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ICMTAE-2022 IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2457 (2023) 012046 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/2457/1/012046

Application of CFD Numerical Simulation Methods in the

Field of UAV Research

Xupei Hu1, †, Junhao Liu2,*,†, Fanfu Yang3,†, Mu Yuan4,†

1
Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhuhai, Guangdong, 519000, China
2
Zhuhai College of Science and Technology, Zhuhai, Guangdong, 519000, China
3
Ulster University, York Street Belfast Belfast, Coleen, T23, United Kingdom
4
Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Guanghan, Sichuan, 618300, China
*
Corresponding author's e-mail: [email protected]
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.

Abstract. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has become one of the hot topics in today's research.
A drone's short life has always been one of the main drawbacks, and fluid mechanics is related
to the development of computer technology. CFD was used to simulate the aerodynamic
parameters of UAVs and has become a more economical choice, which can greatly save the cost
of materials. Solid-liquid coupling calculation generally chooses the SST k - Ω model to
calculate and will also include an energy equation in the calculation. Then, according to the
precision needs to choose a different order of upwind format. Choose either steady state or
transient simulation according to different needs. CFD is widely used in research on the overall
stability and reliability of UAVs and the experiment on the aerodynamic characteristics of UAV
components.

1. Introduction
With the development of science and technology, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has become one of
the hot research topics [1-2]. With the development of battery, material science, and flight control
technology, UAVs have been widely used in civil areas such as photography, entertainment, agriculture,
fire protection, and so on. In the military aspect, UAV is also one of the key research fields. Many
countries with strong military strength are studying the cooperative operation between humans and
UAVs, UAV cluster attacks, and the ability of UAVs to carry out tasks independently. In both civil and
military fields, the short sail distains of UAVs had been one of their main shortcomings. In addition to
reducing weight in materials and increasing battery energy density or fuel storage, it is also a feasible
way to optimize the aerodynamic shape of UAVs to reduce the draft force or increase lift force during
the flight [3-7]. However, the optimization of aerodynamic shape always requires building or renting
wind tunnels and establishing models with a similar aerodynamic profile, Reynolds number, and Mach
number. The method above not only costs a lot of money but also requires a lot of time and labor.
With the development of fluid dynamics and computer technology, CFD has been used to simulate
the aerodynamic parameters of UAVs and has become a more economical option, which can greatly
save the cost of materials, and also can build directly. To simplify the calculation steps analog-only,
UAVs of the same size calculation domain need to consider the time cost and electricity; the time cost
is different from person to person. The recent development of a cloud supercomputing platform can also

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ICMTAE-2022 IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2457 (2023) 012046 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/2457/1/012046

allow researchers to obtain simulation results more quickly at a lower cost, which can give researchers
more opportunities for trial and error and optimization [5]. In the CFD area, ANSYS-Fluent is one of
the most mature solid-flow coupling simulation software. In 2017, Cayiroglua and R. Kilicb used
different kinds of NACA airfoils type to establish the computational area and used ANSYS-FLUENT
to conduct data simulation experiments at 0.58 Mach. The static pressure distribution, lift center, and
lift-drag ratio of several different airfoils were observed, and the optimal airfoils were obtained [8]. In
the year 2021, Yi Li, Koichi Yonezawa, and Hao Liu used CFD to simulate the difference between pipe
and blade height difference on the blade aerodynamics of a multi-blade quadrotor UAV. The results
showed that the high-performance pipe improved the lift and FM efficiency of a single blade and
simulated the optimal minimum vertex distance and the clear height difference of the quadrotor UAV.
In 2014, Ma Deyou, b, Xu Ming, and Chen Zhaotao [3]. They used CFD to simulate the effect of a wing
with a higher chord length on the performance of the wing. The results showed that a larger wing could
improve the lift-drag ratio of the aircraft at the same speed [9].
To sum up, this paper intends to introduce numerical simulation, hot research of UAV, and
application cases of numerical simulation in the UAV field and analyze the development of numerical
simulation in the UAV field.

