Analysis of Directional Stability of A Quadcopter for Different Propeller Designs Using Experimental and Computational Fluid Dynamics Applications

Öz

In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), popularly referred to as drones, have been widely adopted across various industries. Among these, quadcopter is the most popular type of UAV characterized by its four propellers. This study focuses on enhancing quadcopter directional stability through the design and testing of four novel propeller types based on DAE51, MH42, NACA4412, and NLF0115 airfoils. ANSYS Fluent simulations were performed to evaluate the accuracy of propeller performance predictions. Methodology verification conducted using an APC 10x7 propeller demonstrated error rates below 5.2% for thrust coefficients. Experimental analyses were performed in outdoor environment to account for realistic wind effects on propeller performance. The custom-designed propellers were compared to baseline quadcopter propeller. Results indicated no significant discrepancies between desired and observed values for pitch, roll, yaw angles, altitude, or vibration levels. Power consumption tests revealed that NACA4412 and NLF0115 propellers used 7% and 3.6% less power than original propellers, while DAE51 and MH42 propellers consumed 6.7% and 20% more power, respectively. NACA4412 and NLF0115 designs demonstrated particularly favorable performance characteristics, offering improved power efficiency while maintaining excellent directional stability.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Directional Stability
• Drone
• UAV
• Propeller
• Quadcopter

Bir Quadcopter’ın Yön Kararlılığının Farklı Pervane Tasarımları Kullanarak Deneysel ve Hesaplamalı Akışkanlar Dinamiği İle Analizi

Öz

Günümüzde, yaygın olarak drone olarak bilinen insansız hava araçları (İHA) çeşitli sektörlerde geniş çapta benimsenmiştir. Bunlar arasında, dört pervanesi olan dörtuçar, en popüler İHA türüdür. Bu çalışma, DAE51, MH42, NACA4412 ve NLF0115 kanat profillerinden dört yeni pervane tipinin tasarımı ve test edilmesi ile dörtuçarın yön kararlılığını geliştirmeye odaklanmaktadır. Pervane performans tahminlerinin doğruluğunu değerlendirmek için ANSYS Fluent simülasyonları gerçekleştirilmiştir. Metodoloji doğrulaması için APC 10x7 pervane kullanılmış ve itme katsayısı sapma oranı %5,2'nin altında elde edilmiştir. Pervanelerin performansı üzerinde oluşan rüzgar etkilerini hesaba katmak için deneysel analizler açık havada gerçekleştirilmiştir. Tasarım pervaneler, orijinal dörtuçar pervanesi ile karşılaştırılmıştır. Testler sonucunda elde edilen veriler, yunuslama, yuvarlanma, sapma açıları, irtifa veya titreşim seviyeleri için istenen ve gözlenen değerler arasında önemli bir fark olmadığını göstermiştir. Güç tüketimi testleri, NACA4412 ve NLF0115 pervanelerinin orijinal pervaneden %7 ve %3,6 daha az güç kullandığını, DAE51 ve MH42 pervanelerinin ise sırasıyla %6,7 ve %20 daha fazla güç tükettiğini ortaya koymuştur. NACA4412 ve NLF0115 tasarımları, daha iyi yön kararlılığını gösterirken, aynı zamanda yüksek verimlilik sunarak üstün performans göstermiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Doğrultu Kararlılığı
• Drone
• İHA
• Pervane
• Dörtuçar

Kaynakça

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