Lab 05 utilized the process of wind tunnel testing in order to determine which propeller the team would use. The data collected from the wind tunnel allowed for the propulsion efficiency to be calculated, as well as an arbitrary measurement known as the propeller advance ratio.
The team looked to use a propeller that recorded a high propulsion efficiency while maintaining a low propeller advance ratio. As the figure below shows, the 3030 pusher propeller performed the best according to the team’s needs. This was the propeller selected for the team’s AEV design.
