Turbo-jet Robot Hunts Typhoons
First turbo-jet robot aircraft a milestone in robotic aviation
By Robotics Trends' News Sources - Filed Apr 19, 2012
National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan—An unmanned aerial vehicle
(UAV) design team led by Wei-Hsiang Lai, professor of aeronautics and
astronautics and director of advanced propulsion and power system
research center at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) has innovated
first turbo-jet robot aircraft named Sky Fortress-III anticipating to
assist in typhoon surveillance and disaster prevention and marked a
milestone in robotic aviation of Taiwan.
The critical role of turbines in aircraft is well-acknowledged and
the global market of UVA is about NT$100 billion annually. The
aeronautics and astronautics research team in NCKU will put effort in
integrating fields of geomatics, water conservancy, civil engineering,
environmental engineering, and earth sciences in UAV innovation to
facilitate not only scientific research but civilian issues like
surveillance and disaster prevention, said President Hwung-Hweng Hwung
of NCKU.
Prof. Lai proudly initiated the debut, Sky Fortress-III remodeled
from 2011 Taiwan UVA Design Competition champion Sky Fortress-II
designed by NCKU UAV team and advanced from OS91 methanol engine to King
Tech K80, a turbojet engine.
It weights 7.5kg with wind span in 3m performing astonishingly in the
primary run at a speed of above 200km/h and expecting to reach 300km/h
when the structure is further fortified. To build a small, strong
propeller driven aircraft like Sky Fortress-III, the miniaturization of
the turbojet engine is the key innovation. The NCKU UAV design team with
more-than-10-year experience has successfully applied the turbojet
engine to the unmanned aircraft.
The engine assembled in Sky Fortress-III, King Tech K80, is a product
cooperatively innovated by professor Lai and Taiwan-based KingTech-Jet
Co., Ltd., with its propelled power 8kg thrust and powered with diesel
or JP-8 jet fuel is favored by UAV players around the world.