Experimental investigations on high altitude airship propellers with blade planform variations

2017 ◽  
Vol 232 (16) ◽  
pp. 2952-2960 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenchen Liu ◽  
Peiqing Liu ◽  
Tianxiang Hu ◽  
Qiulin Qu
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Power Coefficient ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Propulsive Efficiency ◽  
Higher Power ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Limited Power ◽  
Advance Ratio

Wind tunnel tests of five propellers with different blade tip widths are carried at pitch angles between 20.5° and 40°. The aerodynamic performance are provided, which can be treated as a supplement of the high altitude airship propeller database. The influences of the blade planform and advance ratio on both power coefficient and propulsive efficiency are analyzed. It is found that at advance ratio below 0.8, the propeller with narrow tip has higher efficiency but limited power coefficient. While at advance ratio above 0.8, the propeller with wider tip has the advantages of higher power coefficient and acceptable efficiency. The variation of the propulsive efficiency with planform and advance ratio is dominated by the radial distributions of the airflow angle and interference angle.

URANS Simulations and Experimental Investigations on Unsteady Aerodynamic Effects in the Blade Tip Region of a Shrouded Fan Configuration

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gi-Don Na ◽  
Frank Kameier ◽  
Nils Springer ◽  
Michael Mauß ◽  
C. O. Paschereit
Keyword(s):  
Applied Sciences ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Acoustic Measurements ◽  
Noise Emission ◽  
Industrial Partner ◽  
University Of Applied Sciences ◽  
Blade Tip

The acoustical characteristics of cooling fans are an essential criterion of product quality in the automotive industry. Fan modules have to suffice growing customer expectations which are reflected in the comfort requirements set by car manufacturers around the world. In order to locate dominant acoustic sources and to reduce the noise emission generated by a shrouded fan configuration, numerical simulations and experimental investigations are performed. The working approach considers variously modified fan geometries and their evaluation regarding arising vortex flow phenomena and their effect on a decreased sound pressure level (SPL) in consideration of an improvement or the constancy of aerodynamic fan performance. Particular emphasis lies on the analysis of secondary flows in the blade tip region by post-processing CFD-results. Due to the large number of geometrical modifications investigated and the importance of highly resolved eddy structures, a hybrid approach is chosen by applying the SAS-SST turbulence model in URANS simulations. The SAS (Scale Adaptive Simulation) delivers LES (Large Eddy Simulation) content in unsteady regions of a RANS-simulation and exhibits not nearly the high computational effort needed to perform a full scale LES. An assessment of the actual propagation of noise emission into the far-field is made by performing experimental investigations on the most promising modifications. The acoustic measurements are carried out in a fan test stand in the anechoic chamber of Duesseldorf University of Applied Sciences. The aerodynamic performance is measured in a fan test rig with an inlet chamber setup in accordance to ISO 5801. The measured acoustical and aerodynamic performances are validated by the industrial partner. The results of the acoustic measurements are in turn utilized to determine indicators of noise radiation in the numerical simulation. Within this work an innovative geometry modification is presented which can be implemented into shrouded fan configurations with backward-skewed blades. The new design exhibits a reduced SPL (A-weighted) of approx. 4 dB over the entire operating range while showing no significant deterioration on the aerodynamic performance. While the design was registered for patent approval cooperatively by the industrial partner and Duesseldorf University of Applied Sciences, further investigations regarding variations of design parameters are performed and presented in this paper. All numerical simulations are performed with ANSYS CFX, a commercial solver widely spread in the industry. Methods similar to those shown in this work can be implemented in the design phase of axial fans in order to develop acoustically optimized fan geometries.

LIFT PERFORMANCE OF A CAMBERED WING FOR AERODYNAMIC PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT OF THE FLAPPING WING

2015 ◽  
Vol 75 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Yusoff ◽  
N. Iswadi ◽  
A.H. Zulkifly ◽  
Sh. Mohd Firdaus ◽  
M.Z. Abdullah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Wind Tunnel Test ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Flapping Wing ◽  
Flapping Flight ◽  
Advance Ratio

Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicles (FW-MAVs) are small hand-held flying vehicles that can maneuver in constrained space owing to its lightweight, low aspect ratio and the ability to fly in low Reynolds number environment. In this study, the aerodynamic characteristics such as time-averaged lift of camber wings with different five wind tunnel test models with 6, 9, 12, and 15 percent camber were developed and the results were compared with time-averaged lift of a flat wing in order to assess the effects of camber wing on the aerodynamic performance for flapping flight applications. The experiments were performed in an open circuit wind tunnel with of non-return airflow with a test section of (0.3 x 0.3) m and capable of speeds from 0.5 to 30 m/s. The time-averaged lift as functions of advance ratio of the flapping motions with respect to the incoming flows are measured by using a strain gauge balance and KYOWA PCD-300A sensor interface data acquisition system. It is found that camber would bring significant aerodynamic benefits when the flapping flight is in unsteady state regime, with advance ratio less than 1.0. The aerodynamic benefits of camber are found to decay exponentially with the increasing advance ratio. Cambered wing shows significantly higher lift in comparison to the flat wing.

