Modeling and simulation of aerial refueling multi-body system based on ALE-ANCF method

The hose-drogue system is a common method for soft aerial refueling, whereby the refueling tanker tows the drogue through the hose. In this paper, a mathematical-physical model of the hose-drogue system is developed and simulated using the Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation (ANCF) finite element method. A numerical solution program based on ANCF and ALE (Arbitrary Eulerian-Lagrange)-ANCF method was developed to simulate and analyze the horizontal and elongation release processes of the hose-drogue system at different towing points (underneath the wing and the belly of the aircraft). This program was developed by introducing an ALE description. The numerical solution program, developed based on the ANCF and ALE-ANCF methods, represents a significant advancement in computational efficiency for the rigid-flexible coupled multibody system of the air refueling hose-drogue system. This program can provide a valuable reference for the qualitative design of the hose-drogue multibody system in soft air refueling, while maintaining the necessary accuracy.