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PROJECT DEFINITION DOCUMENT

DESIGN AND DEVELPOMENT OF

MULTIROTOR PLATFORM FOR AIR
MOBILITY APPLICATIONS-PHASE 1
By
AVIATION CADET MUHAMMAD ABDULLAH SALEEM
Pak/20095026, 95(A) EC

ADVISOR
SQUADRON LEADER ADNAN MAQSOOD
CO-ADVISOR
SQUADRON LEADER AHMAD

COLLEGE OF AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

PAF Academy, Asghar Khan, Risalpur
(JUNE 2023)
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LIST OF TABLES 2

LIST OF FIGURES 2

CHAPTER 1 3

1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PROJECT 3

1.1 Project Title 3

1.2 Proposal Statement 3

1.3 Scope of the Project 3

CHAPTER 2 4

2 LITERATURE REVIEW 4

2.1 Basic Overview 4

2.2 Introduction 4

2.3 Oscillating wing configuration 4

2.4 Fully Passive systems 5

2.5 Semi-Active systems 5

2.6 Fully Active Systems 5

2.7 Fluid dynamics of flapping foils 6

2.7.1 Governing parameters 6

2.8 Aerodynamics of flapping wings 7

2.8.1 Leading-edge vortex 7
2.8.2 Wagner effect 8
2.8.3 Clap and Fling mechanism 8
2.8.4 Rotational lift 8
2.8.5 Wing Wake interaction 8
2.8.6 Lift and Thrust 9

2.9 Software used 9

2.9.1 ANSYS fluent: 9
2.9.2 TECHPLOT: 9
2.9.3 Origin: 9

3 METHODOLOGY 10

3.1 Project Approach 10

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3.2 Expected deliverables: 10

3.3 Milestones and Time Division 11

CHAPTER 4 12

4 RELEVANCE TO NATIONAL NEEDS 12

5 BIBLIOGRAPHY 13

List of Tables
Table 1. 7th-semester tasks.........................................................................................................11
Table 2 Tasks 8th semester.........................................................................................................11

List of figures
Figure 1. Passive system [1].........................................................................................................5
Figure 2. semi-active model [1]...................................................................................................5
Figure 3. Fully active model [1]....................................................................................................6
Figure 4. [3] (a) (b) (c).............................................................................................................7
Figure 5. Methodology...............................................................................................................10

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Chapter 1
1 Introduction to the Project
1.1 Project Title
“Design and development of multirotor platform for air mobility applications-
Phase 1.”

1.2 Proposal Statement

Structural analysis of multirotor platform will be carried out using ANSYS Mechanical to study
and analyze the structural integrity of such platform. CFD analysis of this platform will be
carried out in ANSYS Fluent through detailed flow physics and subsequent aerodynamic and
power coefficients. Stability analysis will be taken to completion with the aid of XFLR 5.

1.3 Scope of the Project

Air mobility capable platform is a research area inspired by the Heli operations being carried
out in military worldwide. These aerial vehicles have been domain of research and
development in recent many years and different prototypes developed by numerous
renowned companies aiming toward efficient aerial transit. This project involves the design of
a stable multirotor platform capable of lifting 350 lbs. of load with the endurance of 60 mins
with the added capability of eVTOL.

