Arduino IoT Controller for Angle of Attack Measurement with Force Balance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35870/ijsecs.v4i1.2190Keywords:
Arduino, Force Balance, Drag Lift, Angle of Attack, AerodynamicsAbstract
The force balance system uses the whitestone bridge concept to read the airfoil aerodynamic lift and drag forces while also having a function to control the airfoil angle of attack. It is designed for low subsonic wind tunnels, especially for educational purposes. The system uses Arduino as the microcontroller to read the force data from the load cell sensors and gives commands to the rotary motor stepper to change the airfoil angle of attack. Arduino is combined with a novel mechanical linkage system designed and studied to ensure the sensors can read the correct airfoil lift and drag forces. The angle of attack is controlled with a smartphone to decide the degree of airfoil. The reading of the system is validated using spring balance that pulls the system with magnitudes of 1,1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3 kg in some pulling force angle. The results show that the reading of the system is accurate compared to the theoretical results, with an average error of 2 %. The force measuring tool on the airfoil is the first step in a series of steps to produce the final project, namely the wind turbine. Research suggests that the load cell must be positioned correctly so that the sensor reading error can be increased again. The stepper motor must be turned off the bottom shaft to prevent the airfoil from rotating.
Downloads
References
Renneboog, R. (2023). Principles of Aeronautics.
Yopiandi, A., Harahap, H. D., & Anuar, K. Pengukuran Gaya Model Airfoil Sd7043 Didalam Terowongan Eswt (Education Small Wind Tunnel). Jurnal Online Mahasiswa (JOM) Bidang Teknik dan Sains, 8, 1-7.
Soler, M. (2014). Fundamentals of Aerospace Engineering: An introductory course to aeronautical engineering. Manuel Soler.
Fernandez Lopez, N., & Morales Pastor, J. (2019). Aerodynamics measurements in a wind tunnel.
Ma, A., Zhou, S., Wu, Q., & Zhu, C. (2022). Influence of angle-of-attack on drag force. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2230(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2230/1/012017
Oruganti, S., & Narsipur, S. (2021). Airfoil lift calculation using wind tunnel wall pressures. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 236(8), 1515–1531. https://doi.org/10.1177/09544100211038253
Akbar, A. (2020). Effect of Angle of Attack on Airfoil NACA 0012 Performance. Rekayasa Energi Manufaktur) Jurnal, 5(1), 2528–3723. https://doi.org/10.21070/rem.v5i1.1235
Feero, M. A., Naguib, A. M., & Koochesfahani, M. M. (2019). Single-component force balance for the measurement of low-magnitude mean aerodynamic loads. In Meas. Sci. Technol (Vol. 30).
Nandini, K. S., Subhashini, K. N., & Somashekar, V. (2018). Experimental Investigations of Aerodynamic Performances of S9023 Airfoil. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 376(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/376/1/012060
Adiwidodo, S., & Wijaya, A. H. (2022). Simulation of Effect of Airfoil MH32 with Variation Taper Ratio and Angle of Attack Coefficient Lift and Drag Fixed wing Unmanned Aircraft. Asian Journal Science and Engineering, 1(1), 23-36. http://dx.doi.org/10.51278/ajse.v1i1.396
Matsuo, Y. (2017). Special Contribution Numerical Wind Tunnel: History and Evolution of Supercomputing. Fujitsu Sci. Tech. J, 53(3), 15-23.
Tomin, M., Scipioni, M., & Gatti, B. (2020). Design, Construction and Testing of a 3-Component Force Balance for Educational Wind Tunnels in Undergraduate Aerodynamics. Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research. https://doi.org/10.15394/jaaer.2020.1809
Boro, A. (2017). Experimental Analysis of a Low Cost Lift and Drag Force Measurement System for Educational Sessions. International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology. www.irjet.net
Morris, M., & Post, S. (2010). AC 2010-393: Force balance design for educational wind tunnels. Peoria: Bradley University.
Bueno Tintoré, I. (2018). Design of a three-axis wind tunnel force balance (Doctoral dissertation, University of Zagreb. Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences. Division of Aeronautics).
