Investigation of Propeller Performance Using QBlade: A Benchmark Study
2nd International Conference on Aeronautical Sciences, Engineering and Technology, ICASET 2025, Muscat, Umman, 4 - 06 Kasım 2025, ss.157-166, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
- Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Tam Metin Bildiri
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/978-981-95-5907-7_14
- Basıldığı Şehir: Muscat
- Basıldığı Ülke: Umman
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.157-166
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Blade element momentum, CFD, Propeller analysis, QBlade
- Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This study investigates the aerodynamic performance of fixed-pitch propellers using QBlade, an open-source simulation tool based on Blade Element Momentum (BEM) theory. Four commercial APC propellers—6 × 4, 6 × 5, 8 × 4, and 8 × 5—are analyzed across a range of advance ratios. The study aims to evaluate QBlade’s effectiveness in estimating performance parameters such as thrust coefficient, power coefficient, and propeller efficiency. Experimental data from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) propeller database are used for validation. Results show that QBlade can effectively predict performance trends, with reasonable agreement observed between numerical and experimental values. The effect of propeller diameter and pitch on aerodynamic performance is discussed thoroughly.