Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Design, Simulation, and Testing of a Spray Washing Drone for Close-Range Cleaning
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
|
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613826065629184 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Bisschoff, Zander |
| author2 | Smit, Willie |
| author_browse | Bisschoff, Zander Smit, Willie |
| author_facet | Smit, Willie Bisschoff, Zander |
| author_sort | Bisschoff, Zander |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135627 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:42:17.808Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135627 Design, Simulation, and Testing of a Spray Washing Drone for Close-Range Cleaning Bisschoff, Zander Smit, Willie Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering. Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Bisschoff, Z. 2026. Design, Simulation, and Testing of a Spray Washing Drone for Close-Range Cleaning. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/3aeb41e0-86b4-47c3-922b-7a26ff6a4b0f Aerial drones are becoming increasingly popular across various industries due to their simplicity and practicality. These drones can serve as alternatives to dangerous manual work. Spray washing drones, in particular, can clean hard-to-reach surfaces that typically require risky manual labour. These drones utilise high-pressure water to clean surfaces, such as high-rise building windows, rooftop solar panels, and heliostats. Spray-washing drones are subjected to various external forces during operation, which must be actively countered to keep a stable fixed position while washing. Cleaning applications, such as heliostats, require high-performance cleaning at close range for effective results. The spray reaction force caused by the high-pressure water leaving the nozzle is the most significant disturbance that the drone must oppose during washing. Conventional spray washing drones pitch forward to create a thrust component that counteracts the spray reaction force, thereby maintaining a fixed position during the washing process. There is a significant problem with this method. In the event of a sudden failure of the water pressure supply, the drone will briefly accelerate forward and drift toward the washing surface, possibly causing a collision with it. In the event of a water supply failure, the spray reaction force is abruptly removed, leaving no force to balance the forward thrust component of the drone. It drifts forward until the position controller detects and corrects the position error. The objective of this research was to design and investigate different drone configurations that could provide sufficient stability during close-range, high-performance cleaning and reduce the forward drift that occurs in the event of a water supply failure, thereby preventing the drone from crashing into the washing surface. The two main drone configurations tested were a drone with auxiliary motors fixed in line with the spray reaction force to counteract the force directly, and a pressure switch system that reduces forward drift by detecting a water supply failure and reacting faster than the integrated position controller. These configurations and other variations were designed and simulated to identify the one that best keeps the drone stationary during washing and reduces forward drift afterwards. The simulation results showed that the pressure switch system was the most practical solution, providing sufficient stability during washing and a significant reduction in forward drift compared to the control of the study. A spray washing drone was built according to the best-performing drone configuration from the simulations. The simulation result was validated by performing washing test flights with the pressure switch drone configuration and the standard drone (the control of the study). The washing flight tests demonstrated that the final drone build could maintain a stable position during washing and that the pressure switch system provided a significant reduction in forward drift, reducing it by 55% compared to the standard spray washing drone. This research made it possible to use the spray washing drone for close-range, high-performance cleaning without worrying about crashing into the washing surface in the event of a water supply failure. Masters 2026-04-02T11:22:38Z 2026-04-02T11:22:38Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135627 en Stellenbosch University 131 pages : ill. application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Bisschoff, Zander Design, Simulation, and Testing of a Spray Washing Drone for Close-Range Cleaning |
| title | Design, Simulation, and Testing of a Spray Washing Drone for Close-Range Cleaning |
| title_full | Design, Simulation, and Testing of a Spray Washing Drone for Close-Range Cleaning |
| title_fullStr | Design, Simulation, and Testing of a Spray Washing Drone for Close-Range Cleaning |
| title_full_unstemmed | Design, Simulation, and Testing of a Spray Washing Drone for Close-Range Cleaning |
| title_short | Design, Simulation, and Testing of a Spray Washing Drone for Close-Range Cleaning |
| title_sort | design simulation and testing of a spray washing drone for close range cleaning |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135627 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bisschoffzander designsimulationandtestingofaspraywashingdroneforcloserangecleaning |