Investigation of propeller aerodynamic loads under oblique inflow conditions with varying blade numbers

This establishes a mathematical model rooted in blade element-momentum theory, to accurately predict propeller aerodynamic loads under oblique inflow conditions. Leveraging this model, we achieve rapid computa-tion of propeller aerodynamic loads. High-precision CFD methods verified the aerodynamic load calculation procedures of the propeller under different inflow angles, and the calculation errors of procedures were all within 10%. Under the same oblique flow angle condition, the aerodynamic load change rules on propellers with different blade numbers were analyzed. The calculation results show that the pulsation amplitude of the bending moment and tangential force of the single propeller blade increases with the number of blades. In addition, the max value of the bending moment and tangential force of the propeller increase with the number of blades within a small fluctuation range. The number of fluctuations in a rotational cycle is the same as the number of blades.