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Chapter 2
2 Literature Review
2.1 Basic Overview
Multirotor eVTOL is a revolutionary design in which the vehicle changes the orientation of its
rotor to get into the forward flight propelled by the electric battery packets. This is a Heli-
enthused idea that would be used to cultivate aerial transit.
2.2 Introduction
Urban air mobility also known as on-demand mobility is generally enabled by the VTOL
(vertical take-off and landing) aptitude, the low disk-loading and requirement of short ranges
allow the deliberation of non-conventional propulsive systems i.e., eVTOL (electric vertical
take-off and landing). To discover new ways of goods and public transit has been encouraged
by the society of modernization considering the advancement in structures, energy
generation-retention-consumption, automation and control, tools for design and critical
analysis, burdens on resources available and population density. This also marks the right
time to develop such means of locomotion. The scope of this work is to find a conceptual
design which can be used as a beacon for development of a multirotor platform, particularly
proficient in eVTOL air taxi operations, by the emerging aviation markets and the national
authorities. There are several prominent features of such bio-inspired energy converters:
 Due to their relatively low tip speed of rotor blades, they are environmentally friendly
in terms of noise generation.
 This configuration of energy harvesters is structurally robust as centrifugal stress is
not present as there is no rotary motion involved
 Oscillating wing systems can provide adequate energy even at low foil speeds so they
can be installed in shallow water regions or low wind areas for energy generation.
The performance of an oscillating wing energy harvester depends on foil kinematics, foil and
system geometry, and flow physics effects.
The device of a flapping foil used for energy harvesting undergoes two different types of
motion.
They are
1. Heaving motion h(t)
2. Pitching motion θ(t).

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2.3 Oscillating wing configuration

The oscillating wing is divided into three different configurations based on the type of
outsider motion. They are
2.4 Fully Passive systems
Passive systems are more simplified in mechanical design, in which the oscillatory motion in
heaving and pitching directions are all actuated by the flow-induced instabilities. Since no
energy is given to the system and its working is self-induced, net energy will always be
positive since no input energy is required. Figure 1 shows the model of a fully passive energy
harvester

Figure 1 Passive system [1]

2.5 Semi-Active systems

In Semi-Active systems pitching motion is forced using an external generator but heaving is
dependent upon the fluid flow, and it is induced by flow instability. Most of the existing
oscillating wing-type energy harvesters are based on this type. Figure 2 shows the model of a
semi-active energy

Figure 2 semi-active model [1]

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2.6 Fully Active Systems

A fully active system consists of forced the heaving motion h(t) and the pitching motion θ(t)
given to the wing geometry by external sources. It is simple and easy to mathematically
formulate these systems. They are mostly hypothetical and ideal thus the results obtained
from the analysis of these systems can only provide some useful theoretical insights and
guidance for real device design. The figure shows the model of a fully active energy harvester

Figure 3 Fully active model [1]

2.7 Fluid dynamics of flapping foils

The fluid dynamics of flapping foils have been very thoroughly studied in recent years.
The following review gives a summary of the aero/ hydrodynamic fluid dynamics and the
parameters involved. [2]

2.7.1 Governing parameters

The governing parameters can be divided into four types: environmental parameter
(describing the fluid properties), geometric parameter (describing the shape of foils),
kinematic parameter (describing the motion of foils), and performance parameter (describing
propulsion and energy harvesting performance of foils).
1. Environmental parameters
Freestream velocity, the kinematic viscosity of the fluid as well as Reynolds number
Redefined by both of them are the dominant parameters considered in the research of
flapping foils.
2. Geometric parameters
The parameters determining the shape of a foil include the chord length c, the maximum
thickness D, the span length L, the cross-section shape, and the planform cross-section

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shape is normally rectangle, ellipse, and teardrop, among which teardrop is the most
studied one.
3. Kinematic parameters
The oscillation motion of a fil is characterized by Strouhal number
fL
St=
U
where f is the frequency of the oscillation. St is often used as a criterion for describing the
drag-thrust transition. St, StD, and StA are the chord-based, the maximum thickness-based,
and amplitude-based Strouhal numbers.
4. Performance parameters
The parameters describing the propulsion performance of an oscillating foil include thrust
coefficient CT, input power coefficient Cp, and propulsion efficiency η. The key parameters
describing the energy harvesting efficiency of an oscillating foil are the output power
coefficient Cop and the energy harvesting efficiency ηo

