Aerodynamic Analysis of Quadrotor UAV Propeller using Computational Fluid Dynamic

Abstract

A propeller is a device with a rotating hub and blades that form a helical spiral at a specific pitch angle. It acts on a moving fluid, such as air, to convert rotational power into linear thrust. Designers of drones typically rely on vendors and layman recommendations while selecting propellers parameters for their UAVs. Several factors should be considered when designing a new drone propeller blade. However, not much research has been published on the effect of rotor configuration on propulsion system efficiency in hover. Thus, additional influence of rotor configuration such as the coaxial propeller configuration investigated in this work to supplement findings in factors that affect a drone system's propulsion efficiency compares along with the single propulsion system. Using SolidWorks and Ansys Fluent, this project will design and analyse the aerodynamic performance of a quadrotor drone propeller blade. For the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) investigation, 3D CAD models were produced in SOLIDWORKS and imported into Ansys Fluent. The shape of the model is inspired by the original APC drone propeller. The use of design tools like SolidWorks and a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solution can generate the necessary analysis to estimate the propeller blade's aerodynamic efficiency, allowing for the creation of a nearly optimal design. Several simulation examples are used in the research to find propeller shapes and configurations that improve aerodynamic and propulsion efficiency.