Flow Around Propeller and Thrust Characteristics in Low Reynolds Number Field

In order to investigate the flow separation, stall, and etc. around the propeller, direct measurement of pressure distribution on rotating propeller blade was carried out. By referring this pressure distribution, it is able to design the optimized geometry of propeller and to know the suitable state of operation. The propeller rotation system inside a wind tunnel was made, and aerodynamic characteristics of propeller based upon the pressure distributions by direct measurement were studied. The relations between propeller efficiency, thrust coefficient, and torque coefficient were obtained for several propeller types.