Multi Objective Optimization of Wiring Harnesses for Overall System Performance of Electric Fixed Wing VTOL UAVs

This paper deals with the impact of the wiring harness of an electric fixed wing VTOL UAV to the flight performance of the aircraft. The main influence parameters are the power loss within the harness and the harness weight. Associated with the power loss, the temperature of the harness wires has to be considered in the design of the harness. This paper shows the importance of a detailed model of the behavior of a wire under load and derives such a model using the manufacturer's data of different wire types. The manufacturer's data is used for the geometry model. A pragmatic thermal model is adapted from design guidelines provided by the FAA. The model is validated and used in an optimization framework to improve the overall hover endurance of a VTOL aircraft. The influence of different configurations is examined for different objectives. As a result, the harness mass tends towards higher masses to minimize the power loss within the harness.     «

This paper deals with the impact of the wiring harness of an electric fixed wing VTOL UAV to the flight performance of the aircraft. The main influence parameters are the power loss within the harness and the harness weight. Associated with the power loss, the temperature of the harness wires has to be considered in the design of the harness. This paper shows the importance of a detailed model of the behavior of a wire under load and derives such a model using the manufacturer's data of differen...     »