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UAV Engineering

UAV Development & Consulting Capabilities

Eliminate weeks in the design and validation phases. Utilizing the latest in available software highly trained and skilled engineers will help to refine and shape any idea or design, making it production ready. Beyond the SWAP (Size, Weight, and Power). Specializing in unmanned system propulsion design our engineers are familiar with the normal trade-offs required when designing for unmanned air vehicles.

Experts in flight and propulsion dynamics. With our suite of analysis tools, we can understand the dynamics of your system to help ensure success with your total design. Our engineers use our proprietary propeller design to get the highest possible efficiency at the lowest possible acoustic detectability for your specific application.

Specialists in each aspect of unmanned design. Software developed by SolidWorks® allows NWUAV’s engineers to take a concept and develop a prototype, evaluate and refine it as needed to produce final production ready designs.

Precision circuit and electrical systems development, design. We use all the latest technologies, including Altium Designer® software, to design and develop circuit and electrical systems with precision.

Experts in heavy-fuel combustion dynamics. With access to the latest combustion dynamics software suites, NWUAV understands how to optimize your system for operation on heavy-fuels.

 

UAV Engineering Focus

Our team of engineers takes a comprehensive aviation-grade lifecycle approach to engine design and development, well before your unmanned system is in the air.

  • Simple to multi-leg complex harnesses
  • Timing & temperature sensors
  • Ignition coils
  • Air inlet & lighting assemblies
  • Electrical component testing
  • Permanent magnet starter/generator systems
  • Circuit card design

  • Fuel injection systems
  • Fuel ignition systems
  • Custom designed fuel tanks

  • Silicon mold design
  • Castings
  • Cylinder head temperature mitigation solutions
  • Muffler design (patented)

 

UAV Research & Development Capabilities

With an ongoing investment in our sophisticated on-site testing facility, experienced R&D staff, and alliances with reliable vendors and suppliers — NWUAV is the unmanned aerial systems R&D partner you've been searching for. From propulsion systems to propellers, research and development to development and integration, check out the projects we're working on below, or tell us about the UAS research you're interested in doing today.

  • Engine dynamometers for small engine characterization
  • Sound booth for noise characterization of engines and propellers
  • Altitude chamber
  • Environmental chamber
  • Five gas exhaust analyzers
  • Fuel flow transmitters
  • Sixty-nine engine run-in stations for fully automated engine break-in procedures

If you're looking to use a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) engine with heavy-fuels like JET A-1, C10, JP5, or JP8 for your unmanned aerial systems, NWUAV has the conversion expertise you're looking for. Our team of propulsion engineers and technicians is highly skilled in converting COTS engines for operation using heavy-fuels, with experience working with OEM Engine manufacturers such as Honda, Zenoah, Rotron, Desert Aircraft, and 3W-Modellmotoren. Utilizing a three-phased approach with a go-no-go decision point built into the conclusion of each phase, we greatly limit risk and save you time and money.

  • Baseline testing of the proposed engine core (JET A-1, C10, JP5 or JP8) for development of a heavy-fuel propulsion unit.
  • Development and manufacturing of the base heavy-fuel engine and associated components for engine testing completed at NWUAV.
  • Build prototype units for customer testing and integration.

NWUAV continues exploring what's possible with our fuel injection system, constantly pushing the design to integrate with different applications and reliably delivering clean, high-pressure fuel. Within a small footprint, NWUAV's fuel injection system provides a conformal header tank with acrobatic pickup, fuel filtration, a fuel pump, pressure regulation, bingo level, and pressure sensing functions. All components are compatible with either gasoline or heavy-fuels. Though purpose-built for unmanned applications, the lightweight and compact design is easily customized to fit various vehicles.