CFD-based assessment of thermal behaviour in the drone bottom housing plate
Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, cilt.26, sa.5, ss.332-343, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 26 Sayı: 5
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1504/pcfd.2026.156035
- Dergi Adı: Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Compendex, INSPEC, MathSciNet, zbMATH
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.332-343
- Anahtar Kelimeler: battery thermal management, CFD, drone bottom housing plate, geometry optimisation, heat transfer, SST k-ω, turbulence model, Unmanned aerial vehicle
- İstanbul Gelişim Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This study presents a numerical analysis of the geometric and material optimisation of the drone's bottom housing plate, which plays a key role in the thermal management of UAV battery modules. Four aperture geometries (square, rectangular, circular, hexagonal) have been designed and tested with three materials (aluminium, carbon fibre, PLA). Models have been created using computer-aided design software, and thermal behaviour was evaluated through CFD simulations using a conjugate heat transfer approach. Constant heat generation from the battery was defined as 87,000 W/m^3, with airflow conditions set at 1 m/s and 5 m/s. The SST k-ω turbulence model and second-order discretisation schemes have been employed for accurate predictions. Average surface temperatures of the housing plates have been compared, showing that the aluminium plate with circular geometry achieved the lowest temperatures and best thermal distribution. The results highlight the importance of geometry and material selection in improving UAV battery thermal management.