2. Current research hotspots for UAVs

2.1. Classification of UAV

According to the classification of flight platform configuration, UAVs can be divided into fixed-wing
UAVs, rotary-wing UAVs, unmanned airships, para-flow UAVs, flapping-wing UAVs, etc. According
to the application field, UAVs can be divided into military and civil [10]. For military purposes, UAVs
are divided into reconnaissance aircraft and target aircraft. On the civilian side, UAVs are mainly
divided into consumer drones and industrial-grade UAVs. The consumer UAVs are cheaper, with a
relatively simple function, and are mainly used for entertainment purposes, such as aerial photography.
The industrial-grade UAVs are relatively expensive, and their function is relatively broad. They are
mainly used in aerial photography, agriculture, plant protection, micro selfie, express transportation,
disaster rescue, observation of wild animals, monitoring of infectious diseases, mapping, news reports,
power inspection, disaster relief, film, and television shooting, making romance, etc. [11].

2.2. Research hotspots of UAV

Endurance has always been a hot field of UAV research. The main factors affecting the endurance of
UAVs include the battery, motor, aerodynamic design, and airfoil optimization. The endurance of
consumer UAVs can currently reach 40-45 minutes at zero altitudes without wind, while the endurance
of industrial UAVs can usually reach several hours so that the price will be relatively high. In this case,
studying the wing and aerodynamic design of UAVs can effectively improve the lift-drag ratio and
endurance of UAVs. In addition, it also plays a certain role in reducing noise, reducing costs, and
increasing the use of scenes and range [12].

2.3. Numerical simulation research methods

Using The commercial software ANSYS-FLUENT, the UAV is modeled. For different aerodynamic
designs, the variation of relevant parameters of UAVs under different working conditions is studied so
as to improve the relevant design of UAVs and make them better able to complete the target tasks. In
the numerical simulation of the UAV propeller, Ding Qianlan first used CAD software to model the
propeller. Then the Mass Conservation Equation, Momentum Conservation Equation, and Energy
Conservation Equation are used for simulation calculation [13]. Then, the force, torque, and power of
the propeller are calculated by integrating the N-S equations of hydrodynamics, and the numerical
method of the Segregated Flow Model is adopted. Finally, with the rapid development of the UAV
market, manned UAVs have gradually entered the public's view, so it is necessary to study the relevant
work conditions of UAVs under different working conditions [14].

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ICMTAE-2022 IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2457 (2023) 012046 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/2457/1/012046

3. CFD introduction
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a branch subject of computational fluid dynamics, which has
been widely used in the field of aeronautics and astronautics. In general, the steps of CFD are modeling
- meshing - initial condition setting - calculation - achieving mesh-reach mesh independent solution and
optimizing the model - formal start of calculation - result analysis. Firstly, the build model is constructed
to establish the computing domain. Then, the model is meshed to test the mesh-independent solution.
Meshing is to divide the calculation area into a small enough micro-element region. When the micro-
element region is reduced to a size irrelevant to the calculation result, the mesh-independent solution is
reached. In the aviation field, mesh encryption is generally performed in the leading edge and backyard
of the airfoil, as well as in the wake area [15].
After that, the initial conditions are set, the initial velocity is set, the selection equation is set, the
precision is set, and then the calculation is carried out, and the grid-independent solution is tested. In
general, the SST k-Ω model is selected for the calculation of solid-flow coupling, and the energy
equation is also substituted into the calculation. Then the upwind scheme of different orders is selected
according to the needs of accuracy [16]. Choose either steady state or transient simulation according to
different needs. In the transient simulation, the appropriate time step and Courant number should be set
to shorten the simulation time as much as possible. In addition, according to the different experimental
conditions, it is also necessary to select the state equation of the gas and set the related parameters such
as temperature and molecular weight. With the development of cloud supercomputing platforms, the
demand for hardware for digital simulation is also greatly reduced. Researchers can get the calculation
results more quickly through a cloud supercomputing platform [17].

4. Application of CFD in UAV research

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a powerful interdisciplinary science with great vitality. It can
approximate the integral and differential terms in the control equations of fluid mechanics into discrete
algebraic form and perform fast calculations by computer systems with high efficiency. Because of these
advantages, CFD has been used in the aerospace industry for a long time.

4.1. Early application of CFD in UAV research

In 1987, Dwoyer et al. at NASA Langley Research Center tried to incorporate CFD into hypersonic
aircraft research. They used CFD to evaluate experimental elements such as flow resolution within shock
waves and hypersonic boundary layer transitions [18]. With the continued development of CFD and the
rise of UAV research, CFD has gradually begun to be applied to the study of UAVs. In 2004, G. Romeo
et al. used the CFD software Xfoil and Visaero to analyze the hydrodynamic properties of several
profiles and wing planes of a UAV while studying a high altitude, very-long endurance solar-powered
UAV for telecommunication and Earth observation applications. This is one of the earlier CFD
applications in the field of UAV research.

