Quadcopter Dynamic Stability Derivatives, Ansys Fluent CFD Simulation (DEMO)

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Dynamic Stability Analysis of Quadcopter Using CFD Simulation
Project Overview
This project explores the dynamic stability characteristics of a quadcopter using advanced computational fluid dynamics. We’ve created a detailed digital model and simulated its flight behavior to understand stability derivatives essential for control system design.

Design & Simulation Setup
Precise quadcopter geometry designed in SpaceClaim
High-resolution unstructured mesh with 1.7+ million cells created in ANSYS Meshing
ANSYS Fluent simulation with custom User-Defined Functions (UDFs) to model flight dynamics
Simulation parameters: 5 m/s velocity, sea-level pressure (101,325 Pa)
Rotor blades simulated at 600 RPM using specialized mesh motion zones
Key Findings
Our analysis revealed important stability characteristics through moment coefficients:

X-axis (Roll): Positive relationship with angle of attack (slope 0.0062)
Y-axis (Pitch): Positive relationship with angle of attack (slope 0.0062)
Z-axis (Yaw): Negative relationship with angle of attack (slope -0.0029)
Lift: Strong positive correlation with angle of attack (slope 0.0819)
Stability Implications
The simulation results provide valuable insights:

Positive lift derivative ensures altitude maintenance as angle of attack increases
Positive yaw moment influences roll stability
Positive pitch moment affects pitch stability
Negative roll moment impacts yaw stability
Periodic oscillations in all coefficients indicate damping effects that contribute to overall stability
Future Research Directions
To enhance this work, we recommend:

Validation against experimental data
Analysis of coupling between aerodynamic coefficients and motion variables
Investigation of stability derivatives under various flight conditions
Related content: Check out our Quadcopter Acoustic and FSI Simulation studies!