Numerical Analysis of Cambered Plate Configurations under Low Reynolds Numbers and at a Low-Density Condition

Abstract

After one year of operation, the Ingenuity rotorcraft and the Perseverance rover continue their exploration missions on Mars. Succeeding the technology demonstration phase, by proving its flight capabilities, Ingenuity transitioned to a new mission stage to explore modes of flight exploration for future scouting missions. Our research intends to analyze, using numerical simulations, the aerodynamical conditions such as those experienced by Ingenuity during its flight missions. For this work, the ANSYS Fluent software was used to simulate the flow around the cambered plates, and a three-equation intermittency (γ) shear stress transport turbulence model with compressible formulation was implemented. The influence of the camber and its position of the cambered plates was explored, and a sensitivity analysis with respect to the Mach number was performed. The objective of this project was to determine the optimal configuration to produce the optimal lift-to-drag ratio for the range of analysis. The results were in line with the ones shown by NASA (OVERFLOW). Moreover, our analysis showed the ANSYS Fluent applicability for assessing aerodynamic surfaces for unmanned aerial systems operating at low density and low Reynolds number regimes.