these parts around in the assembly was a quick way to figure out whatconfigurations would work and what would not compared to doing this physically.After many iterations with SolidWorks, trying different arrangements, the team cameto a consensus and started on the physical construction. This involved carefullydisassembling the working layout from milestone one and piecing it back together.Wires had to be extended and manipulated to allow for everything to fit. Trayswere 3D printed to allow certain components to be easily mounted and not movewhile in flight. The batteries are held in place with velcro which not only holdsthem down, but also keeps them from sliding back and forth. Because everythinghad its pre-determined place from the SolidWorks model, this part in the processeswent fairly smoothly. An example of another 3D print that helped mount electronica components is shown below in figure 3.

Next, the final procedure was to perform the ground test. This would prove Arrowis ready for its maiden flight. From the test plans and procedures drafted earlier in

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Figure 3: MPPT 3D print mount

milestone two (see appendix), the team went through the checklist and made sureeverything was in place.

5.3 Experimental Results

The Cardinal Flight Electrical Team was able to successfully install and organizeall components in the fuselage. The implementation of the 3D printed trays workedperfectly in not only making components mount to the fuselage easily, but providedsupport so nothing would move during flight. Running the wires through specificareas and keeping the system as neat as possible was a success as it helped troubleshoot any problems that occurred and allowed to easy fix in case one of the wireswas incorrect.

The result of the ground test was a success. All servos and the motor respondedcorrectly, and the sensors were working as well. Overall, besides a setback with oneof the wires shorting, that problem was fixed and made sure not to happen again.

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Below is a picture of the finished installation.

Figure 4: Finished Installation

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6 Discussion

Milestone two was a lot more work than the team expected. It seemed like an easiertask on paper as far as moving a working system to a new location; however, theprocess had quite a few obstacles to overcome. One obstacle was the solution tohow to run the wires throughout the system such making sure plugs are physicallyreachable to be plugged in. The test plans and procedures was a big help for the firsttime it was all plugged in. Even going over the entire system and double checkingconnections, there was still a failure. One of the solder joints had a sharp point andit was enough to short to the wire next to it which ultimately killed the voltageregulator. A replacement part was quickly replaced and a new step was added tothe test procedures of checking for shorts with a volt meter.

For the future, more time needs to be allotted for electronic installation into theaircraft and checking for shorts in the system with a voltmeter is a must do step inany future checklist. For the most part, the system came together fairly well. Besidesa few dead ends when coding, there was always a team member who stepped up totry and find a solution. Having quite a few more members on the electrical teamthis semester helped a lot as far as getting work done. That being said, it was reallyhard when coding because that can really only be done by one person. When coding,people have different approaches and when the team was passing the code around,it caused more errors to occur than if one person did it. This did make it hard onsome because alternatively sitting behind the person coding and offering suggestionsevery once and awhile was not very productive for them. So, having more than saythree people on electrical team definitely had its advantages and disadvantages.

Looking forwards at milestone 2, the team will almost have to reconstruct the entiresystem inside the aircraft. This could cause problems in making sure things areplugged back into the same places. Thanks to the deliverable of the wiring schematic,it was a good idea so that it will make this process easier and more efficient.

7 Conclusion

Overall, milestone two was a success and was almost too much work for a littleamount of time. The largest obstacle the team endured was getting the componentsto fit within the fuselage. This will have to be taken into consideration for next timethe group sets a goal for installing electronics. All team members were able to putin a bit of extra time to help reach milestone two. Ideas were well communicatedand executed allowing for an easier assembly process. The team was required tothink beyond the original design and create solutions that were not always obvious

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when placing and determining the location of the hardware. Even with a setback,the team was able to get the problem solved and keep things on time. In the end,Arrow’s electrical system is fully functional and ready to fly!

8 Acknowledgments

None

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Cardinal Flight – Electrical Team – Initial Ground Test

Test Plan and Procedures Checklist

1. Check all connections (nothing loose or not plugged in).

2. Use voltmeter on the “continuity setting” to test for any shorts in the system.

a. This involves putting the leads on all wires making sure there is no shorts in the system.

3. Make sure propeller is not attached.

4. Connect all four batteries to the four plugs which will connect them in parallel.

a. The end connector should NOT be plugged in to anything yet.

5. Tuck all wires where they should go so it will fit in fuselage.

6. Plug all servo wire connections to respective connectors coming from the wing.

7. Obtain Futaba transmitter and power it on. Make sure it is on “Arrow” for profile selection.

8. Make sure throttle stick is in the lowest position.

9. Have someone else go through the above steps to double check.

10. Connect the RFD900 receiver into the USB port on your PC

11. Open up ground station code on your PC and run it.

12. Plug in the overall battery lead cable into the voltage/current sensor connector to power the

entire system.

13. Immediately look for anything that is getting warm or sparking IF SO unplug it.

14. After 10 seconds or so the ground station should be receiving signals and displaying data

onscreen via bar graphs.

15. Moving the transmitter sticks should result in the control surfaces moving.

16. Further programming on the transmitter will be needed make the inputs correct.


A Appendix

A.1 Test Plan/Procedure

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