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propeller geometry has to be entered by hand into CAD software, which is troublesome
when the designer has many priorities.
PVL code, was created by Professor J. Kerwin at MIT in 2001 using Fortran
programming (17]. It was translated into MATLAB as an open source MPVL eode
released by Hsin-Lung in May 2007. MPVL code was based on lifting line method, and
its optimization algorithm was based on Lerb's eriteria [18]. MPVL code, working with
the high-level technical computing language MATLAB, can be easily modi lied by users
according to their specific needs; propeller designers are able 10 conduct both propeller
analysis and single propeller design functions ofthe program. Compared with Hofmann's
propeller design programs, MPVL code has the advantages of integrating design and
analysis programming. However, there is no way to connect the propeller design program
directly with CAD software, which means that even by using this code, users have to
create the propeller geometry in the CAD software by hand.
In September 2007, D'Epagnier [II] modified the MPVL code 10 create a new program
called OpeI1PVL. It operated using an evolved MPVL code while expanding upon
MPVL's applications, and had been modified to creale scripting for 3D printable files
using a CAD interface to the commercial CAD software "RHINO". Opel11 l VL made up
for the disadvantages ofMPVL by connecting the program to CAD software. In
OpcnPVL. propcller blade geometry can be generated and imported into RHINO, and
then saved. Once in RHI 0, various CAD manipulations are possible, including the
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