An investigation on the aerodynamic performance of a hand-launched solar-powered UAV in flying wing configuration

Kelei Wang, Zhou Zhou

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

Aiming to realize the long-endurance ecological environmental monitoring and the rapid takeoff and landing mission in Tibet, a hand-launched solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in flying wing configuration is introduced and analyzed in this paper. The low-Reynolds-number (LRN) flow is quasi-steadily simulated by solving the full three-dimensional Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) governing equations coupled with the kT-kL-ω transition model while the propeller performance is evaluated using the multiple-rotating reference frame (MRF) method. Both the cruise and the low-speed takeoff aerodynamic analyses which include the aerodynamic force analysis and the propeller/wing integrated flow mechanism analysis are performed in details. The results indicate that the present UAV can meet the high-efficiency cruise requirements quite well, at the same time, has the ability to take off at the low-speed hand-launched state and a rather low Reynolds number by making good use of the energy injected from the propeller rotation into the flow field.

Original languageEnglish
Article number107804
JournalAerospace Science and Technology
Volume129
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2022

Keywords

  • Flying wing configuration
  • Hand-launched solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle
  • Low-Reynolds-number flow
  • Multiple-rotating reference frame method
  • Propeller/wing integrated flow mechanism
  • Transition model

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