2.8 Aerodynamics of flapping wings

The aerodynamics of the flapping wing is different from the fixed wing, due to
continuous change in motion, the flow is turbulent. Hence the unsteady effects need to be
considered. Some of the main aerodynamic phenomena are discussed below.
2.8.1 Leading-edge vortex
The LEV has been recognized as central to the ability of insects to generate lift in hover and
forward flight. For smooth attached flow around a streamlined shape such as a foil, there is a
strong leading-edge suction brought about by the high flow velocities around this region of
high curvature. This suction tilts the resultant force vector forward and is responsible for the
generation of thrust from a purely plunging foil. When the pressure gradients in this region
are such that the flow can no longer remain attached, separation can occur, and an LEV may
be formed. The inherent rotation of the fluid in the LEV leads to low pressures at the core of
the vortex (although not as low as would be found over the foil leading edge if the flow
remained attached). This low-pressure results in an enhancement of the force normal to the
oncoming flow.
In insect flight, this enhanced force normal to the wing results in the increased lift, at the
expense of additional power input by the animal to overcome the increased drag. In the
power generation application, it is now the lift, not the drag, which is aligned with the foil
motion as shown

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Figure 4. [3] (a) (b) (c)

(a) Attached is flow on a stationary wing in a horizontal free stream. (b) LEV lift enhancement
on a horizontally translating wing in quiescent fluid. (c) LEV power generation on a vertically
translating wing in a horizontal free stream. Free in each case shows the flow velocity relative
to the wing.

2.8.2 Wagner effect

When a wing at a high angle of attack starts to flap, the airflow vortices do not immediately
get their steady-state value. Circulation slowly approaches it. When vorticity is generated and
again shed at the trailing edge, it produces a starting vortex near the wing, and only when the
starting vortex moves enough far away from the trailing edge, does the moving wing gets the
maximum circulation. This phenomenon was proposed by Wagner in 1925 and is called the
Wagner effect. However, this effect is not strong for some Reynolds numbers at which small
birds or insects fly and can be neglected for flapping wings.

2.8.3 Clap and Fling mechanism

When the wings come together at the end of each upstroke, they perform a ‘clap’. After the
clap, the trailing edge stays connected while the leading edge increases its distances. This is
called a ‘flap’. In the downstroke, air sucks into this funnel-like geometry, which induces a
bound vortex at the leading edge of the wings and each vortex acts as the starting vortex for
another wing. This annihilation allows the circulation to build up strongly as the Wagner
effect is suppressed. Clap also vanishes the vortices created during the upstroke. Now the
fling creates rotational airflow circulation. Although many insects and birds do not create the
flap, they almost touch each other. Hence it is assumed that in this way similar circulations
are produced.

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2.8.4 Rotational lift

At the end of every stroke, small birds and insects rotate their wings, which allows them to
maintain a positive angle throughout the beat. Such a rotation gives additional lift. The
magnitude of this lift is determined by the position of the rotation axis. For instance, rotation
about the trailing edge shows better lift generation than the leading edge.

2.8.5 Wing Wake interaction

The back-and-forth motion of the wing makes the wing interact with the shed vorticity of the
prior strokes which contribute to lift generation. This wing wake interaction allows the pitch
motion of the wing done passively, as this additional lift rotates the wing to the desired
orientation.

2.8.6 Lift and Thrust

The lift and force production through the flapping wing can be divided into four points:
1) Lift is mainly produced during downstroke; however, thrust is produced during both
downstroke and upstroke. The lift and thrust produced during the downstroke are much
more than that produced during the upstroke.
2) Lift and thrust increase with the increase of flapping frequency;
3) Thrust increases with the increase of flapping amplitude, but the lift decreases with the
increase of flapping amplitude
4) Lift and thrust increase with the increase of mean pitching angle, but the effect on the lift
is much more than on thrust.

2.9 Software used.

These are the following software used to simulate the mentioned problem:

2.9.1 ANSYS fluent:

Ansys is an important software in creating real-world scenarios for Fluid problems. This case
will be solved using Ansys-fluent for the energy harvesting performance of the oscillating
wing. A wing model will be generated, and the flow domain accurately meshed in the Fluent
solver. Flow conditions including the viscous model criteria, use of energy equations, and
another parameter will be defined to solve the problem. [3]

2.9.2 TECHPLOT:
TECPLOT software is used to visualize the results generated from Ansys-Fluent. This software
will be used in this project to see the results of the energy harvesting performance. This

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software will help in compiling, visualizing, and comparing the results obtained from the
Ansys-fluent simulation.

