Propeller aerodynamics; Oblique flow; Micro-air vehicles; Vertical take-off and landing
Abstract :
[en] This paper presents the modelling of the performance of small propellers used for Vertical Take Off and Landing Micro Aerial Vehicles (VTOL MAVs) operating at low Reynolds numbers and in oblique flow. Blade Element Momentum Theory (BEMT), Vortex Lattice Method (VLM) and momentum theory for oblique flow are used to predict propeller performance. For validation, the predictions for a commonly used propeller for VTOL MAVs are compared to a set of wind tunnel experiments. Both BEMT and VLM succeed in predicting correct trends of the forces and moments acting upon the propeller shaft, although accuracy decreases significantly in oblique flow. For the dataset analysed here, combining the available data of the propeller in purely axial flow with momentum theory for oblique flow and applying a correction factor for the wake skew angle results in more accurate performance estimates at all elevation angles.
Disciplines :
Aerospace & aeronautics engineering
Author, co-author :
Theys, Bart; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - KUL > Department of Mechanical Engineering
Dimitriadis, Grigorios ; Université de Liège > Département d'aérospatiale et mécanique > Interactions Fluide-Structure - Aérodynamique expérimentale
Hendrick, Patrick; Université Libre de Bruxelles - ULB > Aero-Thermo-Mechanics
De Schutter, Joris; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - KUL > Department of Mechanical Engineering
Language :
English
Title :
Experimental and Numerical Study of Mini-UAV Propeller Performance in Oblique Flow
Publication date :
May 2017
Journal title :
Journal of Aircraft
ISSN :
0021-8669
eISSN :
1533-3868
Publisher :
American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA), Reston, United States - Virginia
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