A Numerical Investigation on Improving the Hovering Efficiency of a UAV Helicopter with a Spherical Fuselage

EasyChair Preprint no. 9669

Abstract

Traditional methods used for spraying a biochemical pesticide have been seriously affecting human health, the social system, and the natural eco-environment. Therefore, an UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) helicopter is considered as one of the most promising methods for reducing or preventing the negative impacts of pesticide spraying. The objective of the present study is to enhance the hovering efficiency of a UAV helicopter with a spherical fuselage under the effects of the fuselage size (R_f/R) and the distance between the fuselage and rotor (H_m/R), where R is the rotor radius. The RANS method combined with the k-ε turbulent model is used to model the airflow through the helicopter. The numerical model mentioned was well validated by comparing it with the results obtained in the literature. Consequently, the hovering efficiency which is frequently known as a figure of merit (FM), increases with either increasing R_f/R or decreasing H_m/R. A novel correlation which is as the function of R_f/R and H_m/R is first proposed for predicting the FM of UAV helicopters quickly and effectively. The results obtained in this study are very useful for enhancing the aerodynamic performance of UAV helicopters applied in various applications, particularly pesticide spraying in agriculture.

Keyphrases: aerodynamic, Computational Fluid Dynamic, Helicopter, Turbulent flow, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

@Booklet{EasyChair:9669,
  author = {Minh Trung Duong and Huy Cuong Do and Thi Kim Dung Hoang and Ich Long Ngo},
  title = {A Numerical Investigation on Improving the Hovering Efficiency of a UAV Helicopter with a Spherical Fuselage},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint no. 9669},

  year = {EasyChair, 2023}}