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Old 02-10-2012 | 01:32 PM
  #29  
pe reivers
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From: Arcen, , NETHERLANDS
Default RE: Propeller Thrust Estimator

Umran,
I updated my previous post where I stated thrusts @V0
I have been playing around with your spreadsheet. Some items however are not quite clear yet.
Please consider:
Pitch:
do you mean true pitch, measured from the neutral line? Or Tangent pitch.
Do you compensate for propeller airfoil camber? (zero lift angle Alpha-0) some data:
  Clark-YMOD (15%) Alpha0=-2.4°
  NACA3415 Alpha0=-3° (thicker foil for wood propellers)
  Aquila Alpha0=-3.2° (foil much like used in rev-up propellers)
If you add up the zero-lift angle to the true pitch angle, true pitch needs a large correction of up to 20%. This may be even 30% higher than the pitch dedicated on the propeller, which is foil/tangent pitch. That is why some makes have rediculously high prop factors. (Graupner?)

In flight rpm:
Standard procedure is to add 1000 rpm at top speed (thumb rule, debatable) With electric motors, this means less drive power. With Gas engines the power gained/lost depends on muffler system tuning rpm Vs power graph. Top speed however is calculated using the 1000 rpm+ rule. In your calculator there is room to integrate this IMHO.

In my thumb rule calculator I accounted for these items (along with blade shape as manufactured) using the propeller constant. Can you integrate that in your calculations? That would be good!

So far, using the above mentioned arguments, I found insufficient differences to change anything.

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