Toward Simulating a Pitch-Up Maneuver for a Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

摘要

The heaving of a flat plate was investigated in order to determine computational requirements for simulating a pitch-up maneuver for a Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (SUAS). A second-order, unstructured finite volume code was employed in conjunction with a Hybrid RANS/LES turbulence model to study the flowfield structures. Results predicted using the second-order method compared favorably to simulations by Visbal that employed a higher-order, structured-grid LES method. Large-scale flow structures and phase-averaged aerodynamic forces were accurately predicted. Greater spatial and temporal resolution is needed to resolve smaller scale structures. The results shown here demonstrate that the combined use of a second-order, unstructured method and a Hybrid RANS/LES turbulence model is an appropriate strategy for simulating an SUAS vehicle undergoing a high angle-of-attack maneuver.