Accelerated optimization of Mars multi-rotor aircraft blade airfoil based on Xfoil-Fluent: Methods and experiments

In Mars exploration, multi-rotor aircraft plays a crucial role, with its blades serving as the sole provider of thrust. Given the thin atmosphere, conventional blades cannot generate the required thrust for multi-rotor aircraft to carry out detection missions in this environment. Thus, optimizing the blade structure is essential to ensure sufficient thrust while minimizing power consumption. This study introduces a method for rapidly optimizing the two-dimensional aerodynamic characteristics of airfoils using Xfoil and ANSYS Fluent. A single-objective genetic algorithm is employed to optimize the airfoil of the blade, aiming to enhance the lift-to-drag ratio. After optimizing the aerodynamic properties of the airfoil, the performance of the optimized blade is confirmed experimentally.