Improvement of Take-Off Performance for an Electric Commuter Aircraft Due to Distributed Electric Propulsion
TL;DR: In this article , a full-electric commuter aircraft with fuel cells was designed from scratch, and therefore a great effort was spent to design both propellers (for the tip and distributed electric motors) and the wing flap.
Abstract: The need for environmentally responsible solutions in aircraft technology is now considered the priority for global challenges related to the limited supply of traditional fuel sources and the potential global hazards associated with emissions produced by traditional aircraft propulsion systems. Several projects, including research into highly advanced subsonic aircraft concepts to drastically reduce energy or fuel usage, community noise, and emissions associated with aviation, are currently ongoing. One of the proposed propulsion concepts that address European environmental goals is distributed electric propulsion. This paper deals with the detailed aerodynamic analyses of a full-electric commuter aircraft with fuel cells, which expects two primary electric motors at the wing tip and eight other electric motors distributed along the wingspan as secondary power sources. The main objective was the numerical estimation of propulsive effects in terms of lift capabilities at take-off conditions to quantify the possible reduction of take-off field length. However, the aircraft was designed from scratch, and therefore a great effort was spent to design both propellers (for the tip and distributed electric motors) and the wing flap. In this respect, several numerical tests were performed to obtain one of the best possible flap positions. This research work estimated a reduction of about 14% of the take-off field length due to only the propulsive effects. A greater reduction of up to 27%, if compared to a reference conventional commuter aircraft, could be achieved thanks to a combined effect of distributed propulsion and a refined design of the Fowler flap. On the contrary, a significant increment of pitching moment was found due to distributed propulsion that may have a non-negligible impact on the aircraft stability, control, and trim drag.
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TL;DR: In this article, an approximate solution for the irrotational motion of a screw surface in an inviscid fluid was given by Prandtl, which is the main object of this work to find the exact solution.
Abstract: The vortex-theory of screw propellers develops along similar lines to aerofoil theory. There is circulation of flow round each blade; this circulation vanishes at the tip and the root. The blade may be replaced by a bound vortex system, which, for the sake of simplicity, may be taken, as a first approximation, to be a bound vortex line. The strength of the vortex at any point is equal to Γ, the circulation round the corresponding blade section. From every point of this bound vortex spring free, trailing vortices, whose strength per unit length is —∂Γ/∂ r , where r is distance from the axis of the screw. When the interference flow of this vortex system is small compared with the velocity of the blades, the trailing vortices are approximately helices, and together build a helical or screw surface. Part of the work supplied by the motor is lost in producing the trailing vortex system. When the distribution of Γ along the blade is such that, for a given thrust, the energy so lost per unit time is a minimum, then the flow far behind the screw is the same as if the screw surface formed by the trailing vortices was rigid, and moved backwards in the direction of its axis with a constant velocity, the flow being that of classical hydro dynamics in an inviscid fluid, continuous, irrotational, and without circulation. The circulation round any blade section is then equal to the discontinuity in the velocity potential at the corresponding point of the screw surface. Further, for symmetrical screws, the interference flow at the blade is half that at the corresponding point of the screw surface far behind the propeller. An approximate solution for the irrotational motion of a screw surface in an inviscid fluid was given by Prandtl. The accuracy of the approximation increases with the number of blades and with the ratio of the tip speed to the velocity of advance, but for given values of these numbers we have no means of estimating the error, since the exact solution of the problem has not yet been found. It is the main object of this work to find the exact solution.
518 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, an iterative scheme is introduced for accurate calculation of the vortex displacement velocity and the flow angle distribution, and the exactness of this agreement makes possible an empirical verification of the Betz condition that a constant displacement velocity across the wake provides a design of maximum propeller efficiency.
Abstract: Improvements have been made in the equations and computational procedures for design of propellers and wind turbines of maximum efficiency. These eliminate the small angle approximation and some of the light loading approximations prevalent in the classical design theory. An iterative scheme is introduced for accurate calculation of the vortex displacement velocity and the flow angle distribution. Momentum losses due to radial flow can be estimated by either the Prandtl or Goldstein momentum loss function. The methods presented here bring into exact agreement the procedure for design and analysis. Furthermore, the exactness of this agreement makes possible an empirical verification of the Betz condition that a constant-displacement velocity across the wake provides a design of maximum propeller efficiency. A comparison with experimental results is also presented.
