Evaluation of Naca 4412 and Clark-Y Aerofoil Based Drone Propellers’ Efficiencies Fabricated Using Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

The widespread use of drones has garnered considerable attention, given their diverse range of feasible applications and the modest costs required for operation. Yet, materials for drone propellers have not been widely explored. The proper usage of materials and the selection of additive manufacturing for structurally complex aerodynamic blade designs in drones' design and development provide compelling energy savings. This work presents a 3D printed propeller using Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) and Stereolithography (SLA) based on Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and Polylactic Acid (PLA). ABS resin is the most preferred manufacturing method for propellers, with 9.6% more ductility compared to ABS filament and PLA resin, as indicated by the stress-strain curve obtained through the tensile test. A static test experiment was conducted on an ABS resin-based 3D printed propeller to compare the propeller performance between NACA 4412 and Clark-Y. From the experiment, with the same diameter and pitch, NACA 4412 was proven to be more efficient compared to Clark-Y, with 15.86% higher static thrust and 9.32% higher efficiency. The significant findings from the 3D-printed propeller are derived from the aerodynamic parameters that influence thrust, power, and efficiency. Thus, this study lays the groundwork for achieving optimal propeller performance, particularly from an additive manufacturing perspective.