Study of a hybrid drone with vertical take-off and landing capabilities for volcanic monitoring

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29105/ingenierias29.101-1005

Keywords:

UAV, VTOL, volcanic monitoring, CFD simulation, structural analysis

Abstract

The use of drones for monitoring and disaster prevention has grown significantly in recent years. This work presents the modeling and numerical analysis of an UAV designed for volcanic monitoring. Its aerodynamic performance was evaluated through numerical simulations, obtaining pressure fields applied in the structural analysis. Different materials were analyzed to optimize the strength-to-weight ratio, concluding that the drone exhibits adequate structural behavior for this application.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Santiago Alemán Orozco, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León

He is an Aeronautical Engineering student at the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, with experience in numerical modeling and computational simulation applied to the aeronautical field, contributing to the development of research projects within his area of professional training.

Octavio García Salazar, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León

He earned a degree in Electronic Engineering (2000) from ITL and an M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering (2003), also from ITL. He received his Ph.D. in Systems Control from the University of Technology of Compiègne in 2009. He completed a CNRS postdoctoral fellowship at LAFMIA-CINVESTAV in 2011 and was a visiting researcher at CINVESTAV Monterrey in 2012. Since January 2013, he has been a Full-Time Professor at FIME-UANL. He is a member of the National System of Researchers and Researcher Candidates (SNII), Level II, and his research focuses on drones, unmanned aerial systems, and flight dynamics.

Luis Arturo Reyes Osorio, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León

He holds a degree in Mechanical and Administrative Engineering, as well as M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Materials Engineering from the Universidad Autónoma deNuevo León (UANL). He is a professor at FIME-UANL, where his research focuses on structures, manufacturing, and simulation. He is the leader of the Academic Body UANL-CA-378 and a member of the National System of Researchers and Researcher Candidates (SNII), Level II, with extensive scientific output, thesis supervision experience, and active participation in academic research projects.

Diego Reducindo Almanza, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León

He holds a degree in Automotive Mechanical Engineering from the Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas (UAZ) and a Master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. His research focuses on flexible mechanisms for aeronautical and biomedical applications. He has participated in aerospace rocketry competitions and teaches courses in Zacatecas, where he also advises student teams. His areas of expertise include mechanical design, smart materials, and numerical simulation.

Eduardo Steed Espinoza Quesada, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute

He holds a Ph.D. in Automatic Control from CINVESTAV-IPN and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Nevada. His research focuses on autonomous aerial vehicles and neuromorphic systems. He is a member of the National System of Researchers (SNI) and the academic core of CINVESTAV, has published more than 60 scientific articles, and has carried out research stays in France, MIT, Germany, and the United States.

References

1. Gómez-Castillo, G. (2017). Riesgo volcánico: Estado del arte y desafíos de trabajo. Revista Geográfica, 158, 69–106.

2. Altamirano-Santillán, E. V., Vallejo-Vallejo, G. E., & Cruz-Hurtado, J. C. (2017). Monitoreo volcánico usando plataformas Arduino y Simulink. Revista de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación, 7(2), 317–329. https://doi.org/10.19053/20278306.v7.n2.2017.6073. DOI: https://doi.org/10.19053/20278306.v7.n2.2017.6073

3. Karachalios, T., & Orphanoudakis, T. (2025). Autonomous UAV-based volcanic gas monitoring: A simulation-validated case study in Santorini. Drones, 9(12), 829. https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9120829. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9120829

4. Wang, Y., Lei, P., Lv, B., Li, Y., & Guo, H. (2023). Study on fluid–structure interaction of a camber morphing wing. Vibration, 6(4), 1060-1074. https://doi.org/10.3390/vibration6040062. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/vibration6040062

5. Hou, G., Wang, J., & Layton, A. (2012). Numerical methods for fluid–structure interaction. Communications in Computational Physics, 12 (2) 337-377 https://doi.org/10.4208/cicp.291210.290411s. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4208/cicp.291210.290411s

6. Liu, X., Abà, A., Capone, P., Manfriani, L., & Fu, Y. (2022). Atmospheric disturbance modelling for a piloted flight simulation study of airplane safety envelope over complex terrain. Aerospace, 9(2), 103. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace9020103. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace9020103

7. Martins, J. R. R. A., Kennedy, G. J., & Kenway, G. K. W. (2014). High aspect ratio wing design: Optimal aerostructural tradeoffs for the next generation of materials. En 52nd Aerospace Sciences Meeting (AIAA 2014-0596). American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2014-0596. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2014-0596

8. Castillo, A., Tenicota, A., & Nuela, S. (2020). Comportamiento aerodinámico en la reducción del arrastre mediante la variación de accesorios en un tractocamión. 3C Tecnología: Glosas de innovación aplicadas a la pyme, 9(4), 17–43. https://doi.org/10.17993/3ctecno/2020.v9n4e36.17-43. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17993/3ctecno/2020.v9n4e36.17-43

Portada: Cuadrirrotor, Centro de Investigación e Innovación en Ingeniería Aeronáutica (CIIIA) de la UANL.

Downloads

Published

2026-07-25

How to Cite

Alemán Orozco, S., García Salazar, O., Reyes Osorio, L. A., Reducindo Almanza, D., & Espinoza Quesada, E. S. (2026). Study of a hybrid drone with vertical take-off and landing capabilities for volcanic monitoring. Revista Ingenierías, 29(101), 123–134. https://doi.org/10.29105/ingenierias29.101-1005

Issue

Vol. 29 No. 101 (2026): Julio-Diciembre

Section

Artículos

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Ing. Santiago Alemán, Dr. Octavio García Salazar, Dr. Luis Arturo Reyes Osorio, M.C. Diego Reducindo Almanza, Dr. Eduardo Steed Espinoza Quesada

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.