Analysis of Structural Strength and Fatigue Life of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) based on Finite Element Method

Sitong Chen

doi:10.6919/ICJE.202608_12(8).0001

Authors

Sitong Chen Middle School Attached to Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6919/ICJE.202608_12(8).0001

Keywords:

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV); Finite Element Analysis; Fatigue Life.

Abstract

The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has seen a rapid rise in the areas of reconnaissance, surveying and mapping, logistics and agriculture. One important factor influencing the operational safety and service life of the structures is the structural fatigue failure under long-term alternating loads. This paper is dedicated to the wing of a fixed-wing UAV with the goal of improving the structural reliability of UAVs. The three-dimensional (3D) model was established by the finite element analysis method, and the typical flight conditions were set to simulate and calculate the stress distribution and structural response. On basis of this, the S-N curve and Miner's damage accumulation theory were combined to finish the fatigue life prediction, find out the key weak areas and put forward the structural optimization schemes. The results show that the finite element analysis can effectively reveal the stress characteristics of UAV structures and accurately evaluate the fatigue life, providing a reliable technical basis for structural design and in-service safety assessment.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

[1] Van der Geer, J., Hanraads, J. A. J., & Lupton, R. A. (2010). The art of writing a scientific article. Sci. Commun., 16, 51–59.

[2] Zhang, L., Wang, H., & Li, C. (2023). Finite element analysis of UAV wing structure under multi-condition loads. J. Aerosp. Eng., 36(4), 04023021–04023030.

[3] Johnson, R. W., & Smith, K. M. (2024). Fatigue life prediction of composite UAV structures using S-N curves. Compos. Struct., 220, 116589–116602.

[4] Lee, J., Park, S., & Kim, H. (2025). Structural optimization of UAV wing based on stress concentration analysis. IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., 61(2), 1567–1575.

[5] Brown, T. A., & Davis, M. G. (2023). Application of finite element method in UAV structural reliability assessment. Aerosp. Sci. Technol., 138, 108345–108358.

[6] Wilson, P. T., & Taylor, G. L. (2024). Miner’s linear cumulative damage theory for UAV fatigue life estimation. Mech. Syst. Signal Process., 198, 110567–110581.

[7] Podani, J. (1994). Multivariate data analysis in ecology and systematics. SPB Publishing.

[8] Wang, J. H., & Li, J. (2023). Material fatigue and life prediction: Construction and engineering application of S-N curves. Machinery Industry Press.

[9] Metcalf, G. R., & Adams, L. B. (2009). How to prepare an electronic version of your article. In B. S. Smith & R. Z. Hicks (Eds.), Introduction to the electronic age (pp. 281–304). Elsevier Publishing.

[10] Zhao, L., & Wang, P. (2024). Anti-fatigue design of UAV wing connectors. In C. F. Chen & L. Huang (Eds.), Finite element method in aerospace engineering (pp. 156–178). Aviation Industry Press.