Aerodynamics Performance of a Hovering Micro-Rotor in Confined Environment

This paper aims at understanding how the aerodynamic performance of a hovering micro-rotor is affected by horizontal and vertical wall proximity. Toward that end, experiments are performed to extract aerodynamic loads and velocity flow fields from strain gauges and high-definition stereoscopic particle image velocimetry measurements respectively. The results show that horizontal wall boundary conditions contribute to enhancing aerodynamic performance while vertical boundary conditions have a negligible impact. Enhancement of aerodynamic performance arises from distinct flow physics that depend on the configuration considered. These results open the path towards the development of micro-air vehicles dedicated to the exploration of highly confined environments.