Multipropeller Interaction and Rotational Effects in Distributed Electric Propulsion Aircraft

Abstract

This study presents a high-fidelity numerical investigation of propeller–wing interaction in a full-configuration distributed electric propulsion (DEP) aircraft using a lattice Boltzmann method coupled with a very large-eddy simulation (LBM–VLES) framework. Unlike previous studies, which are limited to simplified configurations, the present work resolves the unsteady flow physics of twelve closely spaced propellers installed along the wingspan of the NASA X-57 Maxwell aircraft in full configuration. The LBM–VLES framework is validated using the NASA Workshop for Integrated Propeller Prediction benchmark and applied to a full-configuration DEP system. The results show that propeller slipstreams significantly modify wing aerodynamics by altering the local effective angle of attack and boundary-layer behavior, increasing lift by approximately 40–45% while introducing a drag penalty. The analysis further reveals that propeller rotational direction governs interpropeller wake interaction and aerodynamic performance. Corotating configurations produce more uniform spanwise loading and delayed stall, whereas counter-rotating configurations induce strong upwash interaction, leading to localized load concentration and increased drag at high angles of attack. These findings provide new physical insights into multipropeller wake interaction and identify rotational direction as a key design parameter for DEP aircraft.