scholarly journals Optimization of aerodynamic performance for co-axial rotors with different rotor spacings

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 362-369
Author(s):  
Yao Lei ◽  
Yuxia Ji ◽  
Changwei Wang
Keyword(s):  
Power Consumption ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Separation Distance ◽  
Power Coefficient ◽  
Axial Thrust ◽  
Thrust Coefficient ◽  
Hover Performance ◽  
Power Loading ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Aerodynamic Interference

In this article, attempts are made to study the aerodynamic performance of co-axial rotors with different rotor spacings in hover. A custom-designed experimental platform with seven rotor spacings ( z/D = 0.16, 0.19, 0.23, 0.26, 0.29, 0.33 and 0.38) is applied to measure the hover performance, i.e. co-axial thrust and power consumption, and to optimize the aerodynamic configuration of the co-axial system. The experimental errors in thrust coefficient, power coefficient and power loading calculated through ‘Kline-McClintock equation’ are less than 2%. Additionally, the streamline distribution and pressure of blade tip at different rotor spacings obtained from numerical simulations are presented to visualize the effects of aerodynamic interference between the top and bottom rotor. Results show that the aerodynamic performance of a co-axial rotor with the specific rotor configure and speed range can be indeed improved by changing the rotor spacing, and the optimal performance is obtained with a rotor spacing of 0.19. Also, the magnitude of aerodynamic interference related to the axial separation distance has demonstrated to be beneficial on the total thrust and power consumption. For the same disc loading, a decrease in rotational speed results in an increase in power loading especially for z/D = 0.19. It is also found that the bottom rotor does affect the performance of the top rotor at smaller rotor spacings, whereas the effect is significantly reduced as the rotor spacing increases.

scholarly journals Aerodynamic Performance Characterization of Slotted Propeller: Part B Effect of Angle

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 155-170
Author(s):  
Aravind SEENI
Keyword(s):  
Rotational Speed ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Von Mises Stress ◽  
Power Coefficient ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Propeller Blade ◽  
Static Structure ◽  
Thrust Coefficient ◽  
Advance Ratio ◽  
Von Mises

In this paper, designs of slotted propeller blade were discussed numerically, in terms of aerodynamic performance and static structural analysis. Baseline APC Slow Flyer 10’ x 7’ small scale propeller blade was modified by including slots along the propeller blade. Numerical analysis has been done to determine the influence of slots angle towards thrust coefficient, power coefficient and efficiency. Simulations were performed by using ANSYS Fluent implementing k-ω turbulence model and Multiple Reference Frame to incorporate rotational speed of the propeller. The analyses were conducted at a fixed rotational speed, with variance of advance ratio. Initial slotted design is set at 180 degree and the angles were changed with 10-degree interval, ranging from 180 degree to 90 degree. The results were compared with available experimental data. For the slotted design, the result shows that inducing slots do not always lead to improvement in propeller blade performance. Improvement in thrust coefficient with the range of 0.267% to 2.71% can be seen for low advance ratio for most of slot angles. However, a significant increase in power coefficient can be observed which reduces the overall efficiency of the propeller blade. For stress and deformation, ANSYS Mechanical Static Structure was used to determine maximum Von-Mises stress, maximum Von-Mises strain, and total deformation. The analyses were conducted by using 60% long strand fiber glass reinforced nylon 6 Natural. The blade is more suitable to operate at higher velocity. At lower operational velocity, the blade tends to experience material failure as the stress exceeds stress at break.

scholarly journals Design And Investigation Of Flat–Upper–Surface Airfoil

2019 ◽  
Vol 304 ◽  
pp. 02004
Author(s):  
Cezary Galiński ◽  
Magdalena Gronowska ◽  
Wieńczysław Stalewski ◽  
Konrad Gumowski
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Photovoltaic Cells ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Altitude Effect ◽  
Geostationary Satellites ◽  
Small Uav ◽  
Long Endurance

Attempts to build solar High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) airplanes are more and more frequent. In the future such airplanes may appear very useful for the economy because they may replace geostationary satellites in several applications for a fraction of cost. Unfortunately, necessary data on altitude effect on photovoltaic cells and batteries performance are not easily available. Therefore, flying testbed for their inexpensive testing is needed. Flat–upper surface airfoil was designed for application in small UAV dedicated for photovoltaic cells investigation at various altitudes. It should enable installation of rigid cells on the top of the wing without significant reduction of aerodynamic performance. It should also decrease a risk of damage of flexible cells due to the significant bending of long aspect ratio, elastic wings. This paper contains description of the design methodology, design assumptions and obtained results. Moreover experiment undertaken to evaluate the design is described as well. The wind tunnel and a semi–span model used for this experiment are presented together with obtained results. The model has exactly the same structure as envisaged structure of UAV, so flexibility of the wing is taken into account.

