Simulation Of An UAV With Intermeshing Rotors Using The Lattice-Boltzmann Method

Abstract

This paper presents a validation study of a mid-fidelity simulation framework for rotorcraft aeromechanics, applied to an unmanned aerial vehicle with an intermeshing rotor configuration. The framework couples a rigid-body multibody dynamics model with a Lattice-Boltzmann Method (LBM) fluid solver, using an Actuator Line Model (ALM) for rotor representation. Validation is performed across three configurations: isolated single-rotor testing, full-scale hover flight at multiple altitudes, and trimmed forward flight. Simulation results for rotor thrust, power, torque, and control inputs are compared against experimental data. The framework is shown to capture key aerodynamic and control trends, with some underprediction of power and torque in transitional forward flight. These results support its suitability for simulating complex rotor-rotor interactions in intermeshing rotorcraft and inform future model refinements.