In order to analyze the performance of propellers operating at low Reynolds numbers, wind-tunnel tests, CFD computations, and blade element momentum theory have been carried out for a range of advance ratio. The wind-tunnel test of the propeller desig...
In order to analyze the performance of propellers operating at low Reynolds numbers, wind-tunnel tests, CFD computations, and blade element momentum theory have been carried out for a range of advance ratio. The wind-tunnel test of the propeller designed for high altitude solar UAV application was conducted at fixed rpm, in a suction-type subsonic low-speed wind tunnel of Sejong University. Thrust and torque data of the propeller were acquired using a thrust load cell and a torque sensor. Each test was repeated five times and averaged for a preset time period, to assure reliability and repeatability of the experiments
CFD simulations of the flow-fields around propellers have been carried out for the same propeller design, by using Moving Reference Frame (MRF) method. The computations grid system of the flow field was generated using Fluent Meshing V17.2. The boundary layer thickness was calculated by assuming flat plate flow at the Reynolds number of 75% radius section, and grid independency was determined according to boundary first layer thickness using grid resolution study. The Y+ was selected so that the thrust change was below 1e-03. The computational fluid dynamics was performed by using Fluent V17.2 and RANS governing equation set. The rotating zone and stationary zone were separated in the MRF method, and the discontinuous grids of the planes between the two separated zones were set to be continuous by using mesh interface function.
The thrust and torque of propeller were also calculated by blade element momentum theory. The aerodynamics of propeller airfoil was calculated by a modeling program, which adjusts aerodynamic data of the airfoil to accommodate the change in induced velocity of the propeller. The propeller efficiency was predicted over a range of advance ratio using calculated thrust and power.
Each three analysis results was analyzed and the results were compared with result of UIUC propeller wind tunnel test. From the results of wind-tunnel test, the thrust and torque were predicted about 0.4N, 0.01Nm less than BEMT results at the operating condition because of the errors of pressure sensor and torque sensor. The efficiency of propeller was measured 5% less than BEMT result. From the results of MRF simulations, induced velocity distribution generated by the propeller has been observed and confirmed the propeller-blade surface pressure and skin friction distributions at design point and off design points. The change of flow field velocity around the propeller and pressure were also analyzed for a preset range of advance ratio. The thrust was predicted about 0.1N bigger than UIUC test result, and the efficiency of the propeller was also measured about 2% bigger than UIUC test result. From the results of BEMT simulations, because the drag of aerodynamics modeling was predicted little less, the torque estimated less than others. As a results, the efficiency of propeller measured bigger than others. The thrust distribution according to propeller radius were observed of the BEMT and MRF. After propeller radius 75%, the thrust of MRF predicted bigger than BEMT, as a results, the total efficiency of MRF measured bigger than BEMT results.