Aerodynamic Loads Research Articles

Performance and mechanism of adaptive pitch control in a floating vertical axis wind turbine with a surge motion

Floating vertical axis wind turbines are bearing complex aerodynamic fatigue loads due to the movement of the platform and the reciprocating variations in the angle of attack and the blade relative wind speed. To explore the effect of the surge motion of the platform and verify the performance and acting mechanism of adaptive pitch control on reducing the fatigue loads and improving the power coefficient, a floating vertical axis wind turbine with three motion forms (non-surge, pure surge, and surge-adaptive pitch) is investigated in the condition of a low tip speed ratio with a high incoming wind speed. The results show that the surge motion enhances the fatigue loads, with the power coefficient less affected. The adaptive pitch control reduces the enhanced fatigue loads and improves the power coefficient by nearly twice. Vorticity and pressure distributions verify that the fluctuation ranges of the angle of attack and the blade relative wind speed are expanded by the surge motion, and the angle of attack is reduced by the adaptive pitch control especially in the upwind section, with the flow separation mitigated. However, the effects of the surge motion and the pitch variation are also influenced by the shedding vortex and the flow separation reattachment. For the upwind part of the blade aerodynamic forces, with the surge amplitude increase or the surge period decrease, the global amplitudes are increased gradually by the surge motion and then reduced by the pitch control, with the load reduction performance enhanced gradually.

Conceptual Design of Compliant Structures for Morphing Wingtips Using Single-Row Corrugated Panels

Morphing wingtips have the potential to improve aircraft performance. By connecting the wingtips and the wings with a compliant structure, a continuous aerodynamic surface can be achieved for a better aerodynamic performance. However, how to maintain the shape-changing capability while keeping a high stiffness to carry aerodynamic loads is a key problem. In this paper, based on asymmetric stiffness, a type of single-row corrugated panel is designed to satisfy the limited space around the wingtip. A finite element model of the single-row corrugated panels is established, and parameter analysis is performed to investigate the impact of the thickness characteristics of the corrugated panel on the folding angle. The corrugated panel is then optimised to find the maximum folding angle. Based on the optimisation results, corrugated panels with asymmetric and symmetric stiffness are fabricated and tested. The results demonstrate that the asymmetric stiffness corrugated panels have the capability to increase the wingtip folding angle.

Influence of bioinspired morphing on the flow field characteristics of UAV wings at low Reynolds number

The aerodynamic performance of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) can be improved by optimizing the surface flow characteristics over a wide range of angle of attack (AoA) through novel mechanisms. Recently, the bioinspired camber morphing concept has received greater attention because of the proven ability of nature species towards the retention of aerodynamic performance under different environmental conditions. In particular, birds like Eagles ( Accipitriformes) increase their wing camber in the course of flight to achieve maximum climbing altitude with good manoeuvring capability. The biomimetic designs such as the corrugated bone structure of Eel fish ( Anguilliformes) helps to achieve the wing camber morphing with optimal aerodynamic load distributions. The present work is focused on the bioinspired variable camber morphing (VCM) strategy to enhance the flow control behaviour and aerodynamic forces for a specific UAV wing configuration at various AoA. Here, NACA 4412 airfoil is used as a baseline wing configuration and the camber morphing mechanisms which are derived through Eel fish and Eagle are analysed. The model with Eagle wing morphing (EWM) mechanism is considered as a primary case of VCM and Eel fish’s corrugated structure is taken as a secondary case of VCM model. The coefficient of lift ( C L ), coefficient of drag ( C D), coefficient of pressure ( C p) and endurance factor are estimated for both morphed and baseline wing configurations through high fidelity numerical simulations. Interestingly, it is observed that the EWM wing configuration has excellent surface flow control characteristics than the CSM wing configuration and the results are presented with a detailed discussion.

High-fidelity fluid-structure interaction applied to static aeroelasticity in transonic flows

Transonic flows at high Reynolds numbers can lead to high dynamic pressures and, consequently, to aerostructural deflections of aircraft structures. This study aims to develop and validate a high-fidelity static aeroelastic analysis environment that is efficient and that can be used in an industrial setting. The aerodynamics is represented by numerical solutions of the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with appropriate turbulence closures. The load transfer process uses finite element shape functions in order to distribute the aerodynamic loads into the structural discretization. The structural analysis employs a modal basis approach, and a wingtip deflection convergence study is performed to find an adequate modal basis size. Radial basis functions are used for the fluid mesh displacement, and the influence of the support radius is evaluated to determine the optimal values relative to the wing mean aerodynamic chord. The capability is tested using the static aeroelastic benchmarks of the High Reynolds Aerostructural Dynamics Project (HIRENASD) and NASA's Common Research Model (CRM). The static aeroelastic results demonstrate robustness and consistency for the aerodynamic coefficients, pressure distributions, and structural deflection predictions at different normalized dynamic pressure values and grid refinement levels.

