I needed to create a propeller for an engineering group as part of a project where we were creating a small remote controlled motorboat. The big challenge we were trying to address was the most efficient design for the power output of a propellor.
The start of my process was to do research online on propeller design. I read through articles and papers outlining the various changes that could be made in a propellers design and how they affected it’s performance. After developing an initial design, I used CFD, a simulation of fluid dynamics, to see how effective the propeller design was.
This is an image of the initial design for the propeller I made after some preliminary research
This image outlines feedback I was given on the initial design. Adding a conical nose cone to the design would create a more efficient flow pattern on the trailing edge of the propeller.
After the initial feedback, I iterated upon the design to include a nose cone which would minimize vortexes on the trailing edge.
A second round of feedback & research found that creating a tapered design for the blades of the propeller would increase efficiency
Annotations on the CAD model for how a bladed wing could be implemented
After the additional research and feedback, I altered the model to have wing tip shaped blades
The first prototype of our design
Computational fluid dynamics testing on an alternative design for the propellor