A propeller design method considering slipstream effect and its application

Propellers are widely used in distributed electric propulsion aircraft, where a significant propeller-wing aerodynamic coupling effect exists. By changing the axial induced velocity distribution to control the propeller slipstream, the propeller chord length and torsion angle distributions were obtained. An efficient propeller design method considering the slipstream effect was proposed, and the feasibility of the method was verified. The cruise and hover aerodynamic characteristics of the designed propellers in isolated and distributed configurations were calculated and compared with the minimum induced loss method. The results show that, for the same cruising lift coefficient, the efficiency of the designed propeller is 3.4%–6.6% higher than that of the minimum induced loss method. The hovering efficiency of a single propeller is 10.4%–13.5% higher than that of the minimum induced loss method at different rotational speeds. In the distributed configuration, the designed propeller’s hover efficiency is 13% higher than that of the minimum induced loss method. The designed propeller meets its design requirements in both cruise and hover states, maintaining high-efficiency operation.