Development of a Low Noise Drone Propeller Using CFD Simulations

Abstract: Noise pollution generated by drones has in recent years become a concern for humans and wildlife and has in some regions resulted in regulatory backlash. This thesis investigates the possibilities of developing a low noise drone propeller using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. A commercial drone propeller from the manufacturer APC Propeller has been modified with different forms of serrations to the trailing edge of the propeller. The simulations, conducted in the open source program OpenFOAM, using an LES turbulence model and an aeroacoustic analogy, shows promising results. The modified propellers shows an overall decreased sound pressure level compared to the unmodified propeller. However, the simulations do have some limitations and only covers a limited amount of working drone scenarios. Furthermore the modifications that are evaluated are only done to the trailing edge of the propeller. Overall the study shows promising results in using CFD to develop a low noise drone propeller. Future work could include modifications to the propeller in other locations than the trailing edge, and in a more varied set of working scenarios.