Design and Performance Analysis of a Propeller for a Hybrid Turbo-Electric Propulsion System of a Regional Aircraft

Meeting the ACARE environmental goals is a central driver of current EU aerospace research, and hybrid turbo-electric propulsion systems (HTEPS) are emerging as a promising route to reducing the environmental impact of regional aviation. This paper reports the design and performance analysis of a propeller for the HTEPS of an advanced regional aircraft. Twenty propeller variants were generated using Zhukovsky’s vortex theory and the Adkins–Liebeck BEMT algorithm, with a NASA GA(W) aerofoil section, and were evaluated at Max Cruise (H = 6000 m, M = 0.45) and Take-off (H = 0, M = 0) by CFD analysis in ANSYS CFX using the SST turbulence model with Gamma–Theta transition. The effects of blade number and maximum diameter on Cruise efficiency and Take-off thrust were studied, leading to the selection of a seven-bladed propeller with a maximum diameter of 4.15 m. The performance of the selected propeller was then calculated over a wide range of flight Mach numbers. The final variant exhibits a maximum efficiency above 0.86, which remains almost constant over the range M = 0.35 to M = 0.65. Joint operation of the propeller and the HTEPS was simulated under three engine control laws (Power = const, T₄₁ = const, PR_tot = const). The PR_tot = const law is shown to offer the highest propeller efficiency at elevated flight speeds, together with benefits for gas-turbine efficiency and for fuel-cell performance through the supply of higher-pressure bleed air. The 3D geometry of the propeller’s aerodynamic surfaces has been generated and is intended for use in subsequent aeroacoustic CFD analysis.