Multi-objective aerodynamic design optimization of the airfoil with its sharp leading edge for the development of high performance Mars drone rotor blades.

Abstract

For the exploration of pit craters, a unique terrain on Mars, the Helicopter is an expected exploration method. In this paper, a multi-objective design optimization is performed in the design range including sharp leading edge and trailing edge shapes to design a rotor blade with higher flight performance on Mars. A combination of blade element theory and two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics was used to evaluate the objective function. The flow fields of the obtained optimal solutions were compared with the flow field of an airfoil with good performance under low Reynolds number, and the characteristics of the airfoil were investigated.