Tower loads characteristics of a semi-submersible floating wind turbine: An experimental study

For a Floating Wind Turbine (FWT), the tower emerges as a critical structure that connecting the Rotor-Nacelle Assembly (RNA) and the supporting platform, facilitating the transmission of both aerodynamic and hydrodynamic loads. This paper deduces the distinct responses of the bending moment generated by the motion of a FWT compared with a fixed wind turbine. Due to the complexity of the tower load responses, a comprehensive experimental investigation was conducted on a semi-submersible FWT. Stiffness-matched and geometry-matched tower models were designed and fabricated. These models accurately simulate the tower's flexibility and windward areas, impacting the global dynamic response. The model test precisely replicates the marine environmental conditions, incorporating the interactions between wind, waves, and current. It is particularly worth noting that, a multi-fans large-scale Wind Generation System (WGS) with rectifier networks was improved and fabricated to provide a reliable wind field. Results indicate that the tower load responses under the conditions with wind exhibit distinct nP component characteristics. Notably, 1P and 3P responses dominate most tower load responses, with the 3P response typically increasing with wind speed. The extreme value of My.b (y-axis moment at tower-base) is approximately 10 times larger than that of My.t (y-axis moment at tower-top), signifying a significant magnitude difference and reflecting the response characteristics of the tower loads. And the responses of My.b and Fx.t (x-axis force at tower-top) at the natural frequency of pitch motion are notably suppressed by the aerodynamic damping effect of wind. Furthermore, Fx.b (x-axis force at tower-base) and My.b exhibit obvious responses at the natural frequency of pitch motion. As the wave height increases, the wave-frequency response of the tower base load also strengthens, but the high-frequency response still accounts for a certain proportion of energy in the tower top load.

Validated Dynamic Stall Simulation of Pitching Low Reynolds Number Airfoils

Deep dynamic stall is one of several complex behaviors that result in extreme variation of the aerodynamic loads on small wind turbine (SWT) blades during unsteady wind conditions. In this study, unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulations are performed for two low Reynolds number (Re) airfoils where sinusoidal pitching is applied to replicate the dynamic stall that occurs on rotating SWT blades. The SD 7037 airfoil is simulated at Re=4.1×104 and a pitching reduced frequency of k=0.08, and the S833 airfoil is at Re=1.7×105 and k=0.06. The simulated lift coefficient and dynamic stall timing agree with experimental data, which is attributed to the wall-normal resolution of the mesh and is an advancement from the early prediction of stall seen consistently in previous numerical studies. The accurate prediction of dynamic stall is found to be dependent on the correct simulation of the bursting of the laminar separation bubble (LSB), which initiates the complete separation of the boundary layer and the formation of a leading-edge vortex. The γ−Reθ,t k−ω model combined with the use of a fine mesh at the airfoil leading edge results in an accurate simulation of the bursting LSB and the correct prediction of the deep dynamic stall.

Review of Data-Driven Models in Wind Energy: Demonstration of Blade Twist Optimization Based on Aerodynamic Loads

With the increasing use of data-driven modeling methods, new approaches to complex problems in the field of wind energy can be addressed. Topics reviewed through the literature include wake modeling, performance monitoring and controls applications, condition monitoring and fault detection, and other data-driven research. The literature shows the advantages of data-driven methods: a reduction in computational expense or complexity, particularly in the cases of wake modeling and controls, as well as various data-driven methodologies’ aptitudes for predictive modeling and classification, as in the cases of fault detection and diagnosis. Significant work exists for fault detection, while less work is found for controls applications. A methodology for creating data-driven wind turbine models for arbitrary performance parameters is proposed. Results are presented utilizing the methodology to create wind turbine models relating active adaptive twist to steady-state rotor thrust as a performance parameter of interest. Resulting models are evaluated by comparing root-mean-square-error (RMSE) on both the training and validation datasets, with Gaussian process regression (GPR), deemed an accurate model for this application. The resulting model undergoes particle swarm optimization to determine the optimal aerostructure twist shape at a given wind speed with respect to the modeled performance parameter, aerodynamic thrust load. The optimization process shows an improvement of 3.15% in thrust loading for the 10 MW reference turbine, and 2.66% for the 15 MW reference turbine.

