Design and manufacture of propellers for small unmanned aerial vehicles

Abstract

The objective of this research was to develop a process for the design and manufacture of mission- and aircraft-specific propellers for small unmanned aerial vehicles. This objective was met by creating a computer program to design a propeller that meets user-defined aircraft performance requirements within the limitations of the electric motor, user-selected materials, and manufacturing methods. A comprehensive review of prior UAV propeller design and additive manufacturing for small propellers is also presented in this paper. The use of additive manufacturing (3D printing) in making flightworthy propellers was explored through material testing, manufacturing trials, and by testing the propellers under simulated flight conditions in a wind tunnel. It was found that the propeller performance generated nearly the predicted design thrust but the efficiency and power consumption could not be accurately measured with the present test setup. While flight testing was not completed at this time, ground and wind tunnel testing were sufficient to demonstrate the feasibility of producing flightworthy propellers using additive manufacturing.