Session: Research Posters

Paper Number: 171322

An Investigation of Lift Boosting Structure Design on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles’ Thrust Production 

Unmanned aerial vehicles have become more applicable and implemented as society has further modernized. Some of these new applications include package delivery, defense, crop health monitoring, and cinematography. Due to the increased number of uses for unmanned aerial vehicles, researchers have begun focusing on developing new methods of refinement for these assets regarding their lift and thrust production. The addition of lift boosters on each of a drone’s rotors resulted in additional lift force, which would allow the transportation of heavier payloads in less time, increased mobility for drones designed for defense, and the potential for improved efficiency in future drone models. The designs of lift boosters analyzed within this study were intended to increase the thrust produced by an unmanned aerial vehicle. These structures employ the Coanda effect, nozzle geometry, and a bowl-shaped surface. The Coanda effect, which is generated by curved surfaces, usually results in a supplementary lift force. This force is created by the creation of a vacuum when a flowing fluid adheres to the curved shape of a Coanda surface. Nozzle geometry typically causes fluids to exit with an increased velocity due to the flow from a larger inlet to a smaller outlet. The bowl-shaped structure could create similar results to the Coanda surface due to both having curved surfaces in their designs. A design was constructed to highlight each of these characteristics and test their effects. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations with MRF approaches were utilized to accurately simulate the impact of each lift booster design. The MRF approach was selected due to its compatibility with propellers and historical reliability in similar studies. The simulation data was compared between the booster designs to determine the most optimal lift boosting device. PA filament was used to 3D print the best-performing structure regarding thrust production and aerodynamics. Nylon was picked to utilize the material’s strength and low weight to minimize the necessary takeoff force. The printed structure was tested with a propeller installed on a thrust stand. This experimental setup provided data in realistic scenarios, such as the thrust value generated by the lone propeller and the thrust force created by the combination of a propeller and a lift booster. The accumulated data was then analyzed to determine if the lift booster’s impact was large enough to demand an implementation into future drone model designs. Future researchers should conduct additional studies to develop a proper system for installing the most optimal lift booster on unmanned aerial vehicles.

Presenting Author: Trevor Dady University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Presenting Author Biography: Trevor Dady is a mechanical engineering master's student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a focus in fluid engineering. He aims to either continue into a Ph.D. program at another university or enter the workforce in the aerospace industry.

Authors:

Trevor Dady University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Jin Lee University of Arkansas at Little Rock