4.2. Application of CFD in analyzing the aerodynamic characteristics of UAV components

Afterward, CFD began to be widely used in various areas of UAV research. Some researchers use CFD
to perform experiments such as aerodynamic characterization of components of the UAV (e.g., wing,
propeller, etc.) to help them have a better understanding of the performance of these components and
improve their designs. For example, Ahmad Fariduddin Ahmad Faris et al. numerically investigated the
aerodynamic performance of four different propeller shapes of small propellers using CFD methods [19].
The results show that the propeller performs better aerodynamics when the airfoil's origin position (AOP)
reaches 100%. Ambar Garofano-Soldado et al. conducted a CFD experimental, numerical simulation to
evaluate the aerodynamic ground effects of small-scale inclined propellers at low Reynolds numbers. A
numerical model is presented to capture the relationship of thrust with thrust distance to the ground and
the angle of inclination between the propeller and ground planes. Gesang Nugroho et al. used CFD
simulations to numerically analyze the tail configuration of a vertical take-off and landing aircraft
(VTOL-Plane) and optimized the final tail design based on the simulation results. Using transient k-ε

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ICMTAE-2022 IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2457 (2023) 012046 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/2457/1/012046

CFD simulations, C. Gellida-Couti˜no et al. evaluated the tail aerodynamic control surfaces of a new
type of UAV, the tail-fin autopilot UAV, to help them learn about its performance. Sarveshwaaran
Balakrishnan et al. investigated the S1223 wing, commonly found in UAVs. They carried out
simulations for three different wing thicknesses (50%, 100%, and 150%) at an angle of attack of 0.46 (a
common take-off angle of attack for UAVs) through CFD analysis, showing that higher wing
thicknesses provided better aerodynamic dynamic performance. Figure 1 is an example of an important
step in the CFD process: the surface grid of the propeller blade and the rotating area. Figure 2 shows the
static performance of a propeller: comparison between CFD results and manufacturer's data [4].

Figure 1. An example of an important step in the CFD process: the surface mesh of the propeller blade
and rotating domain [4].

Figure 2. Static performance of a type of propeller: comparison between CFD results and
manufacturer's data [4].

4.3. Application of CFD in the investigation of the overall performance of UAVs

In addition to research on UAV components, some researchers also carry out aerodynamic analyses of
the overall stability and reliability of UAVs through CFD. For example, Balasubramanian Esakki et al.
used CFD's ANSYS software to analyze the aerodynamic performance of an amphibious UAV,
investigating its stability in different wind load conditions and the airflow characteristics around the
UAV in different flight states, improving the reliability of this type of UAV. Yao Lei et al. conducted a
simulation study on the flow field distribution of a quadrotor UAV under the influence of wind
disturbance using CFD's ANSYS software to investigate the effect of wind disturbance on the
aerodynamic performance of quadrotor UAVs with different rotor arrangements. C. Paz et al. used CFD
analysis to investigate the effect of airflow on the flight stability of a quadcopter as it passed near a wall
or the ground. Figure 3 shows the cloud chart of the results of CFD analysis of UAV performance using
ANSYS software. Figure 4 is the velocity distribution cloud diagram of CFD simulation.

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ICMTAE-2022 IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2457 (2023) 012046 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/2457/1/012046

Figure 3. CFD analysis of UAV performance using ANSYS software [2].

Figure 4. The Simulation of velocity distribution by CFD.

4.4. Application of CFD in the investigation of the overall performance of UAVs

In particular, as the field of application of UAVs continues to expand, CFD methods are also used to
study some specialized UAVs integrated with specific industries. For example, many special drones
have been designed for the agricultural plant protection industry in recent years. Bin Wang et al. used
the CFD method to simulate the airflow field numerically. They established a real-time method based
on inverse distance weighting (IDW) to calculate the deposition distribution of fog droplets from a six-
rotor plant protection UAV, and the relative error between the tested and simulated values of this method
was within 12%. Hongze Li et al. summarized the droplet drift and deposition pattern, the effect of the
vortex, and the downwash airflow caused by the rotor through a series of CFD simulations using a
discrete phase model (DPM) to simulate the motion of droplet particles. They proposed two methods to
reduce droplet drift. Ming Ni et al. studied the spray droplet drift problem of plant protection UAVs,
obtained the droplet deposition distribution characteristics under different spray states (flight state,
environment state, nozzle state) by CFD simulation, and derived an optimal regression model to propose
a variable spray system design for plant protection UAVs. Figure 5 shows the UAV model for plant
protection used in the experiment [2].

