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A. Acharya
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Propeller Blade Design inside Boundary Layer
Inverse Design of Boundary-Layer-Ingesting Propulsors
A coupled aerodynamic framework is developed that combines an axisymmetric potential-flow solver around a body of revolution with an integral boundary-layer model and an actuator-disk representation of the propulsor. The actuator disk is prescribed through a radial pressure jump, and a slipstream correction model is used to obtain a consistent combined velocity field inside and outside the wake. Loss-related behaviour is quantified using power-flux measures evaluated at freestream, upstream, and downstream stations, together with wake non-uniformity indicators and mixing-loss metrics based on radial shear in the developed slipstream.
Three families of radial loading are studied at equal thrust: a uniform pressure-jump baseline, a stepwise (multi-disk) redistribution, and an approximately elliptical. Results show that redistributing loading toward the ingested boundary-layer region can reduce downstream power-flux deficits and weaken radial velocity gradients, indicating reduced mixing losses compared with the uniform baseline. The analysis highlights a trade-off between concentrating thrust in low-momentum inflow and maintaining a smooth slipstream profile to minimise shear-driven dissipation.
Finally, an inverse blade-design procedure is presented to convert the prescribed actuator-disk loading into chord and twist distributions using a drag-aware blade-element–momentum formulation with airfoil polar data. The resulting geometries provide blade-level interpretations of the disk-level loading strategies and demonstrate how BLI-driven loading redistributions lead to propeller designs that differ substantially from conventional uniform-inflow propellers.
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Three families of radial loading are studied at equal thrust: a uniform pressure-jump baseline, a stepwise (multi-disk) redistribution, and an approximately elliptical. Results show that redistributing loading toward the ingested boundary-layer region can reduce downstream power-flux deficits and weaken radial velocity gradients, indicating reduced mixing losses compared with the uniform baseline. The analysis highlights a trade-off between concentrating thrust in low-momentum inflow and maintaining a smooth slipstream profile to minimise shear-driven dissipation.
Finally, an inverse blade-design procedure is presented to convert the prescribed actuator-disk loading into chord and twist distributions using a drag-aware blade-element–momentum formulation with airfoil polar data. The resulting geometries provide blade-level interpretations of the disk-level loading strategies and demonstrate how BLI-driven loading redistributions lead to propeller designs that differ substantially from conventional uniform-inflow propellers.
...
A coupled aerodynamic framework is developed that combines an axisymmetric potential-flow solver around a body of revolution with an integral boundary-layer model and an actuator-disk representation of the propulsor. The actuator disk is prescribed through a radial pressure jump, and a slipstream correction model is used to obtain a consistent combined velocity field inside and outside the wake. Loss-related behaviour is quantified using power-flux measures evaluated at freestream, upstream, and downstream stations, together with wake non-uniformity indicators and mixing-loss metrics based on radial shear in the developed slipstream.
Three families of radial loading are studied at equal thrust: a uniform pressure-jump baseline, a stepwise (multi-disk) redistribution, and an approximately elliptical. Results show that redistributing loading toward the ingested boundary-layer region can reduce downstream power-flux deficits and weaken radial velocity gradients, indicating reduced mixing losses compared with the uniform baseline. The analysis highlights a trade-off between concentrating thrust in low-momentum inflow and maintaining a smooth slipstream profile to minimise shear-driven dissipation.
Finally, an inverse blade-design procedure is presented to convert the prescribed actuator-disk loading into chord and twist distributions using a drag-aware blade-element–momentum formulation with airfoil polar data. The resulting geometries provide blade-level interpretations of the disk-level loading strategies and demonstrate how BLI-driven loading redistributions lead to propeller designs that differ substantially from conventional uniform-inflow propellers.
Three families of radial loading are studied at equal thrust: a uniform pressure-jump baseline, a stepwise (multi-disk) redistribution, and an approximately elliptical. Results show that redistributing loading toward the ingested boundary-layer region can reduce downstream power-flux deficits and weaken radial velocity gradients, indicating reduced mixing losses compared with the uniform baseline. The analysis highlights a trade-off between concentrating thrust in low-momentum inflow and maintaining a smooth slipstream profile to minimise shear-driven dissipation.
Finally, an inverse blade-design procedure is presented to convert the prescribed actuator-disk loading into chord and twist distributions using a drag-aware blade-element–momentum formulation with airfoil polar data. The resulting geometries provide blade-level interpretations of the disk-level loading strategies and demonstrate how BLI-driven loading redistributions lead to propeller designs that differ substantially from conventional uniform-inflow propellers.
Bachelor thesis
(2023)
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A. Acharya, L.F.L. Bruninx, A.E. Lang, O.P.R. Schreurs, J.P. Tillie, T.D. Bejan, D. Gorovojs, M.M. Resink, S.J. Stenger, I. Vardanikas, J.A. Melkert
The use of plasma actuators for active flow control presents an interesting option for the design of an aircraft. Plasma-actuated systems boast the opportunities of having facilitated maintenance, increased operational efficiency, and a decreased noise profile, with minimal impact on general performance. Yet, due to the novelty of the technology, the exact implementation of a 100% plasma-controlled drone is yet to be done. Group 16 was tasked with designing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which omits conventional mechanically-actuated control surfaces, and instead uses plasma actuators. This report explores the various technical and non-technical design facets of the Plasma-actuated Unmanned Light Surveillance and Eco-friendly Drone (PULSE Drone). Due to the inherent novelty in the design stages, this paper aims to explain the current PULSE Drone design and its approach such that it becomes a benchmark for future development. From the depth of explanations, this paper becomes a relevant source for future projects aiming to incorporate plasma actuators.
...
The use of plasma actuators for active flow control presents an interesting option for the design of an aircraft. Plasma-actuated systems boast the opportunities of having facilitated maintenance, increased operational efficiency, and a decreased noise profile, with minimal impact on general performance. Yet, due to the novelty of the technology, the exact implementation of a 100% plasma-controlled drone is yet to be done. Group 16 was tasked with designing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which omits conventional mechanically-actuated control surfaces, and instead uses plasma actuators. This report explores the various technical and non-technical design facets of the Plasma-actuated Unmanned Light Surveillance and Eco-friendly Drone (PULSE Drone). Due to the inherent novelty in the design stages, this paper aims to explain the current PULSE Drone design and its approach such that it becomes a benchmark for future development. From the depth of explanations, this paper becomes a relevant source for future projects aiming to incorporate plasma actuators.