A Self-Deployable and Stiffenable Propeller Blade Structure
Abstract
The performance characteristics of a propeller such as efficiency and thrust improve withincrease in propeller diameter as a larger volume of air is accelerated. The propeller diameter ishowever constrained by size restrictions such as landing gear height or launching systemdimensions. For instance, small turbofan engines currently have a bypass ration close to unity,which limits the efficiency and hence the range of aircrafts.Propeller blades that can be packaged and fit inside a small diameter, and deploy to a larger,operational diameter in air will expand the capabilities of aircrafts that are highly beneficial tonaval missions. The structural design of deployable propeller blades poses unique and conflictingchallenges: (1) the blade structure needs to be compliant to be packaged efficiently to smallvolumes, and (2) the blade structure needs to be stiff to carry mechanical loads. Theserequirements need to be met while maintaining the aerodynamic shape of the blade and ensuringthe deployment completes in a short time.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 08, 2020
- Source ID
- N000142012437
Entities
People
- Kawai Kwok
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Central Florida Board of Trustees