High-Lift Propeller System Configuration Selection for NASA's SCEPTOR Distributed Electric Propulsion Flight Demonstrator

摘要

Although the primary function of propellers is typically to produce thrust, aircraft equipped with distributed electric propulsion (DEP) may utilize propellers whose main purpose is to act as a form of high-lift device. These "high-lift propellers" can be placed upstream of wing such that, when the higher-velocity flow in the propellers' slipstreams interacts with the wing, the lift is increased. This technique is a main design feature of a new NASA advanced design project called Scalable Convergent Electric Propulsion Technology Operations Research (SCEPTOR). The goal of the SCEPTOR project is design, build, and fly a DEP aircraft to demonstrate that such an aircraft can be much more efficient than conventional designs. This paper provides details into the high-lift propeller system configuration selection for the SCEPTOR flight demonstrator. The methods used in the high-lift propeller system conceptual design and the tradeoffs considered in selecting the number of propellers are discussed.