Experimental Study of the Aerodynamic Interaction between Side-by-Side Propellers in eVTOL Airplane Mode through Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry

Side-by-side propellers characterise the architecture of most new electric aircraft (eVTOLs) designed in recent years for urban air mobility. The aerodynamic interaction between side-by-side propellers represents one of the key phenomena that characterise the flow field and performance of these novel aircraft configurations. The present article describes the main results of a wind tunnel campaign that aimed to investigate the flow features that characterise this aerodynamic interaction, with a particular application to cruise flight conditions in eVTOLs. With this aim, stereo particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements were performed in the wake of two co-rotating propeller models in a side-by-side configuration. The three-dimensional flow surveys provided detailed insights into the flow physics of the interacting propellers, with a particular focus on the interactional effects on the trajectory of the tip vortices and the wake topology provided at two different advance ratios by reproducing a moderate and a fast cruise speed of eVTOLs in urban areas.

Automated summary

This article presents the results of a wind tunnel study on the aerodynamic interaction between side-by-side propellers in cruise flight conditions of eVTOLs. Stereo particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements were used to provide detailed insights into the flow physics of the interacting propellers, focusing on the effects on tip vortices and wake topology at different advance ratios.