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Numerical Investigation of Wing–Multiple Propeller Aerodynamic Interaction Using Actuator Disk Method

International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences (2022)Cite this article

A Correction to this article was published on 14 June 2022

This article has been updated

Abstract

This study examines the aerodynamic performances of a wing and multiple propellers through a parametric analysis of wing–propeller interactions. A flow analysis was conducted via simulations based on actuator disk method. The parameters analyzed included the number of propellers, rotating direction, and propeller interval. An increment in the number of propellers increased the wing lift and drag, in addition to the propeller thrust and power. Although the lift-to-drag ratio decreased, the ratio of the wing lift to the propeller power increased. The lift and lift-to-drag ratio of the co-rotating systems were larger than those of the counter rotating systems; however, the lift-to-drag ratio of the latter exceeded that of the former when the number of propellers was seven. An increment in the required thrust increased the lift-to-drag ratio of the counter rotating system in comparison with that of the co-rotating system. Configuration with propellers concentrated at the wing tip increased the lift and drag. However, when the tip propeller was fixed at the wing tip, with the other propellers concentrated in the vicinity of the wing center, the lift increased more, while the drag decreased.

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Change history

Abbreviations

\(A\) :

Area

\({A}_{\rm BET}\) :

Area in BET

\({A}_{\rm CFD}\) :

Area in CFD

\(b\) :

Semi-span

\({C}_{D}\) :

3D drag coefficient

\({C}_{L}\) :

3D lift coefficient

\({C}_{P}\) :

Pressure coefficient

\({C}_{T}\) :

Thrust coefficient

\({C}_{d}\) :

2D drag coefficient

\({C}_{l}\) :

2D lift coefficient

\(c\) :

Chord length

\(D\) :

Drag

\({D}_{\rm tip}\) :

Tip propeller diameter

\({{\varvec{F}}}_{\rm BET}\) :

Force in BET

\({{\varvec{F}}}_{\rm CFD}\) :

Force in CFD

\({F}_{n}\) :

Normal force

\({F}_{t}\) :

Tangential force

\({\varvec{F}}, {\varvec{G}}, {\varvec{H}}\) :

Inviscid flux terms

\({{\varvec{F}}}_{v}, {{\varvec{G}}}_{v}, {{\varvec{H}}}_{v}\) :

Viscous flux terms

\(J\) :

Propeller advance ratio

\(L\) :

Lift

\(L/D\) :

Lift-to-drag ratio

\(L/P\) :

Overall efficiency ratio

\({M}_{\rm tip}\) :

Tip Mach number

\({N}_{b}\) :

Number of blades

\(P\) :

Power

\({\varvec{Q}}\) :

Conservative variables

\(R\) :

Propeller radius

\(r\) :

Radius of a point

\({\varvec{s}}\) :

Source term

\(T\) :

Thrust

\(T/P\) :

Power loading

\(U\) :

Velocity in BET

\({\varvec{V}}\) :

Velocity

\({V}_{\rm slipstream}\) :

Slipstream velocity

\({V}_{\infty }\) :

Freestream velocity

\(\alpha \) :

Angle of attack

\(\theta \) :

Pitch angle

\(\rho \) :

Density

\(\varnothing \) :

Induced angle

\(\psi \) :

Azimuth angle of a point

\({\omega }_{x}\) :

\(x\)-Vorticity component

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rotor Design Team, Korea Aerospace Industries, LTD., Sacheon, 52529, Republic of Korea

    Youngrock Seo

  2. Department of Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea

    Yoonpyo Hong

  3. Department of Aerospace Engineering, Institute of Advanced Aerospace Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea

    Kwanjung Yee

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Correspondence to Kwanjung Yee.

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The original online version of this article was revised: During the correction process figs. 9 and 11 have been given erroneously.

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Seo, Y., Hong, Y. & Yee, K. Numerical Investigation of Wing–Multiple Propeller Aerodynamic Interaction Using Actuator Disk Method. Int. J. Aeronaut. Space Sci. (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42405-022-00446-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42405-022-00446-7

Keywords

  • Distributed electric propulsion
  • Urban air mobility
  • Wing–propeller interaction
  • Actuator disk method
  • Parametric study
  • Aerodynamic performance