An Analysis On The Effect Of Changing Propeller Diameter And Pitch On The Propulsive Efficiency
by Sosuke Kojima
Category: STEM
Abstract – This research answers the question “What is the effect of changing the propeller diameter and pitch of a GF model propeller on its propulsive efficiency under static thrust?”. To measure the efficiency, each propeller with diameters ranging from 6 to 10 inches as well as pitch ranging from 3 to 7 inches were connected to a 12-volt motor, measuring its thrust when 5 volts were applied. The propulsive efficiency was then calculated using collected values of thrust, torque, as well as the calculated value of the propeller disc area. The data collected was analyzed using Excel’s graphing tool, alongside accepted literature values. Through the analysis, it was concluded that increasing the propeller diameter and pitch increases its propulsive efficiency in a logarithmic way, however further research into this topic is required to test larger ranges of propeller pitch and diameter.