Junaidin, B., Kusumaningrum, A., Prayogih, W., & Reo, Y. (2022). Rancang Bangun Sensor Kecepatan Angin Berbasis Arduino untuk Terowongan Angin Low Subsonic. AVITEC, 4(2), 187. https://doi.org/10.28989/avitec.v4i2.1295
Zadirienko, A. I., Nazarenko, P. A., & Ovchinnikova, N. A. (2019). Angle of Attack Sensor Based on Arduino UNO Microcontroller. 2019 Wave Electronics and Its Application in Information and Telecommunication Systems (WECONF), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1109/WECONF.2019.8840129
Patonra, A. H., Masita, S., Wibowo, N. R., & Fitriati, A. (2020). Rancang Bangun Media Pembelajaran Praktik Motor Stepper. Mechatronics Journal in Professional and Entrepreneur (MAPLE), 2(1), 7-11.
Raharja, G. Y. M., & Setyobudi, P. (2019). Rancang Bangun Sistem Keamanan Sepeda Motor Menggunakan Rfid Dan Personal Identification Number (Pin) Berbasis Mikrokontroler Atmega16. Elkom: Jurnal Elektronika dan Komputer, 12(1), 6-12.
Sam, N. N., Rifaldi, M., Wibowo, N. R., & Nur, M. (2020). Rancang Bangun Modul Praktik Load Cell dengan Kapasitas 20 Kg Berbasis Arduino Nano. Mechatronics Journal in Professional and Entrepreneur (MAPLE), 2(1), 21-26.
Lourenzaa, S. (2021). Miniatur Sistem Pemindahan Barang Pada Konveyor Dengan Penggerak Motor Stepper. Jurnal ELPOTECS, 4(2), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.51622/elpotecs.v4i2.429.
Smreczak, M., Rubbert, L., & Baur, C. (2021). Design of a compliant load cell with adjustable stiffness. Precision Engineering, 72, 259-271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precisioneng.2021.04.016
Al-Dahiree, O. S., Tokhi, M. O., Hadi, N. H., Hmoad, N. R., Ghazilla, R. A. R., Yap, H. J., & Albaadani, E. A. (2022). Design and shape optimization of strain gauge load cell for axial force measurement for test benches. Sensors, 22(19), 7508. https://doi.org/10.3390/s22197508
Suryati, S., Misriana, M., Fauziah, A., & Mellyssa, W. (2019). Pengaturan gerakan translasi menggunakan motor stepper. In Prosiding Seminar Nasional Politeknik Negeri Lhokseumawe (Vol. 3, No. 1, p. 89).
Nurlana, M. E. (2019). Pembuatan Power Supply dengan Tegangan Keluaran Variabel Menggunakan Keypad Berbasis Arduino Uno. Edu Elektrika Journal, 8(2), 53-59. https://doi.org/10.15294/eej.v8i2.27045.
Dadi, V., Peravali, S., & Busi, R. (2021). Conversion of geared DC motor into stepper motor using switching delay time signals. SN Applied Sciences, 3(4), 479. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-021-04437-3
Khairudin, M., Asnawi, R., & Shah, A. (2020). The characteristics of TB6600 motor driver in producing optimal movement for the Nema23 stepper motor on CNC machine. Telkomnika, 18(1), 343-350.
Downloads
Published
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1. Copyright Retention and Open Access License
Authors retain copyright of their work and grant the journal non-exclusive right of first publication under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
This license allows unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
2. Rights Granted Under CC BY 4.0
Under this license, readers are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, including commercial use
- No additional restrictions — the licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as license terms are followed
3. Attribution Requirements
All uses must include:
- Proper citation of the original work
- Link to the Creative Commons license
- Indication if changes were made to the original work
- No suggestion that the licensor endorses the user or their use
4. Additional Distribution Rights
Authors may:
- Deposit the published version in institutional repositories
- Share through academic social networks
- Include in books, monographs, or other publications
- Post on personal or institutional websites
Requirement: All additional distributions must maintain the CC BY 4.0 license and proper attribution.
5. Self-Archiving and Pre-Print Sharing
Authors are encouraged to:
- Share pre-prints and post-prints online
- Deposit in subject-specific repositories (e.g., arXiv, bioRxiv)
- Engage in scholarly communication throughout the publication process
6. Open Access Commitment
This journal provides immediate open access to all content, supporting the global exchange of knowledge without financial, legal, or technical barriers.
