Aerodynamic performance of multifunctional wind energy unit for long distance polar rover

The limited energy stored in the polar rover greatly restricts the polar rover to execute a long distance exploration. For making full use of the Antarctic renewable wind energy, a long distance polar rover installed a multifunctional wind energy unit is introduced in this paper. The multifunctional wind energy unit combines the functions of wind driving and wind power generation, which can convert the force acting on the unit generated by the wind energy into the rover´s driving force and the wind power at the same time. Based on the theory of aerodynamics, the quantitative relations among thrust force, torque, free stream velocity and blade parameters are established. Meanwhile, the mathematical expression between the thrust coefficient, power coefficient and attack angle and wind direction angle is deduced respectively. The research results in this paper provide the mechanical structure and theoretical reference for the unmanned polar rover to convert the Antarctic renewable wind energy into its own driving power.