Analytical Linearization of Aerodynamic Loads in Unsteady Vortex-Lattice Method for Nonlinear Aeroelastic Applications

This paper presents the analytical linearization of aerodynamic loads (computed with the unsteady vortex-lattice method), which is formulated as tangent matrices with respect to the kinematic states of the aerodynamic grid. The loads and their linearization are then mapped to a nonlinear structural model by means of radial-basis functions, allowing for a two-way strong interaction scheme. The structural model comprises geometrically exact beams formulated in a director-based total Lagrangian description, circumventing the need for rotational degrees of freedom. The structural model is spatially discretized into finite elements and temporally discretized with the help of an implicit scheme that identically preserves momenta and energy. The resulting nonlinear discrete equations are solved by applying Newton’s method, requiring calculating the Jacobians of the whole aeroelastic system. The correctness of the linearized loads is then shown by direct comparison with their numerical counterparts. In addition, we employ our strongly coupled aeroelastic model to investigate the nonlinear static and dynamic behavior of a suspension bridge. With this approach, we successfully investigate the numerical features of the aeroelastic system under divergence and flutter conditions.

Aerodynamic characteristics of the train under the stationary thunderstorm downburst wind

The aerodynamic characteristics of the train under the stationary thunderstorm downburst wind were studied. The thunderstorm downburst wind test device was employed to simulate the thunderstorm downburst wind field. Based on the rigid model pressure measurement tests, analyses were conducted on the influence of radial distance on the pressure coefficients on the train surface, the aerodynamic load coefficients of the train section, and the total force coefficients of the middle and head cars. On this basis, combined with the computational fluid dynamics model, further exploration was conducted on the characteristics of the mean pressure on the train surface and the flow field around the train at different radial distances under the stationary thunderstorm downburst wind. The research results show that the train's total aerodynamic coefficients fluctuate with the train's position. The non-uniform distribution of the lateral force coefficient for each train section is primarily caused by variations in the wind yaw angle along the train's longitudinal axis. Variations in the wind attack angle at different radial distances cause the total lateral force coefficient to change accordingly. When the radial distance r/Dj = 0.5, there is no significant vortex-shedding phenomenon in the flow field around the train. However, when radial distance r/Dj = 1 and 1.5, the leeward surface exhibits a regular vortex-shedding phenomenon. Vortex shedding starts at the junction of the leeward surface and the top surface, extending from the middle car along the train's longitudinal axis toward the front and rear.

Ground Strength Test Technique of Variable-Camber Wing Leading Edge.

Morphing wing technology is crucial for enhancing the flight performance of aircraft. To address the monitoring challenges of full-scale variable-camber leading edges under flight conditions, this study introduces a ground-based strength testing technique aimed at precisely evaluating the deformation patterns and structural strength during actual operation. Firstly, the motion characteristics of the variable-camber leading edge were analyzed using numerical simulation based on kinematic theory. Secondly, a tracking loading test rig was designed and constructed to simulate the actuated deformation and aerodynamic loads of the leading edge. Next, mechanical boundary numerical simulation was then utilized to predict the motion trajectories of loading points on the upper and lower wing surfaces, and a multi-point coordinated control system was developed to achieve accurate experimental control. Finally, a multi-sensor iterative method was employed to ensure loading precision throughout the testing process. A case study was conducted using a leading edge test piece from a specific commercial aircraft. The results indicated that in the motion test of the variable-camber leading edge, the average error of the deflection angle was 4.59%; in the strength test, the average errors in the magnitude and direction of the applied load were 0.54% and 0.24%, respectively. These findings validate the effectiveness of the proposed technique in simulating the flight conditions of deforming wings and accurately obtaining the leading edge shape change curve, deformation accuracy curve, and strain curves of the upper and lower wing surfaces under deflection angles. Furthermore, this paper compares the deformation accuracy of different testing methods under test conditions, providing scientific evidence and technical support for the testing and evaluation of variable-camber leading edges.

