Equivalent Thermal Boundary Simulation Methods for High-altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Based on Space Environment Simulators

CHEN Yichen; LI Xiyuan; GAO Wen; WANG Jiewen; TAO Dongxing; YANG Xiaoning

doi:10.7643/ issn.1672-9242.2025.10.007

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Equipment Environmental Engineering ›› 2025, Vol. 22 ›› Issue (10) : 52-61. DOI: 10.7643/ issn.1672-9242.2025.10.007

Equivalent Thermal Boundary Simulation Methods for High-altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Based on Space Environment Simulators

CHEN Yichen, LI Xiyuan, GAO Wen, WANG Jiewen, TAO Dongxing, YANG Xiaoning^*

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Abstract

In order to solve difficulties in the thermal design verification of high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operating in the complex stratospheric environment, the work aims to propose an equivalent simulation method of external convective heat transfer based on a space environment simulator. A finite-node heat transfer model was established by analyzing heat exchange mechanisms among the UAV, environment, and internal equipment under both flight and test conditions. Based on the dimensionless number analysis, the temperature deviations in internal equipment caused by scaling methods were obtained, achieving results consistent with CFD simulations. Simulation analysis revealed that the temperature variations of equipment induced by scaled testing were correlated with factors such as the heat flux density of internal equipment, installation configurations, and feature sizes, while exhibiting negligible dependence on variations in external solar heat flux. The scaling-induced temperature deviations in internal equipment remained below 10 ℃ under typical flight conditions, meeting requirements for UAV thermal model verification. The study concludes that Nusselt number-equivalent wind speed scaling enables effective simulation of forced convective heat transfer in space environment simulators for verifying UAV thermal control designs, with dimensionless analysis confirming natural convective heat transfer deviations below 10 ℃ under typical flight conditions. This methodology provides valuable references for formulating ground thermal testing strategies and selecting testing approaches for high-altitude UAVs.

Key words

high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles / thermal boundary equivalent simulation / space environment simulator / Nusselt number / wind speed scaling / similarity criterion

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CHEN Yichen, LI Xiyuan, GAO Wen, WANG Jiewen, TAO Dongxing, YANG Xiaoning. Equivalent Thermal Boundary Simulation Methods for High-altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Based on Space Environment Simulators[J]. Equipment Environmental Engineering. 2025, 22(10): 52-61 https://doi.org/10.7643/ issn.1672-9242.2025.10.007

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