Parametric Study of Propeller–wing Configurations Based on VPM

With the rise of distributed propulsion for vertical and short takeoff and landing (VTOL/STOL) aircraft configurations, the aerodynamic coupling between distributed propellers and lifting surfaces has become a critical challenge in aircraft design. This study investigates the aerodynamic coupling effects in propeller–wing configurations using a meshless Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) framework based on the reformulated Vortex Particle Method (rVPM). A parametric sensitivity analysis is conducted to evaluate how key parameters—including propeller radius, rotational speed, spanwise placement, and wing aspect ratio—affect the lift, drag, and CL/CD of the wing under coupled conditions. Results show that increasing the propeller radius from 0.426 m to 0.640 m enhances the lift coefficient from 0.312 to 0.380. Increasing the rotational speed from 2287 RPM to 3431 RPM increases CL by 0.054 and CL/CD by over 5. Moving the propeller spanwise position outward enhances CL from 0.323 to 0.367. Compared to the clean wing, coupled configurations can achieve higher CL but also incur a drag penalty depending on layout. The findings provide quantitative insights and design guidelines for the optimal integration of distributed propulsion systems in VTOL/STOL aircraft.