Unsteady Lifting-Line Theory for Camber Morphing Wings State-Space Aeroelastic Modeling

A novel frequency-domain analytical-numerical model for the aerodynamic solution of camber morphing wings is developed. The model combines an unsteady lifting-line formulation with Küssner–Schwarz aerodynamic theory to provide the pressure distribution and thus the transcendental aerodynamic matrix that relates the generalized aerodynamic forces to the Lagrangian coordinates of a given wing structural dynamics model. The state-space form of the aerodynamic loads is obtained from the rational matrix approximation of the aerodynamic matrix. This, combined with the wing structural dynamics operator, can readily provide the state-space form of the aeroelastic problem. To assess the accuracy of the proposed aerodynamic solution method, numerical investigations are performed. These consist of its application to several conventional wing configurations and wings with camber morphing, followed by the comparisons of the corresponding solutions with the predictions given by a well-validated panel-method solver for potential flows. These results are shown to be in very good agreement, thus demonstrating that the proposed approach can capture the effects due to wing tapering, sweep angle, and camber morphing, while requiring a remarkably lower computational effort. The excellent accuracy of a few-pole finite-state approximation of the aerodynamic matrix is finally proven for a swept wing with camber morphing.

Performance analyses of active aerodynamic load balancing designs on high-performance vehicles in cornering conditions

Performance analyses of active aerodynamic load balancing designs on high-performance vehicles in cornering conditions

Influence of Herringbone Grooves Inspired by Bird Feathers on Aerodynamics of Compressor Cascade under Different Reynolds Number Conditions

Nowadays, high aerodynamic load has made blade separation an issue for compact axial compressors under high-altitude low-Reynolds-number conditions. In this study, herringbone grooves inspired by bird feathers were applied to suppress the suction side separation and reduce loss. To study the effect of bio-inspired herringbone grooves on the aerodynamic performance of compressor cascades, a high subsonic compressor cascade was taken as the research object. Under the conditions of different Reynolds numbers, the effects of herringbone grooves of different depths on the flow separation were numerically studied. The research results show that at a high-Reynolds-number condition (Re = 5.6 × 105), the sawtooth-shaped wake induced by herringbone grooves increases the turbulent mixing loss near the suction surface, and the blade performance deteriorates. At a low-Reynolds-number condition (Re = 1.3 × 105), the span-wise secondary flow and micro-vortex structure induced by the herringbone grooves effectively suppress the laminar separation on the suction surface of the blade, and there is an optimal depth for the herringbone grooves that reduces the profile loss by 8.33% and increases the static pressure ratio by 0.55%. The selection principle of the optimal groove depth with the Re is discussed based on the research results under six low-Reynolds-number conditions.

Determining Quasi-Static Load Carrying Capacity of Composite Sandwich Rotor Blades for Copter-Type Drones

The development of light composite rotor blades with acceptable load carrying capacity is an essential issue to be dealt with in the design of relatively large copter-type drones. In this paper, a method is established to determine the quasi-static blade load carrying capacity which is vital to drone reliability. The proposed method, which provides a systematic procedure to determine blade load carrying capacity, consists of three parts, namely, a procedure to determine the distributed quasi-static blade aerodynamic load via the Blade Element Momentum (BEM) approach, a finite element-based failure analysis method to identify the actual blade failure mode, and an optimization method to determine the actual blade load carrying capacity. The experimental failure characteristics (failure mode, failure thrust, failure location) of two types of composite sandwich rotor blades with different skin lamination arrangements have been used to verify the accuracy of the theoretical results obtained using the proposed load carrying capacity determination method. The skin lamination arrangement for attaining the optimal blade-specific load carrying capacity and the blade incipient rotational speed for safe drone operation has been determined using the proposed method.

Interference effect on super large twin cooling towers exposed to stationary tornado-like vortices

A comprehensive investigation was conducted aiming at the interference effects on wind pressure distribution, aerodynamics characteristics, structural stability and reinforcement areas of super large twin cooling towers exposed to tornado-like vortices, and the effects of swirl ratios of tornados, grouped tower layouts, and relative central distances between the towers and the tornado were analysed based on a tornado-like vortex simulator. Two types of rigid model wind tunnel experiments were constructed for base forces and wind pressure distribution measurements. The experimental results demonstrate that the interference effects on base forces and local wind pressures are significantly influenced by the swirl ratios, central distances, and grouped tower layouts, etc. Moreover, the layout with a tornado located on the side of tandem twin cooling towers (along with the tornado translation direction being perpendicular to the central axis of the tandem combined twin cooling towers) is the most unfavourable, resulting in obvious amplification effects on base forces and local wind pressures compared with an isolated tower, and the maximum of interference factors (IFs) is 1.68 and 1.41 for the along-wind total wind force coefficient and minimal net mean pressure coefficient respectively. Subsequently, local stability indices and time-variant dynamic reinforcement envelopes were selected as the other evaluation criteria for estimating the interference effects on the cooling towers exposed to the tornado-like vortices, and the interference effects result in enlargements of the structural responses with the maximal IF of 1.36 for the inside meridional reinforcement. Finally, the various interference criteria at aerodynamic loading and structural reinforcement aspects were contrastive analysed, showing that the criterion of time-variant dynamic reinforcement area envelopes is a more reasonable criterion for evaluating the interference effects on the super large cooling towers exposed to the tornado-like vortices. This investigation aims to contribute to a better understanding of the wind-related effects of the cooling towers exposed to extreme non-synoptic winds, particularly tornadic vortex impacts.

