Conceptual Aerodynamic Design and Performance Evaluation of a Medium-Scale Solar-Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Using XFLR5 and MATLAB
Abstract
The increasing demand for long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, infrastructure inspection, surveillance, and disaster response has accelerated research into renewable-energy-powered flight systems. Conventional battery-powered UAVs are constrained by the limited specific energy of electrochemical storage systems, making aerodynamic efficiency a critical consideration in the design of solar-powered aircraft. This study presents the conceptual aerodynamic design and performance evaluation of a medium-scale solar-powered UAV using an integrated computational methodology based on XFOIL, XFLR5, and MATLAB. Three low-Reynolds-number airfoils (SD7037, MH32, and S1223) were evaluated at a Reynolds number of 3.0 × 10⁵ to identify the most suitable airfoil for extended-endurance operation. MATLAB was employed to automate the import, post-processing, visualization, and comparative analysis of aerodynamic polar data generated by XFLR5. The resulting aerodynamic characteristics were subsequently used for aircraft sizing and propulsion system selection. Results indicate that the SD7037 airfoil provided the best overall aerodynamic performance, achieving a maximum lift coefficient (CL,max) of 1.273, a minimum drag coefficient (CD,min) of 0.00704, and a maximum lift-to-drag ratio (L/Dmax) of 86.07. Based on these characteristics, a conceptual UAV with a maximum take-off mass of 25 kg and a cruise speed of 18 m/s was developed. Preliminary sizing yielded a wing area of 1.46 m², a wingspan of 3.82 m, and an aspect ratio of 10. The propulsion system consisted of an 800 W brushless DC outrunner motor, a 60 A electronic speed controller, and a 22.2 V lithium-polymer battery, providing sufficient power for take-off, climb, and cruise operations. Comparison with representative solar-powered UAV platforms demonstrated that the proposed design achieves a practical balance between aerodynamic efficiency, propulsion performance, and operational flexibility. The integrated methodology provides a reproducible conceptual design framework for future development and experimental validation of energy-efficient solar-powered UAVs.