Aerodynamic analysis of BlimPlane- A conceptual hybrid UAV for Venus

The Aerodynamic design of a “BlimPlane”, (hybrid of Blimp and Airplane) for future in-situ exploration of Venusian atmosphere in 60 to 80 km altitude range has been addressed. It is capable of powered and unpowered operations. The airplane is powered by solar panels installed on its top and bottom surfaces. It is assisted by buoyancy for unpowered operations. The analysis is done by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes models- k-ε and SST k-ω are used to simulate different turbulent levels. After mesh independent study different cases were simulated at different altitudes. Operational Reynolds number range is - 1×10⁶ - 20×10⁶ with respect to fuselage length and Mach number range is 0.2-0.7. Glide Ratio and Pitching moment are taken into consideration while estimating the aerodynamic efficiency. Wing-with aerodynamic twist, curved planform and very low wing tip chord length gave low vortex and induced drag. High wing loading near the central portion due to lifting fuselage configuration assists the BlimPlane flight sustainability against a head wind, which in turn simplifies station maintenance by gaining increased lift due to the relative motion with respect to wind.