Design and Experimental Analysis of a MAV Propeller

A To enhance the endurance of a micro aerial vehicle (MAV), this study focuses on the optimization design of its propulsion system. A micro brushless motor serves as the power source, with the propeller designed to achieve high efficiency, provide sufficient thrust, and maintain power compatibility with the motor. Using Blade Element Momentum Theory (BEMT) for preliminary design and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for refined verification, a two-blade fixed-pitch propeller with a diameter of D = 40 mm was developed and manufactured. Test results show that the single-blade mass is only 0.346 g (meeting the requirement of ≤ 0.4 g), maximum thrust exceeds 30 g, and the Figure of Merit (FM) remains above 0.55 across the 18,000–42,000 rpm range, peaking at 0.577. All performance indicators have successfully achieved the preset design targets.