Enhanced Starting Reliability and High Altitude Operation of Internal Combustion Engines on Miniature Munitions

ABSTRACT: Someday batteries or fuel cells may improve to the point where internal combustion isnt suitable for UAV propulsion, but we arent there yet.Electric only propulsion systems today fall an order of magnitude short of the endurance achievable with engine based systems, depending on fuel mass fraction.We are now accustomed to sophisticated engine management in larger engines, but theres engineering development to be done to bring reliable hands off operation to tiny tube launched, IC powered aircraft.In this project we improve the torque feedback control of our flight tested parallel hybrid 7cc 4-strokes to allow robust operation over a wide range of temperature, altitude and storage time.We also investigate a new, tiny sleeve valve 4-stroke to bring this self start capability to still smaller launch canisters.; BENEFIT: The results of this effort will be directly applicable to existing UAVs being dispensed from the SCLT. The Phase III will integrate the engine onto a platform and assess its feasibility compared to EP.