Explicit Aerodynamic Model Characterization of a Multirotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in Quasi-Steady Flight

Abstract

In the last years, the research on unmanned aerial systems (UASs) has shown a marked growth and the models to simulate UASs have been deeply studied. Although onboard controller algorithms have increased their complexity, most of them still rely on simplistic models. In essence, aerodynamic forces/torques are generally considered either insignificant compared to propulsion and inertial forces or acceptably modeled with constant aerodynamic coefficients estimated in a particular flight regime. However, the increase of power in the onboard computers allows to make controller algorithms more complex, and therefore, to increase the total performance of the UAS. In this regard, this work provides an explicit aerodynamic model for multirotor UAS that, unlike most of the current models, does not need iterations to be adjusted to the flight conditions at a higher computational cost. This explicit nature makes it an excellent choice for being implemented in onboard computers, thus covering a broad range of applications, from controller design to numerical analysis (e.g., the capture nonlinear phenomena like bifurcations). To obtain this accurate explicit mathematical aerodynamic model, a thorough analysis of a batch of simulations is carried out. In these simulations, the aerodynamic forces and torques are estimated using computer fluid dynamics (CFD), and the propulsive effects are taken into account via blade element momentum theory (BEMT). A study of its implementation for different regimes and platforms is also provided, as well as some potential applications of the solution, like robust control strategies or machine learning.