| This thesis presents strategies for reducing the magnetic signature of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The GeoSurv II UAS is being designed by Carleton University for the purpose of conducting geomagnetic survey missions which requires the elimination of magnetic noise to ensure high quality survey data. A thorough experimental investigation on the GeoSurv II UAS was designed and performed to identify magnetic field sources and to create a metric of the magnetic signature of the current prototype. Two characterization schemes based on prior research, the Permanent Magnetic Dipole scheme (PMaD) and the Dual Permanent Magnetic Dipole scheme (DuPMaD), were developed to model simple magnetic field sources using magnetic point dipoles. Both PMaD and DuPMaD yielded nearly identical results, leading to the selection of the PMaD scheme for optimization and cancellation algorithms due to its simplicity.;A cancellation scheme, the Cancellation Magnet Configuration (CMC) strategy, was developed to reduce the far-field magnetic signature of a magnetic noise source through the use of a strategically configured permanent magnet. The CMC scheme was experimentally validated, yielding a 76.2% reduction in the magnetic noise of a servo actuator at a distance of 0.52 m. Additionally, an optimization strategy, the Genetic Algorithm Magnetic Signature Optimization (GAMSO) strategy, was developed to strategically configure magnetic field sources to minimize the magnetic noise at wingtip magnetometer locations. The GAMSO strategy was experimentally validated, yielding a 98.8% and 85.8% magnetic noise reduction at the starboard and port wingtip locations, respectively, over the current configuration. Furthermore, the GAMSO solution exhibited small positional sensitivity, accounting for transient magnetic field changes due to small wingtip deflections experienced during flight. |
