Aerodynamic design of fixed-wing VTOL aircraft powered by gas-driven fan propulsion system

IF 5 1区工程技术 Q1 ENGINEERING, AEROSPACE

Aerospace Science and Technology Pub Date : 2025-04-10 DOI:10.1016/j.ast.2025.110165

Yuanzhao Zhu, Guoping Huang, Chen Xia, Yang Wu

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This study introduces a novel gas-driven thrust fan (GDTF) propulsion concept for fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, aiming to combine high hovering efficiency with superior cruise performance. The design philosophy integrates a VTOL nacelle concept, encompassing a gas-driven fan along with intake and exhaust systems, into a conventional fixed-wing airframe. A key innovation is the introduction of an aerodynamic cowl, which passively modifies the effective capture area and mitigates spillage drag. Numerical simulations and low-speed wind tunnel experiments validated the proposed configuration, demonstrating that the GDTF-powered VTOL nacelle can achieve a thrust coefficient of 0.8, representing a significant improvement 66 % over the baseline design. The integrated aircraft attains a maximum lift-to-drag ratio of approximately 12.7 at the angle of attack of 4°, and the zero-lift drag coefficient (∼0.0228) falls within the typical range for subsonic aircraft. The results confirm that the proposed GDTF integration strategy yields both high hovering efficiency and favorable cruise characteristics. Additionally, these findings provide the foundation for developing an electric VTOL (eVTOL) variant capable of achieving flight speeds of 120 m/s, offering strong potential advantages for future urban air mobility (UAM) applications.

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气扇推进固定翼垂直起降飞机气动设计

针对固定翼垂直起降（VTOL）飞机，提出了一种新型的燃气驱动推力风扇（GDTF）推进概念，旨在将高悬停效率与优异巡航性能相结合。设计理念将垂直起降机舱概念整合到传统的固定翼机身中，包括一个燃气驱动风扇以及进气和排气系统。一个关键的创新是引入了一个气动罩，它被动地改变了有效捕获面积，减轻了溢出阻力。数值模拟和低速风洞实验验证了所提出的配置，表明gdtf驱动的垂直起降机舱可以实现0.8的推力系数，比基线设计显著提高66%。在4°攻角时，集成飞机的最大升阻比约为12.7，零升力阻力系数（~ 0.0228）落在亚音速飞机的典型范围内。结果表明，所提出的GDTF集成策略既具有较高的悬停效率，又具有良好的巡航特性。此外，这些发现为开发能够实现120米/秒飞行速度的电动垂直起降（eVTOL）变种提供了基础，为未来的城市空中交通（UAM）应用提供了强大的潜在优势。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Aerospace Science and Technology 工程技术-工程：宇航

CiteScore

10.30

自引率

28.60%

发文量

654

审稿时长

54 days

期刊介绍： Aerospace Science and Technology publishes articles of outstanding scientific quality. Each article is reviewed by two referees. The journal welcomes papers from a wide range of countries. This journal publishes original papers, review articles and short communications related to all fields of aerospace research, fundamental and applied, potential applications of which are clearly related to: • The design and the manufacture of aircraft, helicopters, missiles, launchers and satellites • The control of their environment • The study of various systems they are involved in, as supports or as targets. Authors are invited to submit papers on new advances in the following topics to aerospace applications: • Fluid dynamics • Energetics and propulsion • Materials and structures • Flight mechanics • Navigation, guidance and control • Acoustics • Optics • Electromagnetism and radar • Signal and image processing • Information processing • Data fusion • Decision aid • Human behaviour • Robotics and intelligent systems • Complex system engineering. Etc.