The Role of Computational Fluid Dynamics in Drone Design

In designing a radio controlled quadcopter drone, Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling played a significant role both in improving the aerodynamics and the cooling of the on-board electronics. Using CFD modeling, a rotating mesh region was placed around each rotor to predict the airflow from the rotors and air velocities around the arms and fuselage of the drone. By running the numerical model of the rotors, both the lift from the rotors and the drag imposed by the airflow around the arms of the drone could be predicted. The air velocity adjacent to the fuselage surfaces created areas of high and low pressure. By placing the intake vents at the high-pressure locations and the exhaust vents at the low-pressure locations, maximum airflow through the fuselage was obtained to cool the electronics and battery during flight.

Speaker: William Maltz, Electronic Cooling Solutions