CFD-Based Estimation of Added-Mass and Aerodynamic Derivatives in Heave Motion for a Hybrid Closed-Wing HAPS
Eleonora RICCIO, Alessandro CERESA, Vincenzo Rosario BARANIELLO, Giuseppe PERSECHINO, Francesco TUFANO, Domenico COIRO
Abstract. A CFD-based approach is proposed to estimate aerodynamic stability derivatives and added-mass coefficients of a hybrid High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) with a closed-wing configuration. The combination of buoyant and aerodynamic lift makes the evaluation of added-mass effects crucial for accurate dynamic modelling. Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulations in OpenFoam coupled with Fourier analysis were performed under prescribed harmonic oscillations; this paper focuses on the heave motion, showing the coupling between vertical acceleration and unsteady lift. The results confirm that the aerodynamic response is harmonic, matching the frequency of the imposed excitation, and highlight significant added-mass effects under stratospheric conditions, providing useful input for high-fidelity flight dynamics and control design of future hybrid HAPS platforms.
Keywords
Hybrid HAPS, Added Mass, Dynamic Derivatives
Published online 7/20/2026, 6 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Eleonora RICCIO, Alessandro CERESA, Vincenzo Rosario BARANIELLO, Giuseppe PERSECHINO, Francesco TUFANO, Domenico COIRO, CFD-Based Estimation of Added-Mass and Aerodynamic Derivatives in Heave Motion for a Hybrid Closed-Wing HAPS, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 69, pp 850-855, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904251-150
The article was published as article 150 of the book CEAS – AIDAA Conference 2025
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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