Investigating the Use of the Coanda Effect to Create Novel Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

In recent years the demand for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's) has increased rapidly across many different industries and they are used for various applications. Such systems have the ability to enter dangerous or inaccessible environments and allow vital information to be collected without human risk. In order to carry out a task, a UAV has to face many different challenges. This has led to the development of novel platforms that move away from traditional aircraft design in order to make them more capable. A good example of this type of craft is one which uses the Coanda Effect to assist propulsion. This effect was discovered in 1930 by Henri-Marie Coanda who found that if a thin film of air is directed over a curved body, then the air follows the curve. When used to propel a UAV, the Coanda Effect also entrains air from above and lowers the air pressure in this region, which in turn generates more lift. Many organizations have attempted to use this phenomenon to aid the lift of various unusual air vehicles.