Aerodynamic Investigation of Morphing Wing UAV with Adjustable Slotted Airfoil Configuration

Abstract

Aviation has wide aspects to challenge and discover, the ability to land and take off at slow speed, sudden increase in drag for short runway landings. This paper puts forth the solution by the use of adjustable multi slots configuration of an airfoil. In this case, the slots extend from the wing leading edge to trailing edge. This causes change in the chord, thereby changing the camber of unsymmetrical airfoil. An investigation was made to determine and compare the aerodynamic characteristics of multi slotted adjustable airfoil with unmorphed unsymmetrical airfoil at varied speeds and Angle of Attack (AoA). There are three slots distanced equally along the airfoil. The extension of these slots increases the chord length by 10% of total chord. The slotted and unslotted airfoil profile are then studied using computational fluid dynamics of external flow over a body. The flow simulation is done at 10m/s, 20m/s, 30m/s, 40m/s and 50 m/s flow velocity and at 0, 3, 6, 9 ,12, 15 AoA. The results were obtained for each case and the values for base and slotted model were compared. It was found that lift of slotted model is slightly higher than base model at low flow velocity. It was also seen that the use of slots at high speed causes a large amount of drag. This increased drag factor can be used in UAV’s as spoilers during landing or for landing at shorter runways at lower speed, allowing a sudden decrease in aircraft speed and also to glide at a steeper angle over obstruction.