Numerical investigation of aerodynamically efficient wing tip-mounted propeller configuration using coupled RANS–BEM approach
Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology
ISSN: 0002-2667
Article publication date: 20 February 2023
Issue publication date: 2 May 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Recent interest in electric aircraft has opened avenues for exploring innovative concepts and designs. Because of its potential to increase wing aerodynamic efficiency, the idea of wing tip-mounted propellers is becoming more popular in the context of electric aircraft. This paper aims to address the question of which configuration, tractor or pusher at wing tip is more beneficial.
Design/methodology/approach
The interactions between the wing and tip-mounted propellers in tractor and pusher configurations have been studied computationally. In this study, the propeller is modeled as a disk, and the blade element method (BEM) coupled with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD)–Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) solver is used to calculate propeller blade loading recursively. A direct comparison between the wing with tip-mounted propellers in tractor and pusher configurations is made by varying the direction of rotation and thrust.
Findings
Wing with tip-mounted propellers having inboard-up rotation is found to offer less drag in tractor and pusher configurations than those without propeller cases. Wing tip-mounted propeller in tractor configuration with inboard-up rotation offers higher wing aerodynamic efficiency than the other configurations. In tractor and pusher configurations with inboard-up rotating propellers, wing tip vortex attenuation is seen, whereas with outboard-up rotating propellers, the wing tip vortex amplification is observed.
Originality/value
SU2, an open-source CFD tool, is used in this study and BEM is coupled to perform RANS–BEM simulations. Both qualitative and quantitative comparisons were made between the tractor and pusher configurations, which may find its value when a question arises about the aerodynamically best propeller configuration at wing tips.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The first author is grateful to CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL), Bangalore, for the computational facilities and AcSIR for providing a platform to work at CSIR-NAL. Thanks are due to Dr V Ramesh, Dr Venkat Iyengar of CSIR-NAL and Prof Joseph Mathew of IISc for their suggestions. Authors further thank the SU2 foundation and SU2 community for developing the SU2 code and making it open-source.
Funding: The first author is financially supported by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India under CSIR-GATE-JRF scheme.
Citation
Chandukrishna, Y. and Venkatesh, T.N. (2023), "Numerical investigation of aerodynamically efficient wing tip-mounted propeller configuration using coupled RANS–BEM approach", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 95 No. 6, pp. 995-1001. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-09-2022-0254
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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