Design and development of unmanned hovercraft

Abstract

The present study focuses on the development and performance analysis of unmanned hovercraft. The inherent characteristics of hovercraft such as hovering and gliding on diverse surfaces like water and land are intended for pollution control in remote water bodies. The vehicle is designed with bag skirt configuration for ease and smooth functioning on multiple terrains. Computer Aided Design (CAD) model with incorporation of spraying mechanism as a payload is conceptualized. Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analysis at internal flow condition is performed and bag pressure of the skirt is assessed. The prototype model of vehicle to accommodate a payload of 0.8kg is fabricated from suitable lightweight materials and the experiments are conducted to explore the desired operation of hovering and forward thrust systems. The performance studies are made with velocity component in linear direction on land and water surfaces.