Lateral Stability Analysis of Tethered Aerostat System

Tethered aerostats serve as critical platforms for aerial observation and communication; however, research on their lateral stability under varying wind conditions remains limited. In this study, a comprehensive approach combining dynamic modeling and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations is employed to systematically analyze the lateral dynamic characteristics of an inverted Y-tail tethered aerostat. A nonlinear lateral dynamic model incorporating aerodynamic effects and added inertial terms is developed, and transient CFD simulations are conducted to examine the system’s dynamic responses under different wind directions and wind speeds. The study particularly evaluates the influence of key parameters such as payload position and the main tether point configuration. The results indicate that optimizing payload distribution can significantly enhance stability, manifested by reductions in yaw peaks and roll oscillation amplitudes. Furthermore, it is found that the yaw motion is more sensitive to wind-direction variations, while the roll motion is influenced by the coupled effects of both wind speed and direction. This research provides a valuable theoretical basis and a validated simulation framework for improving the structural design and operational stability of tethered aerostat systems in realistic wind environments.