@article{KochBoehnischVerdoncketal.2024,
  author    = {Koch, Christopher and B{\"o}hnisch, Nils and Verdonck, Hendrik and Hach, Oliver and Braun, Carsten},
  title     = {Comparison of unsteady low- and mid-fidelity propeller aerodynamic methods for whirl flutter applications},
  series = {Applied Sciences},
  volume    = {14},
  journal   = {Applied Sciences},
  number    = {2},
  publisher = {MDPI},
  address   = {Basel},
  issn      = {2076-3417},
  doi       = {10.3390/app14020850},
  pages     = {1 -- 28},
  year      = {2024},
  abstract  = {Aircraft configurations with propellers have been drawing more attention in recent times, partly due to new propulsion concepts based on hydrogen fuel cells and electric motors. These configurations are prone to whirl flutter, which is an aeroelastic instability affecting airframes with elastically supported propellers. It commonly needs to be mitigated already during the design phase of such configurations, requiring, among other things, unsteady aerodynamic transfer functions for the propeller. However, no comprehensive assessment of unsteady propeller aerodynamics for aeroelastic analysis is available in the literature. This paper provides a detailed comparison of nine different low- to mid-fidelity aerodynamic methods, demonstrating their impact on linear, unsteady aerodynamics, as well as whirl flutter stability prediction. Quasi-steady and unsteady methods for blade lift with or without coupling to blade element momentum theory are evaluated and compared to mid-fidelity potential flow solvers (UPM and DUST) and classical, derivative-based methods. Time-domain identification of frequency-domain transfer functions for the unsteady propeller hub loads is used to compare the different methods. Predictions of the minimum required pylon stiffness for stability show good agreement among the mid-fidelity methods. The differences in the stability predictions for the low-fidelity methods are higher. Most methods studied yield a more unstable system than classical, derivative-based whirl flutter analysis, indicating that the use of more sophisticated aerodynamic modeling techniques might be required for accurate whirl flutter prediction.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MoehrenBergmannJanseretal.2023,
  author    = {M{\"o}hren, Felix and Bergmann, Ole and Janser, Frank and Braun, Carsten},
  title     = {On the influence of elasticity on propeller performance: a parametric study},
  series = {CEAS Aeronautical Journal},
  volume    = {14},
  journal   = {CEAS Aeronautical Journal},
  publisher = {Springer Nature},
  address   = {Berlin},
  issn      = {1869-5590 (Online)},
  doi       = {10.1007/s13272-023-00649-y},
  pages     = {311 -- 323},
  year      = {2023},
  abstract  = {The aerodynamic performance of propellers strongly depends on their geometry and, consequently, on aeroelastic deformations. Knowledge of the extent of the impact is crucial for overall aircraft performance. An integrated simulation environment for steady aeroelastic propeller simulations is presented. The simulation environment is applied to determine the impact of elastic deformations on the aerodynamic propeller performance. The aerodynamic module includes a blade element momentum approach to calculate aerodynamic loads. The structural module is based on finite beam elements, according to Timoshenko theory, including moderate deflections. Several fixed-pitch propellers with thin-walled cross sections made of both isotropic and non-isotropic materials are investigated. The essential parameters are varied: diameter, disc loading, sweep, material, rotational, and flight velocity. The relative change of thrust between rigid and elastic blades quantifies the impact of propeller elasticity. Swept propellers of large diameters or low disc loadings can decrease the thrust significantly. High flight velocities and low material stiffness amplify this tendency. Performance calculations without consideration of propeller elasticity can lead to decreased efficiency. To avoid cost- and time-intense redesigns, propeller elasticity should be considered for swept planforms and low disc loadings.},
  language  = {en}
}