Analysis of Energy and Thermal Performance of High-Altitude Airship under Variable Attitude

Abstract

The thermal problem of high-altitude airships has an essential impact on position control and energy system performance. Adjusting the airship’s attitude angle causes differences in thermal performance during position alterations. This paper studies an airship’s energy and thermal performance under variable attitudes. We establish an airship solar radiation and thermal model to analyze power output under different thermal conditions. The thermal performance of airships at varying pitch angles is investigated using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) software (Fluent V6.3.26). To determine the optimal distribution of pitch angles under various conditions, we have developed an optimization model that considers both the presence and absence of thermal influence. We have also assessed the impact of airship geometric parameters on the optimal pitch angle, considering the diversity of airship shapes. Our results demonstrate that pitch angle alterations significantly influence airships’ temperature and flow field distribution. But the degree of necessity of considering the thermal effect in calculating the optimal pitch angle distribution varies depending on the date and latitude, with the most vital need observed during low-latitude summer and the weakest during high-latitude winter. The findings of this research have significant reference value in selecting operation strategies and the control of operating performance for high-altitude airships.