The purpose of this lab was to measure the efficiency of different propellers with wind tunnel testing. The most important factor that was analyzed and measured in the experiment was the thrust of each type of propeller. Four different tunnels were tested, each team member testing a type of propeller with either a push or a pull method. During the test, the percent power of the Arduino was increased and the thrust, current , and RPM were measured or recorded.
The provided wind tunnels recorded the necessary information and displayed it on the respective screens. After each team member recorded the thrust, RPM, and energy usage, the group collectively analyzed which propeller and power level would be the most effective and efficient for the AEV. There were two comparisons that were made that were crucial in analyzing the results of the wind tunnel testing. The first was a measure of thrust as a function of power. This graph revealed that the most powerful propeller and direction was the 3030 pull system. That being said, the design that the team is incorporating for the AEV requires a propeller that would work efficiently in both directions (push and pull). The 3030 push and pull were the top two curves on the graph, therefore the 3030 propeller would be the best fit.
This conclusion was further verified when analyzing a second graph that showed the relationship between propulsion efficiency and a function of output power. For this graph the curves that shows the greatest efficiency were of the 3030 propeller. With the consideration of both graphs, the team was able to make a definitive decision to go with the 3030 propeller.
