This study focuses on optimizing propeller design for small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to enhance their mission-specific performance. As UAVs gain prominence, there is a growing demand for improved propulsion and energy management systems. Many vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAVs rely on fixed-pitch propellers, leading to compromises in mission execution. To address this, the study suggests adopting variable-pitch propellers with aerofoils featuring leading edge flippers to influence aerodynamic behavior and prevent stalls. These flippers are strategically positioned at the propeller’s tip and hub to enhance efficiency. Two propeller pitch configurations, 4 × 7 and 4 × 9, were examined, each with variations including no flippers, four flippers at the hub and tip, and eight flippers at the hub and tip. Through comprehensive testing, the study aimed to evaluate each design’s performance in terms of propeller efficiency, thrust, and torque under specific conditions. The results indicated a significant increase in efficiency, ranging from 60 to 70%, depending on the pitch. This comparative analysis helps assess each pitch’s suitability and effectiveness for UAV applications.
Enhancing the Performance of UAV Propeller Using Bio-Inspired Humpback Whales Tubercle—A Parametric Study at the Hub and Tip Locations
Lect.Notes Mechanical Engineering
International Conference on Modern Research in Aerospace Engineering ; 2023 ; Noida, India September 21, 2023 - September 22, 2023
2024-04-28
11 pages
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English
Reverse Engineering-Inspired Parametric 3D Geometry Model of Marine Propeller
DOAJ | 2023
|CORROSION - Enhancing propeller performance
Online Contents | 2004
Experimental and numerical analysis of humpback whale inspired tubercles on swept wings
Emerald Group Publishing | 2022
|Propeller locations study of a generic delta wing UAV model
Emerald Group Publishing | 2020
|On the influence of elasticity on propeller performance: a parametric study
Springer Verlag | 2023
|