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Numerical and Experimental Estimation of the Efficiency of a Quadcopter Rotor Operating at Hover

Author

Listed:
  • Andres M. Pérez Gordillo

    (Mechanical Engineering Department, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá 111711, Colombia)

  • Juan Sebastian Villegas Santos

    (Mechanical Engineering Department, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá 111711, Colombia)

  • Omar D. Lopez Mejia

    (Mechanical Engineering Department, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá 111711, Colombia)

  • Laura Juliana Suárez Collazos

    (Mechanical Engineering Department, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá 111711, Colombia)

  • Jaime A. Escobar

    (Mechanical Engineering Department, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá 111711, Colombia)

Abstract

Globalization has led to an increase in the use of small copters for different activities such as geo-referencing, agricultural fields monitoring, survillance, among others. This is the main reason why there is a strong interest in the performance of small-scale propellers used in unmanned aerial vehicles. The flow developed by rotors is complex and the estimation of its aerodynamic performance is not a trivial process. In addition, viscous effects, when the rotor operates at low Reynolds, affect its performance. In the present paper, two different computational methods, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and the Unsteady Vortex Lattice Method (UVLM) with a viscous correction, were used to study the performance of an isolated rotor of a quadcopter flying at hover. The Multi Reference Frame model and transition S S T κ − ω turbulence model were used in the CFD simulations. The tip vortex core growth was used to account for the viscous effects in the UVLM. The wake structure, pressure coefficient, thrust and torque predictions from both methods are compared. Thrust and torque results from simulations were validated by means of experimental results of a characterization of a single rotor. Finally, figure of merit of the rotor is evaluated showing that UVLM overestimates the efficiency of the rotor; meanwhile, CFD predictions are close to experimental values.

Suggested Citation

  • Andres M. Pérez Gordillo & Juan Sebastian Villegas Santos & Omar D. Lopez Mejia & Laura Juliana Suárez Collazos & Jaime A. Escobar, 2019. "Numerical and Experimental Estimation of the Efficiency of a Quadcopter Rotor Operating at Hover," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-19, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:2:p:261-:d:197972
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Fengbo Yang & Xinyu Xue & Chen Cai & Zhu Sun & Qingqing Zhou, 2018. "Numerical Simulation and Analysis on Spray Drift Movement of Multirotor Plant Protection Unmanned Aerial Vehicle," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-20, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lifang Zeng & Jianxin Hu & Dingyi Pan & Xueming Shao, 2020. "Automated Design Optimization of a Mono Tiltrotor in Hovering and Cruising States," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-20, March.

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