Design and multi‐disciplinary computational investigations on PVEH patches attached horizontal axis hybrid wind turbine system for additional energy extraction in HALE UAVs

Abstract

Abstract Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and their allies have dramatically increased aerospace's energy needs. To meet this need, hybrid power systems and extensive power utilization evaluations must be developed. This research focuses on energy and exergy‐based studies of hybrid wind power systems for fixed‐wing UAVs, which depend on wind turbines and piezoelectric patches. The proposed hybrid wind turbine is planned to be located at the fixed‐wing UAVs' rear position. The wind turbine was initially conceived and built using analytical methods and CAD tools based on power input. The wind turbine's CFD has produced the desired aerodynamic pressures and temperatures, torque, and power. Wind turbine exergy efficiencies have been determined using standard and specialized methods. Wind turbine blades are also patched with PVEH patches to generate hybrid electricity from renewable sources. CFRP‐UD‐Prepreg, CFRP‐Woven‐Prepreg, GFRP‐FR‐4‐Fabric, GFRP‐S‐UD, GFRP‐E‐Fabric, and KFRP‐49‐UD are the lightweight materials used in this work. PVEH patches, along with wind turbines, have been studied for energy and exergy. Modern engineering methods have shown that the proposed hybrid system is better suited to meet high power requirements. Based on this system, the wind turbine system is 0.39226 and the PVEH patches are 0.28131. Finally, aeroacoustic, vibrational, and structural studies are computationally analyzed.

Keywords

• CFD
• energy
• exergy
• hybrid power system
• piezoelectric energy
• UAVs