TUD-XPROP

The 6-bladed TUD-XPROP propeller is our reference propeller. It has a diameter of 0.4064 meter and carbon fiber blades, and the propeller hub can be connected to the custom-built rotating shaft balance discussed under the section Propeller Test Rigs. The blades can be manually set to any desired pitch setting.

The TUD-XPROP propeller represents a typical previous-generation turboprop propeller. Compared to modern designs, it has no sweep, and thus especially its acoustic performance is not fully representative. So far, we have operated the TUD-XPROP propeller on the pneumatic test rig only, mostly focused on studies of isolated propellers, including consideration of high angles of attack.

TUD-XPROP-S

For airframe-integration studies and research on distributed propellers we have made a half scale version of the TUD-XPROP, the TUD-XPROP-S with diameter of 0.2032 m. The blades were machined from steel. The blade profiles were modified slightly compared to the original TUD-XPROP propeller to satisfy manufacturing constraints on the minimum achievable trailing-edge thickness. Four hubs with complete sets of 6 blades are available, including blades for both counterclockwise and clockwise rotation directions. The blades can be manually set to any desired pitch setting.

The TUD-XPROP-S propeller is used with our electric test rig and an internal balance on the motor to measure the propeller loads. This propeller has been used extensively in test campaigns in the LTT wind tunnel, focusing on isolated propeller aerodynamics, propeller integration studies, and distributed propeller studies.

TUD-XPROP-3

For our studies of regenerative propellers, we have also used a 3-bladed version of the TUD-XPROP, named the TUD-XPROP-3. Since the same hub is used as for the original TUD-XPROP propeller, the propeller diameter is again 0.4064 m and the blades can be manually set to any desired pitch setting. The TUD-XPROP-3 was also run on the electric test rig and again an internal balance was used to measure the propeller loads.

TUD-PROWIM

The TUD-PROWIM propeller has been the go-to propeller for many studies up to approximately 2018. This 4-bladed steel propeller has a diameter of 0.237 m, and a variable pitch setting. The propeller geometry is the same as for the original propeller on the de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver. The geometry of the blade root is circular, inducing flow local flow separation, and the junction between the hub and nacelle is not smooth. However, a rich data set is available for this propeller, ranging from isolated performance and slipstream measurements up to installed configurations including conventional wing-mounted tractor-propeller lay-outs and tip-mounted propellers.

TUD-F29

The TUD-F29 can be operated in configurations with 4 or 8 CFRP blades, and has a diameter of 0.3048 m. The propeller geometry was defined by the Fokker Aircraft Company in their internal F29 project. The TUD-F29 can be used both with the pneumatic and electric test drives, enabling measurements of the propeller performance with either the rotating shaft balance or an internal load cell. 

The TUD-F29 has been used for an extensive campaign on propeller-propeller interaction and propeller aerodynamics at high angle of attack.

APIAN

The APIAN propeller has a diameter of 0.508 m and six highly swept CFRP blades. It was designed in the EU-funded APIAN project (Advanced Propulsion Integration Aerodynamics and Noise), and was used by us in the FP7-funded ESWIRP project. The propeller was driven by a DNW-owned pneumatic motor (different from the one described under Propeller test rigs), housed inside a nacelle with a radius of 0.35R. Toward the propeller, this radius gradually decreased to the hub radius of 0.24R. The blade pitch setting can be varied.

The propeller blades include kulites for time-accurate measurements of the absolute pressure along different radial stations, on the suction and pressure sides of the blade. Furthermore, the propeller was connected to a three-spoke six-component rotating shaft balance for measurements of the integral loads.

The APIAN propeller has been used for our research on pusher propeller interactional aerodynamics and aeroacoustics.