Effect of Electric Ducted Fans Structural Arrangement on Their Performance Characteristics

Abstract

With the expanding electrification in all sectors of transport, it is necessary to look for new efficient solutions for propulsion systems for use in air transport. One of the approaches can be the use of electric ducted fans (EDFs), especially in, but not limited to, the case of unmanned aerial vehicles with vertical takeoff and landing. This concept has been known for several decades but has been used very little and therefore has been almost unexplored. This opens up opportunities for investigating the performance characteristics, electrical consumption or efficient thrust vectoring of EDFs with respect to their design and operational use. The presented study therefore deals with the influence of the EDF design change on its performance characteristics. These design changes mainly concerned the geometry of the cowling, i.e., reduction and increase of outlet cross section, and arrangement of fans, i.e., one- and two-rotor specification. The comparison was based on measuring of vertical thrust and power consumption during static testing. The results showed that the increasing outlet is the most suitable construction for the generation of vertical thrust during static testing, considering the specifically used EDF construction arrangement. Based on the findings, it can also be concluded that EDFs are a suitable option for use in unmanned aircraft as a competition to other propulsion systems.

Thrust Vectoring Control for Heavy UAVs, Employing a Redundant Communication System

“…This is experimented with by expanding the exhaust duct area up to 1.7 times. The efficiency is advanced up to 1.3 times [19]. This phenomenon is also observable with flap presence, while the thruster flap vanes intrigue a product drag force that decreases the total thrust.…”

Thrust Vectoring Control for Heavy UAVs, Employing a Redundant Communication System

“…Among the various possibilities, the vertical thermal thrusters regulate the altitude with the least error, benefiting a long flight; however, regarding the horizontal flight, the system suffers in terms of efficiency due to the latent response of motors when the speed controller unit (ECU) commands distinct spin rates in small time intervals. Therefore, one of the most efficient solutions presented is thrust vectoring control (TVC) [ 19 ], which aims for both the optimal time and the least error. Typically, TVC consists of sensors and actuators.…”

“…Optimizing the structure according to aerodynamics principles, TVC performance mostly depends on duct design and outlet duct section; the larger diameter of the outlet section, the greater the lift production and the lower the energy consumption [ 19 ], as shown in the form of continuity in Equation ( 1 ). where, refers to the rotor and exhaust prefixes, respectively, A is the section area, S is the air inlet area, which is extracted from the central spinner area, D is the section diameter, v is the airflow velocity, and is duct sectional efficiency.…”

“…This is experimented with by expanding the exhaust duct area up to times. The efficiency is advanced up to times [ 19 ]. This phenomenon is also observable with flap presence, while the thruster flap vanes intrigue a product drag force that decreases the total thrust.…”

Advancements and Applications of Rim-Driven Fans in Aerial Vehicles: A Comprehensive Review

“…EDF offers advantages including high thrust-to-weight and thrust-to-diameter ratios, physical and environmental protection, and thrust vectoring. Design parameters, such as the end clearance and outlet opening to fan area ratio, affect performance parameters such as thrust, RPM, energy consumption, efficiency, and noise [19]. Hence, compact electric ducted fan (EDF) modules enable the integration of propulsion configurations that distribute thrust, yet their usage remains confined to scenarios involving low-speed flight, like those observed in general aviation and small unmanned aerial systems.…”