How to Enhance Aircraft Performance with an Improved Propeller Design
Improving aircraft performance purely by redesigning the aircraft’s propellers is a remarkable accomplishment. Germany based MT-Propeller achieves this by using FEA software to create an innovative natural composite blade design, which is lighter than the aluminum equivalent, stronger than tensile steel, impervious to metal fatigue, and exhibits excellent vibration damping characteristics.
To help raise the limits of the blade materials MT-Propeller uses Femap with NX Nastran to predict the interacting material behavior of the design. Another major benefit comes from the significant reduction of the number of prototypes that use of CAE software brings about. Due to the lengthy endurance and fatigue testing requirements of this market, each prototype really means a delay of about seven weeks in lead time.
Composite propeller blade analysis using Femap with NX Nastran
To find out more read the MT-Propeller case study.
MT-Propeller recently completed development of a new 4-bladed composite propeller including control system for the P-82 / P-51 Twin Mustang and Mustang aircraft. The propeller shape of the existing design was maintained to preserve the original appearance of the aircraft, but full advantage was taken of composite materials in the propeller design. Initial flight tests demonstrated improved climb performance and better top speed.
With this innovative design MT-propeller is able to supply new generation propellers for the Mustang series of aircraft.
Alastair
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Tags: aerospace, CAE, composites, FEA, Femap, NASTRAN, NX Nastran, postprocessor, preprocessor, propeller
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