Novel Quadrotor Forward-Flight Model Based on Wake Interference

The traditional aerodynamic model of the quadrotor is almost entirely based on the modeling of a single rotor, ignoring the wake interference among the four rotors in close proximity. Because of the oversimplification of the aerodynamic model, the attitude control and trajectory tracking of the quadrotor is unsatisfactory in high-speed flight. To accurately and effectively control the attitude and trajectory of the quadrotor, this study proposes a quadrotor forward-flight mathematical model considering rotor wake mutual interference, which can be used in flight control. To validate the model, a series of computational-fluid-dynamics analyses were conducted. An integral quadrotor model and an isolated rotor were analyzed under the same conditions. The mathematical model and results of the computational-fluid-dynamics analyses results provided consistent trends and demonstrated the suitability of the proposed model for high-speed forward flight.