Propeller Characterization for Distributed Propulsion
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 34, Issue 3
Abstract
The goal of this study was to characterize the effect of propeller variables as relevant to the design of a flight vehicle with numerous distributed propulsors. The impact of propeller radius, quantity, airfoil section characteristics, and blade count is examined. The test case is a small general aviation aircraft evaluated at a condition corresponding to cruise, such that thrust is constrained and propeller slipstream effects are negligible. From the perspective of power required, a minimal number of large-radius propellers are preferable. Increasing the number of propellers or blade count reduces the individual loading on each blade, which can lead to a significant drop in efficiency if the airfoil characteristics of the blade’s section are not well matched to the operating conditions. Reducing propeller radius is associated with a reduction in estimated range and endurance for a battery-powered aircraft.
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Data Availability Statement
Code used during the study is available online; see: Traub, L. W. 2017. “Inverse propeller design for a prescribed chord or blade angle.” J. Aircr. 54 (2): 823–828. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.C034023.
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Published In
Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 34 • Issue 3 • May 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 10, 2020
Accepted: Dec 2, 2020
Published online: Mar 8, 2021
Published in print: May 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Aug 8, 2021
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