Lightweight, Compact, Small-Engine Startup and Operation for Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS)

ABSTRACT: Systima Technologies, Inc. has developed a concept to provide reliable cold-start capabilities of small internal combustion (IC) engines for application in small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS).Systimas approach for small engine start and operation will overcome the reliability issues pertaining to cold-engine start and operation throughout a wide range of environmental conditions including varying temperature, altitudes and barometric pressures by merging several emerging technologies in a novel combination to allow for autonomous and reliable engine start and operations.In the Phase I program, Systima will consider various concepts for achieving reliable cold-start of small IC engines.A trade study will be conducted to weigh the various concepts against their ability to meet the identified design requirements, from which one concept will be down-selected for further refinement and proof-of-concept testing.The Phase II program will include further design refinement and higher-fidelity development testing, with the end goal of testing the engine start system with a full-scale UAV engine.; BENEFIT: Systimas small, internal combustion (IC) engine starter will allow for the transition point in the trade-off between electric and liquid fuel power to favor the latter for smaller aerial systems and providing increased capability of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) in regards to range, speed, and flight performance.This will also expand the theater of operations for these platforms including weapons, sensors, electronic warfare, and humanitarian missions by allowing quick response, reduced logistics, and a variety of deployment options for the sUAS application.Commercial applications that would utilize air, marine or ground tube launched UAVs include disaster relief missions, remote search and rescue, remote resource management and weather data collection.These systems would be one to likely to find their first applications amongst non-DOD government agencies who are also finding great value with increased sensor data and monitoring.As these civil systems are developed and become commercially available, industry groups who work in remote areas and manage/monitor resources in difficult to reach places will become customers, such as in the oil and gas industry, fishing, forest industries, and agriculture.