Current capabilities of modal analysis of aircraft propeller in ANSYS mechanical environment

Abstract

The article deals with the modal analysis of a small aircraft propeller. In here are discussed the possible three cases of the Finite Element Method (FEM) simulation, in the environment of ANSYS Mechanical software. Successively each of them is described by the theoretical and application parts. Further on, there are explained the important results from the modal analysis, i.e., the calculated natural frequencies, mode shapes, participation factors and effective masses. The following three cases of the FEM simulation were used: the classic approach, the cyclic symmetry modelling and the Component Mode Synthesis (CMS) method. At the end the calculated frequencies of the all three cases are compared.