Investigation Of Aerodynamic Parameters Of Solar Plane Airfoil Using Cfd Modeling

Abstract

The technology of solar-powered aerial vehicles requires enormous financial support and further development; the computational fluid dynamic can be used to carry out the necessary analyses and model development. Using the first version of the AGH Solar Plane model, a preliminary analysis of the lift and drag force was performed. Numerical simulations made it possible to verify the different airfoils and finalize the selection that best suited the target. The presented analyses provided insight into important aspects of the vehicles’ aerodynamic design that should be taken into account when making the next airplane version. In this work, classical and laminar (Wortmann) airfoils were selected based on the aerodynamic perfection criterion. Based on this, three new geometries were prepared on which the flattening of the upper surfaces for mounting PV panels was investigated. The results of the numerical analysis were validated in an aerodynamic tunnel using the particle image velocimetry method. Taking all of the analyses into account, recommendations have been prepared that will be implemented when creating the next version of the solar plane. A new method for connecting the wing to the nacelle has been found that reduces the drag force. The airfoil flatness that is caused by the PV cells decreases at a CxLto CxDratio, but a large drop is observed for three and five flat surfaces (and the results are similar to the non-flat airfoil one for six flat surfaces).