Aerodynamics and Design for Ultra-Low Reynolds Number Flight

Power Req. (W)
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
500 1000 1500
RPM
2000 2500
Chapter 6
FIGURE 6.12 Experimental and predicted power required for the two-blade ten inch rotor.
6.4.2 Four-Blade 2.5cm Diameter Rotor
The agreement in both thrust and power required for the largest and slowest rotating of
the rotor designs provides confidence in the method and allows exploration of the
performance of the smaller design test cases. The four-blade 2.5cm rotor is the most
thoroughly investigated design. It has been evaluated with the rapid analysis method,
OVERFLOW-D analyses at three rotational speeds, and experimental testing of both
thrust and power required. Several distinct versions of the rotor have been tested
including the small hub epoxy rotor, the large hub epoxy rotor, and a large hub aluminum
rotor. The experimental and predicted thrust performance for this rotor design is
presented in Figure 6.13. The experimental data has been adjusted for blockage as
described previously.
Sample 1
Sample 2
Low-order Method
107