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ICMTAE-2022 IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2457 (2023) 012046 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/2457/1/012046

Figure 5. A model of plant protection UAV used in the experiment [2].

5. Prospect and discussion

The role of drones in war is gradually being discovered, just like the tanks of World War I. Once the
new weapons are unveiled, they will inevitably attract great attention. In the civil war in Libya, both
sides of the war used various weapons on a large scale. This is also the first drone war in human history.
The war has attracted great attention. Some military scientists even believe that drone operations will
change the war in the 21st-century pattern.
Countries have begun to pay attention to and research UAVs very early. More than 20 countries are
researching and producing various types of military and civilian UAVs. Among them, the U.S.
Department of Defense has formulated the UAV research and development route. It contains the
development steps and application methods of UAV and unmanned combat aircraft (UCAV) by the US
Department of Defense in the next 25 years, which reflects the prospect and future potential of UAV
technology in the defense field. The U.S. Department of Defense's investment in UAVs exceeded 3
billion US dollars in the 1990s and has increased by 1 billion US dollars since 2000. It is estimated that
the investment will exceed 10 billion US dollars in 2010.
However, the intelligent control of the wing shape required by the UAV to ensure performance and
stability is a multi-disciplinary optimization design problem involving aerodynamics, sensors,
transmission mechanisms, and control schemes. The development of MEMS helps to solve this problem.
Behind the development of drones is the development of CFD technology. The aviation field is the
first field to apply and develop CFD technology. For over half a century, a set of efficient CFD
technology application methods has been formed in the aerospace engineering development cycle. In
today's rapid development of the field of UAV, CFD technology has shown great application value and
development potential. At present, CFD technology is constantly improving, and it has become more
realistic and more powerful. With the development of CFD technology, the method of UAV shape
optimization using CFD technology is gradually improving. First of all, with the development and
research of CFD, the accuracy and accuracy of numerical simulation have been improved. The flow
control equation of CFD has also experienced the development of not involving viscosity to involving
viscosity, linear equation to nonlinear equation. With the development of control theory, CFD has
developed optimization methods and search algorithms based on control theory.
In the future, CFD should focus on the development of high-order formats, mesh technology suitable
for complex shape and motion boundary problems, efficient and accurate turbulent physical models, and
large-scale parallel computing methods. Now CFD technology has penetrated all aspects of the aviation
field, providing technical support and guarantee for the rapid development of the aviation field. With
the rapid development of the aviation field, CFD technology also needs further development.

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ICMTAE-2022 IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2457 (2023) 012046 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/2457/1/012046

6. Conclusion
This paper mainly summarizes the hot issues of UAV research, CFD research methods, and the current
use of CFD numerical simulation methods in the field of UAV research. On this basis, we express our
views on the future development of UAVs and the prospect of CFD application in the field of UAVs.
The early applications of CFD in UAV research focused on the aerodynamic characterization of a
component, or a part of a vehicle, mainly to help researchers learn more about the aerodynamic
performance of a component to improve the design of the component. In general, in the early
applications, CFD was only an assistant tool or a supplementary test in the research process.
With the advancement of technology, CFD has been widely used in recent years to study the overall
performance aspects of small UAVs, such as the overall stability of the vehicle. At the same time, CFD
is gradually changing from an assistant tool to one of the main research tools, and more and more
research is using CFD as the primary research technique. For example, comparing CFD experimental
data with real data or directly using CFD simulation data for analysis. The possible reason for this
phenomenon is that with the continuous development of CFD technology, the cost of numerical
simulations using CFD software is getting lower and lower. On the other hand, it may be that real
experiments on aerodynamics, such as wind tunnel simulations, are costly and unaffordable for the
ordinary researcher, or there are no experimental facilities available. It can be said that the development
of CFD technology has given a strong supporting impetus to research in the field of UAVs.
In conclusion, the advancement of CFD technology drives the development of UAV research, and
the research needs of the UAV field, and even the aviation field, drive the innovation of CFD technology.
In the future, the application of CFD in the UAV research field will be more in-depth and become an
important technical support for related research.

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