Numerical and Experimental Analysis of a Composite Root End Assembly Configuration

The paper proposes a numerical structural analysis of a composite root end assembly used in a propulsion system. For the structural response of the propeller, there is an abundance of relevant information compared to the studies on the hub. Therefore, the novelty of the study resides in the structural response analysis of the hub under operational loads. A finite element model of a propeller hub is created and the contact problem in the composite hub-propeller root assembly is also tackled in order to determine the stress distribution via finite element model analysis. The numerical results are experimentally validated and a data comparison is presented.