Numerical Analysis of Aerodynamic Characteristics of the HALE Diamond Joined-Wing Configuration UAV

The investigation on the aerodynamic characteristics of the high-attitude long-endurance (HALE) Diamond Joined-Wing configuration unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was carried out by the theoretical analysis method and numerical simulation. Research indicates that as the wing of the UAV is composed of the front wing and the after wing, the after wing has the ability to transmit the front wing's boundary layer to the after wing root which can inhibit the front wing's flow separation. Although the front wing was affected by the retardation of the after wing, the aerodynamic performance of the front wing was better than that of alone front wing in most cases. The after wing was also affected by the wake and downwash of the front wing, and its aerodynamic performance was greatly decreased. The characteristic curve of the pitching moment of the UAV had nonlinear characteristics. The flow field structure of the after wing changed by the front wing wake direct sweep and flow separation at the after wing root were the main reasons that non-linear ′rise′ phenomenon occurred in two segments (α=0° and α=8°) of the characteristic curve of pitching moment. Moreover, coupling of the flow separation characteristic of the front wing and the after wing resulted in the pitching moment ′pitchup′ phenomenon. The lateral-directional static stability of the flat layout was weak. The HALE Diamond Joined-Wing configuration UAV's aerodynamic performance can be improved and the problems in engineering applications can be effectively alleviated by adjusting the overall layout parameters.