Numerical and Experimental Analysis of Electric Ducted Propulsion Fans across Operating Speed Ranges

Abstract

Electric ducted propulsion fans (EDPFs) have become a key propulsion technology for next–generation electric aircraft, urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles, and unmanned aerial systems, offering high propulsive efficiency, a compact configuration, and reduced noise emissions. This study presents both numerical and experimental performance evaluations of an EDPF with a rotational speed range from 2,000 to 7,000 rpm. The aerodynamic thrust and torque performance of an EDPF were evaluated using 3D Reynolds–Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulations with the SST k–ω turbulence model and subsequently validated against experiment. The results showed that the maximum difference between the numerical and experimental thrust at 6,000 rpm was very small with only 0.86%. The peak efficiency of the EDPF reaches 93% at 7,000 rpm. These numerical and experimental results confirm the accuracy of the computational model with RANS and demonstrate its applicability in the performance analysis and optimization of EDPF. With this design, it could be used as a propulsion system for unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) if the rotating drive mechanism is driven by a drive shaft or the electric motor can operate in a water environment.