research

aerospace engineering

themes | fundamentals | energy

This research theme is dedicated in furthering our understanding of applied aerodynamic issues, specifically in relation to all-electric unmanned aerial vehicles. There are two main thrusts to this research theme. The first investigates unsteady aerodynamics of propellers and wings, including the development of models which can be used for flight control purposes. The second investigated innovative, bio-inspired designs of wings in order to increase their performance and stability.

Unsteady aerodynamics of UAVs

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are susceptible to atmospheric wind turbulence and urban gusts that subject the vehicle to complex unsteady aerodynamics effects. Our two-fold approach looks at first recreating these wind gust effects in a laboratory setting using novel and state-of-the-art facilities, and second determining the unsteady aerodynamic effects on simplified UAV geometries. With this, we develop simple models that can be incorporated into UAV flight controllers.

Students: Ziad Cherfane*; Purui Chen*; Austin L'Ecuyer, Stephanie Hartlin
Funding: NSERC Alliance Grant, Fonds de Recherche Quebec, Nature et Technologies (FRQNT)

Bio-inspired wings

Birds have inspired aerospace researchers for centuries as we pursue more efficient designs for flight. At lower Reynolds numbers, the shape of birds wings, particularly at the tips of the wing, may lead to improved aerodynamic performance under certain unsteady flow conditions. This research investigated such phenomena.

Students: Anushka Goyal; Omar Khatar
Funding: Fonds de Recherche Quebec, Nature et Technologies (FRQNT); McGill Institute for Aerospace Engineering (MIAE)

Confined/interacting propeller flows

The change in performance of a propeller as it approaches the ground is a well studied, and modelled problem. However, with the advent and proliferation of UAVs, there is an increased need to understand the change in performance of propellers as they approach other solid surfaces, such as walls, corners, and ceilings. Our group is working to expand our understanding of such confined propeller flows, and develop simple models to explain their performance. This research work also investigates how the flow field is affected by an array of propellers, such as on aerial vehicles.

Students: Leah Lavoie*; Dimitri Calomiris; Tim Thompson; George Qiao
Funding: Fonds de Recherche Quebec, Nature et Technologies (FRQNT); McGill Institute for Aerospace Engineering (MIAE)


McGill University is on land which has long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst Indigenous peoples, including the Haudenosaunee and Anishinabeg nations. We acknowledge and thank the diverse Indigenous peoples whose presence marks this territory on which peoples of the world now gather.

McGill Fluid Dynamics Lab

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Last updated:May 2022

Links

McGill University

Faculty of Engineering

Department of Mechanical Engineering




Copyright © McGill Fluid Dynamics Lab
845 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 0G4