Aerodynamic effects of an offshore floating photovoltaic platform undergoing pitch and heave motions

The offshore floating photovoltaic (OFPV) platform is a renewable energy generation system that has gained attention in recent years due to several advantages. OFPV exhibits higher sensitivity to wind loads than other offshore platforms, owing to its lightweight design and large aerial coverage. In contrast to the fixed photovoltaic systems, the OFPV platforms experience continuous oscillations induced by waves, which significantly influence the aerodynamic characteristics. In this study, the aerodynamic effects of an oscillating OFPV are investigated using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation method, including the three-dimensional effects, the Reynolds number effects, and the aerodynamic loads with various kinematic parameters. Some major findings are as follows. Firstly, a large-scale tip vortex exists when OFPV oscillates in pitch and heavy directions, which cannot be detected in two-dimensional simulations. Consequently, the lift coefficient, CL, and the drag coefficient, CD, are highly overestimated in 2-D simulation. Secondly, CL and CD decrease significantly as the Reynolds number increases for cases where Re < 106 while there is only a slight decrease for Re > 106. Thirdly, the aerodynamic forces are highly related to the amplitude of the pitch motion and the phase lag between the pitch and the heave motions. A fitting formula is proposed to calculate CL and CD based on the maximum angle of attack. Lastly, the evolution of the flow fields around the oscillating OFPV is analyzed. The separation of the leading edge mainly causes the aerodynamic force.

Hysteresis behavior and generalized Hopf bifurcation in a three-degrees-of-freedom aeroelastic system with concentrated nonlinearities

A three-degrees-of-freedom aeroelastic system with concentrated structural nonlinearities is considered. The aerodynamic loads in the model are simulated by using unsteady aerodynamic forces. First, we evaluate the linear stability region of the aerodynamic system employing the Lienard–Chipart criterion so that the stability boundaries of the center of gravity position and the uncoupled pitch natural frequency are obtained. Next, we present the distribution of the first Lyapunov coefficient l1 in the parameter space by using the Poincaré projection method to determine the type of Hopf bifurcation (subcritical or supercritical). We identify three types of hysteresis loops associated with Hopf bifurcations: the first type contains one stable equilibrium point and one stable limit cycle, the second type consists of one stable equilibrium point and two stable limit cycles, and the third type comprises two stable limit cycles. Nonlinear analysis shows that the variations in hysteresis loop types are mainly caused by the nonlinear flutter critical points, namely the saddle–node bifurcation points of limit cycles. Furthermore, we determine a degenerate Hopf bifurcation type known as generalized Hopf bifurcation (Bautin bifurcation) and its corresponding second Lyapunov coefficient, l2. Subsequently, we conduct nonlinear flutter analyses for positive and negative values of l2 by using bifurcation diagrams and phase portraits. The results show that when the uncoupled pitch natural frequency is used as the control parameter, the occurring generalized Hopf bifurcations are all supercritical (l2<0). However, when the center of gravity position is used as the control parameter, the generalized Hopf bifurcations that occur have both supercritical and subcritical (l2>0) modes.

