Experimental Investigation Studying Effect of Width and Pitch of Quadcopter Propeller Blade on Resultant Thrust

Abstract

Multirotor platforms used in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles for aerial cinematography face a lot of flight stability problems due to the drag produced by the propeller geometry. The 6035 propeller blades are popular with beginner drones but slight differences in blade size can heavily alter the thrust and handling of the vehicle. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of changing width and pitch of a quadcopter propeller blade on the static thrust generated by the propeller, and thus the effect on the stability of aerial photography down stream of the propeller. To achieve an affordable and sustainable prototyping model, the prototype variants of the geometric design were CAD designed and 3D printed, based on a 6035 control propeller. Four different configurations were tested: a 3D printed 6035 blade, an increased pitch 6045 profile, a width-extended 6035 blade, and a combined variant with increased pitch and increased width. Results indicated that the 3D-printed version and the control blade were identical, as both generated 39.02 grams of thrust at a low motor speed (1050 µs). Modifying blade shape individually increased thrust. Increasing blade pitch to 6045 resulted in 48.87 grams of thrust. Further increasing thrust to 58.04 grams was achieved by widening the blade. The hybrid blade was the most effective, also increasing thrust, to 73.17 grams, nearly 100% of the original thrust. Increasing aerodynamic profile and weight of the hybrid blade increased drag, and led to glitches in the data logs and excessive thermal stress on the electronic speed controller (ESC). These results provide a predictive framework for propeller modifications to improve stability and prevent damaging power overloads during filming missions. They also connect the structural additive manufacturing parameters with real UAV flight dynamics.