Airfoil and Wing Numerical Analysis for the Improvement of an Uav Design

Abstract

As far as aviation is concerned, there are several airfoils and wings according the properties needed for the aircraft to fly with the best qualities and conditions possible, then this project is made in order to analyze and calculate the proper airfoil and wing for a purpose in specific. The mentioned purpose is to create an UAV properly to help in saving lives in the strait of Gibraltar, as there are so many people trying to cross it to hopeful have a better life than they had in their birth countries. The intended function for this UAV is to supervise these people in the dinghies through the ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) system, and in case they needed help a drop-down boat would be launched to them while the rescue services from Cruz Roja arrives. The way to approach this project is to realize a comparative of lift and moment coefficients of the chosen NACA 2412 obtained by three different ways: - Analytical general solution from Joukowsky transformation. - Numerical modeling by finite elements in Ansys Fluent. - Scale model impressed in 3D with its consequently wind tunnel test at Universidad Europea de Madrid, using different speed ranges and angles of attack in order to obtain the lift experimental curve Cl-α. Next is to extrapolate the results from the airfoil analysis to the possible application of mentioned airfoil to an unmanned aerial vehicle, analyzing the effect that could take the entire structure to the lift and drag generated. This prototype is being analyzed by the finite element method via Ansys, to contrarrest the obtained values with the airfoil analysis and with the complete UAV in order to obtain the possible existent correlations between both cases (unmanned aerial vehicle and only the airfoil). Finally is the designing of the UAV. Catia is an useful tool to carry this job. From the wing design that was carried before, the rest of the aircraft is design proportionally, starting with the fuselage, tail and next the study of the propellers in order to have the best autonomy. The result from the UAV Catia design is introduced in Ansys to check its aerodynamic properties, to later show how profitable it is to the mentioned purpose of the project.