Publication detail

CFD analysis of wing-propeller interaction on the NASA X-57 Maxwell aircraft wing

PATIL, A. NAVRÁTIL, J.

English title

CFD analysis of wing-propeller interaction on the NASA X-57 Maxwell aircraft wing

Type

conference paper

Language

en

Original abstract

Due to global warming concerns, the Aviation industry is trying to reduce its carbon footprint. Electric propulsion (EP) is one way of doing this, where the power is obtained from electrical sources. The concept of distributed electric propulsion (DEP) is in the focus now. NASA's X-57 Maxwell, a high winged, all-electric experimental aircraft, uses this concept. The present work aims at developing a CFD model (ANSYS Fluent) to evaluate aerodynamic performance of two configurations of NASA's X-57 aircraft wing; (i) wing and nacelle (clean wing) and (ii) wing, nacelle and one electric propeller under cruise condition; and compare it with the results of wind tunnel experiment performed by NASA/Armstrong X-57 research program. Parameters like lift, drag and pressure coefficients (CL, CD, CP) are compared for both cases. A good match is observed for CL, CD and CP, thus validating the model. The unsteady RANS solver is very efficient in capturing the effects of propeller slipstream on the wing. After validation, this model is further used to simulate aerodynamic performance of a wing with multi-propeller (DEP) configuration. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.

English abstract

Due to global warming concerns, the Aviation industry is trying to reduce its carbon footprint. Electric propulsion (EP) is one way of doing this, where the power is obtained from electrical sources. The concept of distributed electric propulsion (DEP) is in the focus now. NASA's X-57 Maxwell, a high winged, all-electric experimental aircraft, uses this concept. The present work aims at developing a CFD model (ANSYS Fluent) to evaluate aerodynamic performance of two configurations of NASA's X-57 aircraft wing; (i) wing and nacelle (clean wing) and (ii) wing, nacelle and one electric propeller under cruise condition; and compare it with the results of wind tunnel experiment performed by NASA/Armstrong X-57 research program. Parameters like lift, drag and pressure coefficients (CL, CD, CP) are compared for both cases. A good match is observed for CL, CD and CP, thus validating the model. The unsteady RANS solver is very efficient in capturing the effects of propeller slipstream on the wing. After validation, this model is further used to simulate aerodynamic performance of a wing with multi-propeller (DEP) configuration. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.

Keywords in English

Distributed Propulsion; electric aircraft; propeller; aerodynamic efficiency

Released

13.03.2024

Publisher

IOP Publishing

ISSN

1742-6596

Book

13th EASN International Conference on Innovation in Aviation & Space for opening New Horizons

Volume

2716

Edition number

2716

Pages from–to

1–8

Pages count

8

BIBTEX


@inproceedings{BUT188720,
  author="Anvita {Patil} and Jan {Navrátil},
  title="CFD analysis of wing-propeller interaction on the NASA X-57 Maxwell aircraft wing",
  booktitle="13th EASN International Conference on Innovation in Aviation & Space for opening New Horizons",
  year="2024",
  volume="2716",
  month="March",
  pages="1--8",
  publisher="IOP Publishing",
  issn="1742-6596"
}