What Are the Best Propeller Design Programs for Airplanes?

[swishidge]

Hey I was wondering if anyone knew of a propeller design program, preferably written in Matlab, but I'd take anything.

I am familiar with XFoil, XFLR5, and XPlane, but I don't know of any good propeller design programs. I have read into MPVL, but I'm pretty sure that is just designed for water propellers, and I didn't get deep enough to see if I could somehow convert it to design propellers for airplanes.

What I would like is something like XFoil or XFLR5, but for propellers.

I would then like to optimize it for a specific Reynolds number or lift coefficient, but that's farther down the line. First I would just like to build a propeller, and then analyze its polars.

Let me know if you think of anything,

Nate

 

[aero&astro]

solid works or flow works maybe?

 

[NatSusan]

Hey Nate,

I have some experience with propeller design programs and can definitely recommend a few options for you. While there may not be a specific program like XFoil or XFLR5 for propellers, there are a few programs that can be used for propeller design and analysis.

One popular option is PROPID, which is a propeller design software that is written in Matlab. It allows you to design and analyze propellers for both airplanes and watercraft. It also has the capability to optimize for specific parameters, like Reynolds number or lift coefficient, so it may be a good fit for your needs.

Another program to consider is PROPELLER, which is a propeller design software developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. It is also written in Matlab and has a user-friendly interface for designing and analyzing propellers.

Lastly, if you are open to using a program that is not written in Matlab, there is also OpenProp, which is a free and open-source propeller design software. It has a graphical user interface and allows for propeller design and analysis for both airplanes and marine vessels.

I hope this helps and good luck with your propeller design project! Let me know if you have any other questions or need further assistance.