Innovative Flexible Tanks for Unmanned Aircraft (Drones, UAVs, RPAs)
In the drone and unmanned aircraft market, there is a continuous need for weight reduction to increase flight endurance, and flexible fuel tanks represent an innovative solution developed by ANSI to meet this demand.
Conventional tanks are manufactured by injection moulding of plastics or by fibreglass or composite laminates, both of which produce rigid structures. The flexible tank approach reduces the number of layers required to manufacture a tank, which has a direct impact on the final weight of the component, which is more noticeable the larger the tank is.
In this project, we have developed for CMJETS a new product aimed at meeting market needs. The design consists of an inner plastic bladder with special characteristics, which contains the fuel along with the suction intake filter. The bladder is covered by a second anti-tear protective layer, which also creates two lateral channels to accommodate carbon tubes for securing the tank to the aircraft. The carbon tubes also serve as a control element for the bladder to limit deformation and prevent risks of rupture due to excessive tension on the material. At the top of the tank are the suction and vent connection points; this construction solution allows adaptation to any type of flight device, with the intake points being reorientable according to the client’s requirements.
A very interesting feature of this product is the modularity of its configurations and the possibilities offered by the developed manufacturing method, which will allow the production of fuel and smoke tanks ranging from 1 L to 10 L, adaptable to different geometries using the same technology. Only the dimensions of the components that make up the bladder need to be varied, enabling the tanks to be manufactured in various selectable configurations, either in pillow format or bag format.
Project Impacts
Flexible fuel tanks represent a highly interesting innovation in the unmanned aircraft sector, as the use of drones for civil applications is expected to increase in the coming years, along with their use as an autonomous means of transporting people.
CMJETS is a company with a strong international presence in the kevlar tank market, and it is committed to developing other innovative product lines.
