Wind tunnel investigation of the propellers for unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The aerodynamic properties of propellers strictly depend on their geometry. Pitch is one of the key parameters defining propeller performance. This paper presents the results of a wind-tunnel investigation of the propellers for the unmanned aerial vehicle. In this paper, the performance of a set of 12-inch propellers with different pitch values for different values of air velocity was analyzed. The tests were performed on a specially designed test stand placed in a wind tunnel test chamber. The test stand enabled adjustment of the air velocity as well as the propeller rotational speed. An adequately selected set of sensors allowed to record the defined parameters. Obtained results allowed to evaluate the performance of the considered propellers with different pitch values in forced airflow conditions.