A Variable-speed Control Method to Reduce Ducted-fan Thrust Fluctuations for Flying Car Utilization

Abstract

Flying cars, or vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, are revolutionary devices that can address traffic congestion and help build a three-dimensional transportation system in the future. Flight safety could deteriorate in actual flight because ducted fans may suffer from significant thrust fluctuations induced by crosswinds. In this article, we propose a variable-speed control method to reduce thrust fluctuations by applying a speed waveform opposite to the fluctuation waveform. We choose a typical condition of a 5 m/s crosswind for validation. The results of unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier‒Stokes (URANS) calculations show that crosswinds lead to fluctuations in all thrusts with the frequency of the blade passing frequency. The total thrust fluctuation amplitude accounts for 6.2% of the total thrust. By applying the variable-speed control where the frequency is identical to the thrust fluctuation frequency, the phase difference is 180 degrees, and the amplitude is approximately the square root of the fluctuation amplitude, the standard deviation of the thrust fluctuation is reduced by 92% without affecting the mean total thrust. Fluctuations in other performance parameters, such as lateral force and pitching moment, are improved as well. This active control method can achieve accurate control without any auxiliary equipment and has good application prospects. It provides a promising idea for solving the problem of performance fluctuations in turbomachinery.