Propeller-induced Effects on the Aerodynamics of a Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Maqsood, Adnan; Huei, Foong Herng; Go, Tiauw Hiong

doi:10.5028/jatm.2012.04043112

Abstract:

The present paper has discussed investigations about the propeller slipstream effects on the aerodynamics of a generic unmanned air vehicle platform in the wind tunnel for a broad advance ratio range. The propeller-induced effects for small unmanned air vehicles are more significantly pronounced than general aviation aircraft, because of their high propeller-diameter-to-wing-span-ratio. The stall angle of attack of the small unmanned air vehicle is generally delayed under slipstream effects. The study evaluated the shift in stall angle of attack as a function of propeller-diameter-to-wing-span and advance ratios of the propeller. The aerodynamics of the unmanned air vehicle platform is estimated through wind-tunnel experiments. The study reported in this paper is part of an effort to develop the framework for the analysis of propeller-wing interactionfor small/micro unmanned air vehicles at an early design stage. Specifically, the slipstream effects on the aerodynamics of a generic small unmanned air vehicle are studied in the wind tunnel for the shift in the aircraft stall angle of attack. The lift-curve slope of the aircraft is independent from the variation of advance ratio. The stall characteristics show strong dependence on the advance ratio. Therefore, the relationship is modeled accurately using inverse-quadratic relationship. This empirical trend of the stall behavior with advance ratio can be useful in the analysis and simulation of the resulting flight and estimation of performance envelopes.

Keywords:
Unmanned air vehicle; Propeller interaction; Powered testing; Wind-tunnel testing

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REFERENCES

Barlow, J. B. et al., 1999, "Low-speed wind tunnel testing", Michigan University, Wiley.
Frank, A. et al., 2007, "Hover, Transition, and Levei Flight Control Design for a Single-Propeller Indoor Airplane", In: AIAA Guidance, Navigation and Control Conference and Exhibit, South Carolina, USA.
Green, W.E. and Oh, P.Y., 2005, "A MAV That Flies Like an Airplane and Hovers Like a Helicopter", In: IEEE International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics, Monterey, California.
Maqsood, A. and Go, T.H., 2010, "Optimization of Hover-to-Cruise Transition Maneuver Using Variable-Incidence Wing", Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 47, No. 3, pp. 1060-1064.
Null, W. et al., 2005, "Effects of Propulsive-Induced Flow on the Aerodynamic of Micro Air Vehicles", In: 23rd AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Conference, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Ralston, J. and Hultberg, R., 2010, "Full-Envelope Aerodynamics Modeling of a General Aviation Aircraft with Propeller Slipstream Effects", In: AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Stone, H., 2002, "Aerodynamic Modelling of a Wing-in-Slipstream Tail-Sitter UAV", In: 2002 Biennial International Powered Lift Conference and Exhibit, Williamsburg, Virginia.
Stone, H. et al., 2008, "Flight Testing of the T-Wing Tail-Sitter Unmanned Air Vehicle", Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 673-685.
Taylor, D.J. and Thomas Cord, M.VO., 2003, "SkyTote: an unmanned precision cargo delievery system", In: AIAA/ICAS International Air and Space Symposium and Exposition, The Next 100 Y, Dayton, Ohio.
Witkowski, D.P. et al., 1989a, "Propeller/Wing Interaction", In: 27th Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Reno, Nevada.
Witkowski, D.P. et al., 1989b, "Aerodynamic Interaction Between Propellers and Wings", Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 26, No. 9, pp. 829-836.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
Oct-Dec 2012

History

Received
04 June 2012
Accepted
08 Aug 2012

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

[1] Barlow, J. B. et al., 1999, "Low-speed wind tunnel testing", Michigan University, Wiley.

[2] Frank, A. et al., 2007, "Hover, Transition, and Levei Flight Control Design for a Single-Propeller Indoor Airplane", In: AIAA Guidance, Navigation and Control Conference and Exhibit, South Carolina, USA.

[3] Green, W.E. and Oh, P.Y., 2005, "A MAV That Flies Like an Airplane and Hovers Like a Helicopter", In: IEEE International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics, Monterey, California.

[4] Maqsood, A. and Go, T.H., 2010, "Optimization of Hover-to-Cruise Transition Maneuver Using Variable-Incidence Wing", Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 47, No. 3, pp. 1060-1064.

[5] Null, W. et al., 2005, "Effects of Propulsive-Induced Flow on the Aerodynamic of Micro Air Vehicles", In: 23rd AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Conference, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

[6] Ralston, J. and Hultberg, R., 2010, "Full-Envelope Aerodynamics Modeling of a General Aviation Aircraft with Propeller Slipstream Effects", In: AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

[7] Stone, H., 2002, "Aerodynamic Modelling of a Wing-in-Slipstream Tail-Sitter UAV", In: 2002 Biennial International Powered Lift Conference and Exhibit, Williamsburg, Virginia.

[8] Stone, H. et al., 2008, "Flight Testing of the T-Wing Tail-Sitter Unmanned Air Vehicle", Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 673-685.

[9] Taylor, D.J. and Thomas Cord, M.VO., 2003, "SkyTote: an unmanned precision cargo delievery system", In: AIAA/ICAS International Air and Space Symposium and Exposition, The Next 100 Y, Dayton, Ohio.

[10] Witkowski, D.P. et al., 1989a, "Propeller/Wing Interaction", In: 27th Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Reno, Nevada.

[11] Witkowski, D.P. et al., 1989b, "Aerodynamic Interaction Between Propellers and Wings", Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 26, No. 9, pp. 829-836.

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