Abstract
Motivated by a bioinspired optimal aerodynamic design of a multi-propeller configuration, here we propose a ducted multi-propeller design to explore the improvement of lift force production and FM efficiency in quadrotor drones through optimizing the ducted multi-propeller configuration. We first conducted a CFD-based study to explore a high-performance duct morphology in a ducted single-propeller model in terms of aerodynamic performance and duct volume. The effect of a ducted multi-propeller configuration on aerodynamic performance is then investigated in terms of the tip distance and the height difference of propellers under a hovering state. Our results indicate that the tip distance-induced interactions have a noticeable effect in impairing the lift force production and FM efficiency but are limited to small tip distances, whereas the height difference-induced interactions have an impact on enhancing the aerodynamic performance over a certain range. An optimal ducted multi-propeller configuration with a minimal tip distance and an appropriate height difference was further examined through a combination of CFD simulations and a surrogate model in a broad-parameter space, which enables a significant improvement in both lift force production and FM efficiency for the multirotor, and thus provides a potential optimal design for ducted multirotor UAVs.
Highlights
The quadrotor drone, a type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or micro air vehicle (MAV) that is capable of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), has a wide range of applications such as surveillance and reconnaissance in the military field, traffic monitoring and pollution detection in the industrial field, aerial mapping and delivery in the daily life field [1,2,3], etc., and it increasingly draws much interest in civil applications and academic research due to its advantages of convenient handling characteristics, low cost, and simple maneuverability [4,5]
= 0.03 m (l /R = 0.25), and r = 0.02 m (r /R = 0.167) (Table 1), which enables a marked improvement in aerodynamic performance with an increase rate of 24.5% in lift force production (3.873N) and an increase rate of 38.1% in FM efficiency (0.884) compared to that in the non-ducted single propeller model
We have conducted a systematic analysis of the effect of the ducted multimulti-propeller configuration on lift force production and FM efficiency while exploring propeller configuration on lift force production and FM efficiency while exploring an an optimal design of ducted multi-propeller configuration through a combination of CFDoptimal design of ducted multi-propeller configuration through a combination of CFDbased simulations and a surrogate model
Summary
The quadrotor drone, a type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or micro air vehicle (MAV) that is capable of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), has a wide range of applications such as surveillance and reconnaissance in the military field, traffic monitoring and pollution detection in the industrial field, aerial mapping and delivery in the daily life field [1,2,3], etc., and it increasingly draws much interest in civil applications and academic research due to its advantages of convenient handling characteristics, low cost, and simple maneuverability [4,5]. Many research studies on multirotor copters have been conducted, associated with lift force and efficiency improvement in the manner of blade optimization design [6], overlapping propellers’ design at different heights [7], and multirotor design regarding rotors with a large tip distance [8], tilt [9] or shroud [10,11,12]. (DJI phantom 3 advanced in Figure 1a [19] It points to the maximum non-ducted multipropeller configuration as depicted, with a large rotor-to-rotor tip distance, some height difference, and zero tilt angle. This configuration enables optimal aerodynamic interactions among propellers, leading to a marked improvement in lift force production with an increase rate of 9% compared to that of a basic non-ducted multi-propeller configuration (Figure 1a), enhancing the FM efficiency
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
