Numerical Simulation of a UAV Wing and Several Modifications to Improve Range and Endurance
Abstract
This thesis presents numerical simulations aimed at improving the aerodynamic performance of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) wing through minor modifications. On most aircraft, the bulk of the lift and a large portion of the drag are produced by the wing; therefore, optimization of the wing is likely to have the most significant impact on aircraft performance, including critical parameters like range and endurance. When minor changes are required, there are prominent options to explore for improving the wings aerodynamic. Three different configurations were analyzed; wing extension, raked wingtip, and blended winglet, to find which affects in a more positive way the performance of the UAV wing. Taking advantage of the short processing time delivered for low-fidelity numerical tools like Flow5, the exploration of the main parameters for the three configurations were explored and optimized to reach the best lift to drag ratio (L/D). Finally, the optimized configurations were analyzed using Ansys-CFX software to capture the viscous effects and boundary layer behavior more accurately, which are known limitations of the low fidelity tools. The study found that incorporating raked wingtips into the UAV wing design is the most effective way to improve the aircrafts range and endurance. This modification only slightly increases the wing bending moment and has practically no impact on the pitching moment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1225383
Entities
People
- Ruben J. Lopez
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School