A Novel, High Fidelity 6-DoF Simulation Model for Tethered Load Dynamics

A novel, physics-based reduced-order model for the simulation of tethered loads and other dynamic bluff bodies in six-degree-of-freedom motion has been developed. The reduced-order aerodynamic model is founded on physical insights and supporting data from quasi-steady computational fluid dynamics simulations, experiments, or flight tests. The reduced-order model incorporates quasi-steady aerodynamics, unsteady vortex shedding phenomena, and unsteady aerodynamic effects of body motion. The reduced-order model accurately reproduces dynamics predicted by computational fluid dynamics simulations, while computational cost is reduced by more than five orders of magnitude. The methodology can readily be applied or extended to any bluff body geometry beyond those demonstrated in this work. Guidance is provided for the relatively minor modifications to include rotor downwash, atmospheric turbulence, and wind tunnel walls.