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a long time to analyze, draw, fabricate and test. Nowadays, due 10 rapid advances in the
development of computer technologies, most engineers are using computer programs to
assist in the design ofpropellers, instead of using traditional methods. After designing a
propeller in a computer, rapid prototyping technologies provide a very efficient way to
fabricate a prototype propeller. The material that can be used in the rapid prototyping
technologies is not perfect for the actual propeller, however, using rapid prototyping
machines, prototype propellers can be produced quickly facilitating early testing. If the
results show the propeller is not perfonl1ing as desired, the propeller can be redesigned,
reproduced and retested. Saving time is the main advantage of the rapid prototyping
technologies.
The general processes ofpropeller design and fabrication is to first input the propeller
parameters, generate a preliminary geometry and then to run a computer program to do
analysis. If the analysis results show that the propeller is suitable then the propeller
geometry outputs will be used for propeller fabrication and testing; if results show the
propeller is not desired, engineers will change propeller parameters to redesign it. Figure
I shows a now chart ofthe proposed method ofdesign and propeller fabrication thai will
be described in this thesis.