My name is Xiran and currently I am studying towards a PhD degree under the supervision of Prof. Dan Zhao and Dr. Nay Lin Oo, in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

As a member of the University of Canterbury Aerodynamics Group for the “Enabling unmanned aerial vehicles to use tools in complex dynamic environments” project, my responsibilities involve investigating the aerodynamic performance of UAV rotors and gust characteristics. Previously, I also had relevant experience and results in the field of wind energy and wind turbines.

The operating environment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is often rapidly changing. A better prediction of key aerodynamic parameters of a rotor is necessary to improve the performance of UAVs in different operating environments. To accomplish this, I have worked on developing a reliable physical-based model that can quickly predict the aerodynamic performance of the rotor. This model also incorporates the effects of turbulence, taking into account the realistic presence of gusts. Further, wind tunnel tests and numerical simulations are employed to verify the accuracy of the model. Based on the results of this study, it is expected that the resulting model will be capable of accurately predicting the aerodynamic performance of different rotors in a variety of real-world environments.