Innovative and Durable Flexible Shafts for Power Transmission in Unmanned Air Vechile Propulsion Systems

The goal of this project is to produce a flexible shaft design which is capable of transmitting between 100 and 300 horsepower. The flexible shaft must be able to accomodate three 90 degree bends of 12 inch radius, while keeping torsional deflection and shaft whirl to a minimum. Our approach is to use a unique and proprietary design and manufacturing concept that will allow the flexible shaft to have great flexibility and superior torsional strength. The shaft we propose will be lighter, more flexible, and equally as strong as the best shaft current technology has to offer. We will be using our proprietary computer design program, called Perflexion, to design and analyze the proposed shafts. With Perflexion, we are able to accurately determine performance characteristics of flexible shafts without actually building them. We are the only such manufacturer to have such a tool. Our effort will determine, amoung other things, the following: 1. How to manufacture the proposed design. 2. The ideal operating speed of the shaft. 3. The ideal design parameters for the shaft and its components. 4. The proper materials to be used.