CFD Analysis of Quad-Copter Propeller by Changing the Geometry, Number of Blades, and Materials

Abstract

It is an undeniable fact that the importance of drones has increased in every aspect of daily life, such as defense, military, agriculture, film shooting, disaster management, and many more. The good design of a propeller plays a crucial part in the efficiency, vibration, and stability of a drone in mid-air. With advancements in design and manufacturing technologies, it is much easier to manufacture complex designs. One such complex design in a drone is its propeller blade. The main objective of this paper is to analyze thrust forces, pressure distribution, viscous coefficient, and pressure coefficient by considering various airfoil shapes for the blades, in addition to changing the number of blades. Additionally, the material used for the blade is changed. CATIA V5 Modeling Software is used for creating geometric models of the drone propeller. Ansys Fluent is used for CFD analysis of the drone propeller in Ansys 19.2 software version. Aluminum and carbon fiber materials are used. Finally, after performing CFD analysis, aluminum material has obtained more thrust force than carbon fiber material. Irrespective of the material used, the maximum pressure obtained is less than their material strength.