Analysis of Elevator Hinge Moment in an Unmannedaerial Vehicle Designed for Sae Aerodesign Competitionusing CFD Simulation

Abstract

This study had the general objective to analyze the resulting values of hinge moment in the elevator for the PM-03 project, of an unmanned aerial vehicle, dedicated for participation in the SAE Aero Design 2020 Competition. From 2D CAD modeling of surfaces using Solidworks, the hinge moment was analyzed in Ansys Fluent after generating an appropriate mesh and adjusting the initial flow settings. The validation of the CFD analysis was performed by comparing experimental results from another study and using USAF Datcom data and correlations. The results obtained by CFD and USAF DATCOM diverge, however, those allows to correctly estimate the order of magnitude of the hinge moment, allowing an optimized selection of the servo motor for the project.