Aeroelastic Stability and Design of Laminated Composite Sandwich MRE Plates Using Surrogate Metaheuristics Optimization

Sandwich composite materials with elastomeric cores and high-strength face layers have widespread applications in various engineering sectors as passive damping structural materials. This study examines the dynamic properties of sandwich plate with laminated composite face layers and smart magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) core under the action of the aerodynamic and hygrothermal loads. The dynamic model based on Kirchhoff’s plate theory is employed and the equations of motion are derived using Hamilton’s principle. The flow conditions are assumed supersonic and modeled by the first-order piston theory. The natural frequencies and aerodynamic pressure distributions are obtained from finite element model. Upon validating the model, the effects of various factors such as moisture, temperature and plate geometry on the critical aerodynamic pressure for different boundary conditions and magnetic fields are studied. Using these parametric data, a regression model is developed using Back-Propagation Neural Network to predict the critical aerodynamic pressure as a function of effective geometrical parameters. In order to enhance the aerodynamic stability, the critical aerodynamic pressure is maximized by the optimal selection of plate aspect ratio, face layer ply orientation sequence and core layer thickness ratio via the modified teaching–learning-based optimization (MTLBO) technique employing the trained neural network-based surrogate model. The approach is very convenient and it has been found that nondimensional aerodynamic pressure along with loss factor has improved almost twice. In the sensitivity analysis study, it is noticed that changes in aspect ratio around the optimal point have a relatively drastic effect on the critical aerodynamic pressure at all the face layer ply configurations.

Aerodynamic and acoustic investigations of rotor-rotor wake interaction

The paper presents part of the experimental activities carried out in the GARTEUR Action Group RC/AG-26 to study the acoustic and aerodynamic characteristics of small rotor configurations, including the influence of the rotor-rotor interactions. Two rotors, equipped with two-bladed propellers of a diameter of D=330.2 mm, were operated at two rotating speeds of 8025 RPM and 10120 RPM and arranged in different configurations. Isolated rotor and two different coaxial configurations in hover conditions were assessed. The aerodynamic loads and the rotor slipstream characterisation, in terms of flow field velocity, tip vortex characterization as well as acoustics emissions, were performed using a six-component load cell, Particle Image Velocimetry and microphone measurements. The isolated pusher rotor presented better aerodynamic performance with respect to the puller one. The coaxial configurations result in a loss of thrust and an increase in torque compared to the isolated rotors. The upper rotor is barely affected by the presence of the lower one, while the lower rotor experiences a thrust loss ranging from 17 to 19%. The configuration with the larger rotor distance experiences greater performance loss. The mean velocity fields of the isolated rotors are measured and compared with the coaxial configurations for assessing the roto-rotor interaction, the results support the aerodynamic behaviour. The isolated rotor slipstream characterisation was carried out by phase-locked measurements covering the full rotor azimuth angle range from 0° to 350° with an increment of 30°. Tip vortex paths are followed up to a vortex age of 3.5 rotor revolutions. The 3D reconstruction of the tip vortices is conducted to gain insight into the slipstream behaviour and enhance the occurring vortex roll-up during the second revolution. The tip vortex jitter is investigated and the anisotropic distribution is confirmed along the slipstream. Furthermore, the noise emission intensifies in magnitude for the coaxial configuration with increasing relative gap between the rotors. The turbulent kinetic energy and the meandering of the blade tip vortices support the findings of the acoustics results.

Aerodynamic and Structural Design Procedures Supported by Fabrication and Flight Testing of a Small Unmanned Helicopter

In this work, typical design, production, and testing procedures for a small unmanned helicopter are explained and performed. In doing so, preliminary sizing of the helicopter and three main disciplines are conducted: aerodynamic analytical and numerical simulations, power calculations, and structure analysis assessment. First, a thorough survey is implemented to obtain the trends for the maximum take-off weight versus some design constraints such as rotor diameter, motor power, payload, and empty weight. Performance calculation results are obtained to figure out all aspects that correspond to the specified mission. The designed rotor geometry along with the aerodynamic characteristics and flight performance variables is then validated using the blade element theory and numerical simulations. Second, based on the power curves obtained for different flight regimes, an electric brushless motor is selected. The numerical simulations (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis is used to enhance the selection which implies that the motor power should be greater than 5.4 kW to overcome the drag forces. The motor power selection corresponds to a maximum rotor pitch angle of 15∘ and a maximum rotor speed of 1450 RPM. Then, the aerodynamic loads are used as an input for the structural analysis using one-way coupling of fluid–structure interaction (FSI) and consequently designing the internal structure of the blade. Eventually, the internal structure manufactured using carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) by applying a combined technique between wet layup and compression molding. The blade is statically tested compared with numerical finite element model results. The fuselage structure along with hub and tail units is manufactured and assembled with the existing on-shelf components to examine the helicopter lift capability with different payloads up to 9 kg. The results show that the detailed design process is significant for manufacturing such blades and the helicopter is capable of lifting off the ground with various payloads depending on the rotor pitch angles (8∘, 12∘, and 15∘) at a constant rotor speed of 1450 RPM.