Influence of Different Wingtip Devices on Aerodynamic Characteristics of UAV

Abstract

The wingtip device plays an important role in increasing the range of UAVs because the winglets can effectively reduce the induced drag. The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of wingtip device parameters on the lift-to-drag ratio of UAVs. Using the Fluent analysis system, the drag reduction performance of the winglet-winglet structure based on a UAV was analyzed at different angles of attack. Firstly, from the perspective of aerodynamic performance, the optimal cant and sweep angles of the blended winglets were selected by simulations. Then, the best-blended winglet and the blended split were simulated and analyzed, and the difference between the two on the lift-to-drag ratio and the flow field around the wing were compared. Compared with the traditional wind tunnel test, the CFD technology used greatly shortens the research cost and experimental cycle and provides help for the design of the UAV wingtip work.