Aerodynamic Modeling and Verification of Quadrotor UAV Using Wind-Tunnel Test

The study proposes a precise method for modeling and verifying quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) using aerodynamic data from wind-tunnel tests. The dynamic model often assumes a simple rigid body, which does not accurately reflect the aerodynamic lift, drag, and moment at low flight speeds and cruising conditions. In this study, wind-tunnel tests were conducted under varying flight conditions to analyze acquired aerodynamic data systematically using post-processing methods such as mesh-type contour and polar-graph. The study introduces the concept of delta rotational speed to construct multidimensional lookup tables for aerodynamic data. A numerical simulation and flight test environment were set up to verify the dynamic modeling of the quadrotor. The same guidance and attitude controller were used, and a round-trip mission was carried out. The study confirmed that the state tracking results and actuator output of the quadrotor numerical simulation and flight test showed no significant difference. The results support the reliability of the proposed aerodynamic modeling method for quadrotors using wind-tunnel test.