Investigation of Aerodynamic Performance of Helical Shape Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine Models With Various Number of Blades Using Wind Tunnel Testing and Computational Fluid Dynamics

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mosfequr Rahman ◽  
Travis Salyers ◽  
Mahbub Ahmed ◽  
Adel ElShahat ◽  
Valentin Soloiu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Twist Angle ◽  
Average Power ◽  
Vertical Axis ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Power Coefficient ◽  
Wind Tunnel Testing ◽  
Vertical Axis Wind Turbine ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Tunnel Testing

The demand for wind energy as a renewable source is rising substantially. A growing interest exists in utilizing potential energy conversion applications in areas with less powerful and less consistent wind conditions. In these areas, vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) possess several advantages over the conventional horizontal-axis type. Savonius turbines are drag-based rotors which operate due to a pressure difference between the advancing and retreating blades. These turbines are simpler in design, less expensive to install, independent of wind direction, and more efficient at low wind speeds. In the present study, rotors were designed with semi-circle blades consisting of a helical shape with twist angle of 90 degrees. Helical designs spread the torque applied to the rotor over a complete revolution with the purpose of increasing efficiency. Three models were analyzed with different number of blades including 2, 3, and 4 blade models. Models for testing were designed using the CAD software SolidWorks. The blades were then 3D printed with PLA plastic. A consistent swept area was maintained for each model, and only blade number was varied. Subsonic, open-type wind tunnel testing was used for measuring RPM and reactional torque over a range of wind speeds. For the numerical approach, ANSYS Fluent simulations were used for analyzing aerodynamic performance by utilizing moving reference frame and sliding mesh model techniques. Due to the helical twist, the cross-section of the blades varied in the Y-direction. Because of this, a 3-dimensional and transient method was used for accurately solving torque and power coefficients. It has been found that the highest average power coefficient observed in the study is achieved by the Helical2 model (2-bladed helical design VAWT model), both numerically and experimentally.

Aerodynamic performance of a small-scale tilt rotor: Numerical simulation and experiment in steady state

2020 ◽  
pp. 095440622095035
Author(s):  
Haitao Yang ◽  
Wei Xia ◽  
Kun Wang ◽  
Shuling Hu
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Tilt Angle ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Thrust Coefficient ◽  
Wind Tunnel Tests ◽  
Advance Ratio

The present work studies the aerodynamic performance of a small-scale rotor in tilting transition states through wind tunnel tests and numerical simulations. Firstly, the test platform for the rotor aerodynamics is built up, and the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model of flow field around the rotors is established based on the multiple reference frame method. Secondly, the effects of flow velocity, tilt angle and advance ratio on the aerodynamic performance of the rotor are investigated using both the numerical simulation and the wind tunnel test. It is found that for the Model 8038 rotor with maximum effeciency of 0.567 at advance ratio of 0.43, the rotor thrust coefficient increases with the increase of the Reynolds number. At Reynolds number of 410 thousand to 820 thousand, the thrust coefficient increases slightly with the increase of the rotating speed. The results also show that the thrust coefficient decreases with the increase of the advance ratio. With high-speed airflow and relatively low-speed rotation, “windmill” phenomenon is found in the experiment. The tilting of the rotor from level flight to hovering increases the thrust coefficient. Highly dependency of the tilt angle on the thrust coefficients at given advance ratios is found in the wind tunnel tests.

Aerodynamic Performance Evaluation of a Novel Savonius-Style Wind Turbine Under an Oriented Jet

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sukanta Roy ◽  
Prasenjit Mukherjee ◽  
Ujjwal K. Saha
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Vertical Axis ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Power Coefficient ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Energy Applications

The Savonius-style wind turbine, a class of vertical axis wind turbines, can be a viable option for small scale off-grid electricity generation in the context of renewable energy applications. A better self-starting capability at low wind speeds is one of the major advantages of this turbine. However, as reported in open literature, the power coefficient of the conventional design is found to be inferior as compared to its counterparts. In this regard, a new blade design has been developed. In the present investigation, the aerodynamic performance of this newly designed turbine is assessed under an oriented jet. This is affected by installing deflectors upstream of the turbine blades. The intention of this study is to maximize the utilization of wind energy at the exhaust systems of several practical applications. Experiments are carried out in a low speed wind tunnel at a wind speed of 6.2 m/s. The gradual loads applied to the turbine, and the corresponding rotational speeds are recorded. Power and torque coefficients are calculated at various mechanical loads. Further, all the estimated data are corrected by a suitable correction factor to account for the wind tunnel blockage effects. The results obtained are compared with the experimental data of modified Bach and conventional designs. The results have shown a significant improvement in the performance of newly designed Savonius-style wind turbine under the concentrated and oriented jet.

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