Perfect Propeller Performance

Overview

Objectives/Goals The objective of this project is to determine how the pitch, length, and number of blades affect propeller efficiency. Methods/Materials The following materials were used to construct two test stands (shoebox and wooden) to determine propeller efficiency. 1. (8) Propeller Blades: (1) 3-Bladed Propeller (30 x 15 cm), (1) 3-Bladed; Propeller (28 x 15 cm), (1) 2-Bladed Propeller (30 x 15 cm), (1) 2-Bladed; Propeller (25 x 20 cm), (1) 2-Bladed Propeller (28 x 15 cm), (1) 2-Bladed; Propeller, (1) 2-Bladed Propeller (25 x 15 cm), and (1) 2-Bladed. 2. (15) Marbles (Mass). 3. (6) Rubber Bands (11 x ⅕ cm). 4. (1) Fan (41 x 40 cm). 5. (1) Shoebox: Bottom (29 x 6 x 18 cm), Lid (30 x 3 ½ x 19 cm). 6. (2) Paper Towel Roll: 27 ½ x 3 cm, 27 x 3 ½ cm. 7. (5) Paper Cups: 88 mL each. 8. (1) Piece(s) of String: 45 cm. 9. (1) Pen. 10. (2) Ruler(s). 11. (1) Stopwatch. The testing stands were assembled and propeller were placed onto the front of the shaft and secured. To minimize variability, the fan distance and speed were constant during all tests. Results The results obtained from the shoebox test stand revealed that the 3 blade-28 x 15 cm propeller lifted the ballast in the least amount of time. However, it was observed that the results were influenced by friction between the wooden dowel and the paper towel rolls. Therefore, a wooden test stand was built to mitigate the effects of friction. The wooden stand results found that the 3 blade-28 x 15 cm propeller lifted the ballast in less time than the shoebox stand. Conclusions/Discussion My conclusion is that individually pitch, length, and number of blades affect propeller performance. The greater the propeller pitch and number of propeller blades does impact efficiency. However, the efficiency of the blade length is determined by weight.

Competition history

• CSEF 2015 Aerodynamics/ Hydrodynamics (Junior Division Only) · Entry J0107

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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