Customer: UAV Programmes & Prime Defence Contractors
Platform: Combustion‑engine Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
Operational Challenge
During long‑endurance ISR and tactical missions, combustion‑engine UAVs faced a significant risk of engine and avionics overheating, particularly under:
- High‑load flight profiles
- Elevated ambient temperatures
If undetected, these conditions resulted in:
- Performance degradation
- Loss of mission assurance
- Permanent damage to avionics and propulsion components
- Increased sustainment burden and unplanned downtime
To address this, defence OEMs required a rugged, lightweight, fully integrated sensing solution capable of delivering continuous thermal and mechanical insight throughout the mission.
Sensor Suite Provided
A combined pressure and temperature sensor was supplied for:
- Engine fuel
- Engine oil
- Avionics cooling systems
This compact, lightweight sensor suite integrated pressure and temperature measurement for system health monitoring within a single product, designed to withstand the extreme vibration, thermal cycling and environmental exposure typical of defence UAV operations.
Insight Generated
The integrated sensing system provided real‑time, high‑resolution visibility of propulsion and avionics health, enabling:
- Early identification of abnormal temperature rise
- Detection of pressure instability within fuel and lubrication systems
- Monitoring of cooling system degradation or partial failure
- Accurate monitoring of avionics cooling to ensure system operation remained within specified limits
This multi‑parameter approach improved situational understanding and supported predictive maintenance and modelling activities, including digital‑twin development.
Decisions Enabled
With continuous, actionable health data, operators were able to:
- Proactively recall the UAV
Retrieve the aircraft before avionics temperatures exceeded safe limits, preventing permanent hardware damage and mission loss. - Maintain engine performance within safe operating limits
Real‑time monitoring ensured the propulsion system remained within defined thermal and mechanical parameters, even as mission loads fluctuated.
Value Delivered
✓ Reduced Unplanned Downtime
Early detection of thermal and pressure anomalies allowed operators to intervene before faults escalated, preventing in‑mission failures and avoiding costly recovery actions.
✓ Extended Equipment Service Life
Operating systems within tightly controlled thermal and mechanical limits helped minimise long‑term component fatigue and extended overall platform longevity.
✓ Vehicle Energy Usage Optimisation
With more accurate sensing, operators were able to better understand vehicle operation, ensuring energy was used only where strictly required. This improved efficiency and reduced wastage of critical onboard energy supplies.
Summary
Through the integration of a lightweight, rugged and high‑accuracy onboard sensor suite, bf1systems enabled UAV programmes and prime defence contractors to significantly improve thermal management across both propulsion systems and onboard avionics. This resulted in improved system reliability and delivered measurable lifecycle cost‑efficiency improvements.