2.9.3 Origin:
Origin is used for graphing and analyzing results. Its results can automatically update data or
parameter change, allowing us to create templates for repetitive tasks or to perform batch
operations from the user interface, without the need for programming. 

Chapter 3
3 Methodology
3.1 Project Approach
This project is based on computational fluid analysis using ANSYS-FLUENT. For the initial
setup, a finite wing model of NACA0015 will be used. The CFD procedure will be conducted in
correspondence with the parameters known from the literature review.
UDF is a function that is programmed for dynamic analysis. User-defined functions allow
customizing Ansys Fluent and can significantly enhance its capabilities. Validation of results
will be done using Kinsey’s research paper.
Once the validation is done, we will devise passive flow techniques to prepare a model for
maximum power extraction for the oscillating wing.
The step-by-step methodology that will be adopted for the project is shown below.

Literature Variation of selection of best

different flow configuration
Review techniques

Analysis and
CAD modelling Validation Discussion

CFD Concluison
analysis
UDF

Figure 5 Methodology
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3.2 Expected deliverables:

The expected deliverables are as follows:
1. To design conceptual model for multirotor platform for air mobility.
2. To observe and analyze the static structural loads on the vehicle using ANSYS-
Mechanical.
3. To observe the transition of vertical take-off to forward using ANSYS-Fluent.
4. To analyze the stability of aircraft using XFLR 5.

3.3 Milestones and Time Division

Tasks in the seventh semester

Literature Review 2 weeks
Project Definition Document 2 weeks
Survey paper 2 weeks
Modeling and Meshing of a simple wing 4 weeks
geometry
Setup Validation 3 weeks
Table 1. Seventh-semester tasks

Tasks in the eighth semester

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CFD Analysis of FWEH Energy harvesting 6 weeks

CFD Analysis of the effect of wing 6 weeks
geometry by using passive flow
techniques
Result comparison and Identification of 2weeks
best case for energy harvesting
Final Analysis Report 4 weeks
Table 2 Tasks 8th semester

Chapter 4
4 Relevance to National needs
Today most of the locomotion in Pakistan is being done on cars, motorbikes, railways, and
buses, which is adding pollution and environmental hazards to our country by manifolds.
With the rapidly advancing dynamics world is shifting toward the aerial locomotion. By the
development of a platform capable of air mobility and proficient in eVTOL we can lessen the
traffic density on our roads as well as the toxic emissions from automobiles. Such ambulances
(when mature) can help us in picking up critical patients from far flung areas and taking them
to suitable medical facilities in time. This paradigm shift will not only exalt the reputation of
Pakistan in the region for promoting eco-friendly transit but also a benevolence on the non-
renewable fuel consumption of the country.

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5 Bibliography

[1] Q. Xiao, "A review on flow energy harvesters based on flapping foils," Journal of Fluids and
Structures, pp. 1-end, 2014.
[2] X. W. e. al, "A review on fluid dynamics of flapping foils," Ocean's Engineering, pp. 1-7,
2020.
[3] [Online]. Available: https://www.ansys.com/training-center/course-catalog/fluids/ansys-
fluent-using-user-defined-functions-udfs.

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Advisor

Date: (SQUADRON
LEADER ADNAN
MAQSOOD)
Date:

Co-advisor

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Date: (SQUADRON LEADER

AHMAD)

Date:

STUDENT’s BIODATA

Name: AC Muhammad Abdullah

Saleem

Father’s Name: Muhammad

Saleem

CNIC: 35202-3702057-1

Current Address: House no. 8/A,

Mohni Road, Lahore.

Permanent Address: House no.

8/A, Mohni Road, Lahore.

Academic Record:
SSC: 1085/1100
HSSC: 1010/1100
CGPA: 3.29

School: Govt. Central Model

High School, Lower Mall, Lahore.

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College: Government College

University, Lahore.

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