ON THE METHODOLOGY FOR CALCULATING THE AERODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF AN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF DESIGN

Abstract

Determining the aerodynamic characteristics of unmanned aerial vehicles is an extremely complex problem. It is believed that the most accurate way to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of any vehicle is through computational modeling. This procedure is performed on high-performance computers using Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations. However, this process is complex and costly. It requires significant time for developing methodologies, constructing algorithms, writing software packages, and the actual operation of the computers. In the numerical solution of aerodynamic problems using the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations, it is not the differential equations themselves that are solved, but their finite-difference analogs. It is necessary to correctly enforce the physical conservation laws of mass, momentum, and energy. In addition, a specific turbulence model must be applied. This is a challenging task for mesh-based methods for solving problems in mathematical physics. Designing the aerodynamic configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle requires solving an inverse problem. Currently, no such methods exist. Problems involving the search for the optimal aerodynamic configuration of a transport vehicle for any purpose are solved iteratively through a process of gradual approximation. This requires significant time and financial resources. To calculate the aerodynamic characteristics of unmanned aerial vehicles in the early stages of design, it is proposed to use empirical approaches. This paper presents a methodology for calculating the aerodynamic characteristics of an unmanned aerial vehicle. To develop this methodology, algebraic relationships obtained from experimental studies of aircraft aerodynamics by domestic and foreign researchers were utilized. To perform the necessary calculations, algorithms were developed and a software package was written in the Fortran-95 programming language. Calculations of the aerodynamic characteristics of the fuselage for an unmanned aerial vehicle were performed and compared with experimental data.