SBIR Phase I: Micro-textured surfaces for high-performance drone propellers

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to improve the performance of drones - unmanned aerial vehicles - that are quickly being adopted for numerous commercial and civil applications. It is estimated that by 2021 the number of new drones will reach 29 million worldwide. Two of the main challenges in drone operation are the limited flight time and the noise generated by the drone propellers. Both of these represent obstacles for a more efficient and universal use of drones, and both are linked to propeller aerodynamic performance, more specifically, flow separation on propellers. This project aims to use micro-textured surfaces to create favorable aerodynamic conditions to mitigate noise, vibrations, and efficiency losses. Passive mitigation of aerodynamic inefficiencies will prolong component lifespan, reduce radiated noise, and increase energy efficiency. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to evaluate the effect of micro-textured surfaces that were previously shown to be effective in increasing lift, reducing drag, and mitigating noise from airfoils on drone propeller blades. The improvements may increase payload capacity, extend the flight time, and reduce the noise of drones. The main goal of the proposed effort is to design propellers with a micro-textured surface that improves the efficiency up to 10% over leading industry propellers and mitigate generated noise. Thrust, torque and noise will be quantified for a combination of micro-textures and propeller designs. Additionally, field experiments will be carried out to understand the impact of the micro-texture on flight performance, noise, and maneuverability of a drone. Project will pursue an overall understanding of micro-texture/flow relationship to effectively design micro-textured surfaces for industrial applications. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.