Technical Note
3D CFD Simulation and Experimental Validation of
Small APC Slow Flyer Propeller Blade
Hairuniza Ahmed Kutty
†
and Parvathy Rajendran
†,
*
School of Aerospace Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang 14300, Malaysia;
hairunizaahmed@gmail.com
* Correspondence: aeparvathy@usm.my; Tel.: +60-4-599-5963
† These authors contributed equally to this work.
Academic Editor: Erinc Erdem
Received: 16 January 2017; Accepted: 22 February 2017; Published: 25 February 2017
Abstract:
The current work presents the numerical prediction method to determine small-scale
propeller performance. The study is implemented using the commercially available computational
fluid dynamics (CFD) solver, FLUENT. Numerical results are compared with the available
experimental data for an advanced precision composites (APC) Slow Flyer propeller blade to
determine the discrepancy of the thrust coefficient, power coefficient, and efficiencies. The study
utilized unstructured tetrahedron meshing throughout the analysis, with a standard k-
ω
turbulence
model. The Multiple Reference Frame model was also used to consider the rotation of the propeller
toward its local reference frame at 3008 revolutions per minute (RPM). Results show reliable thrust
coefficient, power coefficient, and efficiency data for the case of low advance ratio and an advance
ratio less than the negative thrust conditions.
Keywords:
APC slow flyer; CFD; k-
ω
; multiple reference frame; propeller; blade; unmanned aerial
vehicle (UAV) propeller
1. Introduction
A propeller may be considered as a rotating wing that assembles airfoils collectively, comparable
to the cross-section of the wing of an aircraft. A basic propeller configuration includes a minimum of
two blades, attached together to the central hub [
1
]. Thrust is generated to push the aircraft forward
through the air, by converting the rotation power from the engine shaft. The chamber shape of the
airfoil causes the airflow in front of the blade to travel at higher speed.
Based on Bernoulli’s principle, due to the acceleration of the airflow, it causes a reduction of static
pressure in front of the blade. Meanwhile, lower speed at the back of the propeller causes the propeller
to experience higher static pressure. Thus, as the pressure is lower at the front, the aircraft is pulled
forward due to the reaction force. The pressure difference between the front and back section of the
propeller creates thrust force in forward directions, allowing it to overcome the drag experienced by
the aircraft [2].
Different methods are available to determine propeller performance, including experimental and
numerical analysis. In the experimental method, the propeller blade is tested in a wind tunnel for both
static and advancing flow conditions. Meanwhile, numerical analysis adopts three-dimensional
computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation, utilizing the Reynolds-average Navier–Stokes
(RANS) equation. CFD methods have become significant and highly useful tools for propeller design
and analysis.
Whereas the performance of the propeller for full-scale conventional aircraft has been
well-documented using either of the stated methods, little research has been conducted in the case
of low Reynolds numbers and small-scale propellers [
3
]. Generally, the propellers used for the
Aerospace 2017, 4, 10; doi:10.3390/aerospace4010010 www.mdpi.com/journal/aerospace