179 citations
12 Jul 2018
TL;DR: The emergence of distributed electric propulsion (DEP) concepts for aircraft systems has enabled new capabilities in the overall efficiency, capabilities, and robustness of future air vehicles and provides flexible operational capabilities far beyond those of current systems.
Abstract: The emergence of distributed electric propulsion (DEP) concepts for aircraft systems has enabled new capabilities in the overall efficiency, capabilities, and robustness of future air vehicles Distributed electric propulsion systems feature the novel approach of utilizing electrically-driven propulsors which are only connected electrically to energy sources or power-generating devices As a result, propulsors can be placed, sized, and operated with greater flexibility to leverage the synergistic benefits of aero-propulsive coupling and provide improved performance over more traditional designs A number of conventional aircraft concepts that utilize distributed electric propulsion have been developed, along with various short and vertical takeoff and landing platforms Careful integration of electrically-driven propulsors for boundary-layer ingestion can allow for improved propulsive efficiency and wake-filling benefits The placement and configuration of propulsors can also be used to mitigate the trailing vortex system of a lifting surface or leverage increases in dynamic pressure across blown surfaces for increased lift performance Additionally, the thrust stream of distributed electric propulsors can be utilized to enable new capabilities in vehicle control, including reducing requirements for traditional control surfaces and increasing tolerance of the vehicle control system to engine-out or propulsor-out scenarios If one or more turboelectric generators and multiple electric fans are used, the increased effective bypass ratio of the whole propulsion system can also enable lower community noise during takeoff and landing segments of flight and higher propulsive efficiency at all conditions Furthermore, the small propulsors of a DEP system can be installed to leverage an acoustic shielding effect by the airframe, which can further reduce noise signatures The rapid growth in flight-weight electrical systems and power architectures has provided new enabling technologies for future DEP concepts, which provide flexible operational capabilities far beyond those of current systems While a number of integration challenges exist, DEP is a disruptive concept that can lead to unprecedented improvements in future aircraft designs
170 citations
16 Jun 2014
TL;DR: In this paper, a blown wing is realized through the placement of a number of electric motors driving individual tractor propellers spaced along each wing, which increases the maximum lift coefficient by providing substantially increased dynamic pressure across the wing at low speeds.
Abstract: One promising application of recent advances in electric aircraft propulsion technologies is a blown wing realized through the placement of a number of electric motors driving individual tractor propellers spaced along each wing. This configuration increases the maximum lift coefficient by providing substantially increased dynamic pressure across the wing at low speeds. This allows for a wing sized near the ideal area for maximum range at cruise conditions, imparting the cruise drag and ride quality benefits of this smaller wing size without decreasing takeoff and landing performance. A reference four-seat general aviation aircraft was chosen as an exemplary application case. Idealized momentum theory relations were derived to investigate tradeoffs in various design variables. Navier-Stokes aeropropulsive simulations were performed with various wing and propeller configurations at takeoff and landing conditions to provide insight into the effect of different wing and propeller designs on the realizable effective maximum lift coefficient. Similar analyses were performed at the cruise condition to ensure that drag targets are attainable. Results indicate that this configuration shows great promise to drastically improve the efficiency of small aircraft.
163 citations
TL;DR: The theory and design of propellers of minimum induced loss is treated in this paper, and the inverse problem, the prediction of the performance of a given propeller of arbitrary form, is also treated.
Abstract: The theory and the design of propellers of minimum induced loss is treated. The pioneer analysis of this problem was presented more than half a century ago by Theodorsen, but obscurities in his treatment and inaccuracies and limited coverage in his tables of the Goldstein circulation function for helicoidal vortex sheets have not been remedied until the present work which clarifies and extends his work. The inverse problem, the prediction of the performance of a given propeller of arbitrary form, is also treated. The theory of propellers of minimum energy loss is dependent on considerations of a regular helicoidal trailing vortex sheet; consequently, a more detailed discussion of the dynamics of vortex sheets and the consequences of their instability and roll up is presented than is usually found in treatments of propeller aerodynamics. Complete and accurate tables of the circulation function are presented. Interference effects between a fuselage or a nacelle and the propeller are considered. The regimes of propeller, vortex ring, and windmill operation are characterized.
142 citations