FrontPage

makeSEA Propellers


Propellers

(see also, Brushless Motor v2 re generator)

Idea / Motivation

Design a parametric propeller, useful as a fan or for an RC-plane.

Basically I wanted to know, if it is possible at all to create a 3d-printable propeller, which works with a satisfying efficiency. When successful it would be very useful, because pitch and diameter were freely adjustable, and I’m not restricted to the off-the-shelf propellers. The geometry of the propeller and the hub can be optimized for a specific the plane.

Implementation

The basic version of the propeller has 9 inch diameter and 4 inch pitch. The design allows to change both parameters, and also the number of blades from two to three (1 blade doesn’t make sense, and with 4 or more blades, the hub diameter needs to be increased as well in order to have enough space for the blade shafts).

Blades and hub are separated parts. The two or three blades fit tightly into the gaps of the two pieces from the hub. The hub encloses a shaft collar. The set screw of the collar is used as cam. The two parts for the hub are held together with two or three screws (depending on the number of blades).

There are various benefits of having separated parts:

  1. Printing orientation can be adjusted in order to optimize layers for the high centrifugal forces.
  2. The adjusted orientation for printing the blades makes it possible, that none of the support material touches the critical parts of the surface. A rough surface would disturb aerodynamics.
  3. Blades are printable in a single pass, and therefore they have all the same weight and distribution of mass, even if the filament diameter has small variations. This is relevant for having the assembled propeller well balanced.
  4. A propeller as one piece doesn’t fit into a common 3d-printer.

The image below illustrates the recommended printing orientation. As visible, it requires support material. The supported area at the front of the propeller is small and easy to sand. Anyway it is a good idea to also sand the surface of the blades. 400 grit with water gives good results.

 

As material I recommend using PETG (and not PLA). I fear the brittle PLA can break catastrophically at higher RPM, if there is a little shock. I didn’t do a test to figure out the limiting RPM, but the PETG-version did work well on a plane with a common brushless motor at 10’000 RPM.

Using the Propeller on an RC Plane

I’ve replaced a common 2 bladed propeller with the 3d-printed version. Both propellers had the same diameter and pitch. The plane has a weight of roughly 350 g and 700 g thrust (twice the own weight). Performance was almost unchanged - there was no noticeable difference during flight. On the ground, the 3d-bladed propeller draws a bit more current, but the flight duration was still similar.

Using the Propeller as a Fan

If the Propeller is used as a fan, I recommend to print also a guard. The most dangerous parts are the fast moving tips of the blades, because they can easily cut through human skin. For this reason the guard consists of a ring around the propeller. This ring has a proper airfoil as a cross-section, so it works as a duct (and maybe even improves the propeller efficiency).

The ring is too large for a common 3d-printed, so I divided it into 5 separate parts.

The next image shows how to orient the objects for 3d-printing. 

Support material needs to be activated in order to print the overhanging structures.

 

The ring is held together by rails at the end of the spokes. Because of the angled orientation, the ring segments won’t slide out, when fully assembled. Fife small screws are needed to fix the spokes at the hub.

The holes in the hub are compatible with the 3d-printed brushless motor.

Additional Information:

  • Guard: Ring for 9 inch propeller
  • v1: First version is simpler to print, 9 x 4 inches, 2 blades hub
  • v2: second version, better aerodynamics, 9x3 inch, 9x4 inch, 2blades hub, 3 blades hub - the same blades fit into the hub for 2 or 3 blades, and there are 2 types of blades with different pitch.

Related Video: RCPlane with 3-d printed motor and 3-d printed propeller

 

Download the Files for this Project

at the Mash Market HERE

0 Attachments
62558 Views
Average (1 Vote)
Comments
Please sign in to comment.
Where did you get the collar for the motor
Posted on 9/6/17 7:27 AM.
Posted on 9/6/17 11:53 AM.
About to have a go at printing the 3 blade 4" propeller and wonndered about thickness and infill using PETG and should the hub and cap be the same?
Posted on 9/28/17 8:22 AM.
I used normal setting in cura with my luzbot mini printer. It seems to work great. The propeller will break if it hits anything. If you increase the infill, it would make it heavier and would not work as good.
Posted on 11/15/17 6:42 AM in reply to Mark Craih.
Thank you very much!
Posted on 12/28/18 7:59 PM.
How is it possible to customize these propellers? All I see are downloadable files, nothing to customize. I'm looking for a significantly larger prop than 9 inches... building the Halbach array motor... Thanks.
Posted on 4/5/20 9:51 PM.
Hello, I don’t think there is a way to customize this propeller, but you could scale up the model In your slicing software. Although I ready don’t suggest printing propellers, because they need to be precision machines with high accuracy. Not sure if you know this, but propellers need to be perfectly balanced so it does not shake while spinning at high speeds. Hope this help. Have a great day.
Posted on 4/5/20 10:00 PM in reply to Ben Bushong.
Well, I was just curious, because everything in the narrative says they can be customized, the hub can be customized to the motor, diameter and pitch can be changed... I want about a 4 bladed 15 or 16 inch prop to use for a fan... with this method, printing the blades separate from the hub, that'd easily be possible.
Posted on 4/5/20 10:52 PM in reply to Eric Charles Robb.


Pictures and video don't convert like first-hand experience does.

 

 

Research shows that using augmented (AR), and virtual reality (VR), is more compelling and more likely to persuade your audience to buy, learn, and understand what you have to share. Use makeSEA to deliver content that connects with your audience like no other medium can.
 

Compel your audience with

Content Management and Cross-Platform Collaboration 
for Augmented and Virtual Reality

 

The fastest way to organize and share your content as if you are together with your audience in real life and keep it fresh using next-generation virtual and augmented reality technology.

 

Get Personal Demo Get Webinar

 

It's time to change the way you communicate, collaborate and compel your audience.

 

Time to change the way you capture and curate evolving ideas.

 

Use makeSEA content management platform + Catapult, our cross-platform client app for mixed reality and spatial collaboration to share your vision and inspire your audience with content that you are already producing.

 

 

10X-100X Time Savings • Recyclable Content & Scenes

 

Use makeSEA to reduce your AR and VR production time by an order of magnitude, or two.

 

Blend content from multiple sources tell a better story:  3D models, real-world scans, video, and you!


Keep things fresh and relevant and improve experiences over time as your content and XR technology mature.
 

Enabling augmented reality, mixed reality and spatial computing for everyday use.SM

 

 

Catapult your vision, in real-time together, for FREE.


It's as easy as a social media post:

 

  1. Create an account, start a project and upload your content from most any content source1.
     

  2. Launch Catapult, makeSEA's mixed reality client app on your VR or AR compatible device2.
     

  3. Share and collaborate using your own spatial content, with others together in real-time, in the same physical space and remotely.

 

Click Here to Get Detailed Instructions, Download and Install

 

Try makeSEA now! Simply register here and start publishing.

 

makeSEA is also available as a privately branded (white-label), or custom integrated solution for enterprise. Please Contact Us for more information.

 

Get Personal Demo Get Webinar

 

 

for Architecture
& Design
Magic Leap &
AR/Mixed Reality
Content Publishing
for Education
& Making

 

for Construction
for Trade Shows
& Exhibits
for Retail
& Branding

1:Catapult supports assets saved in GLB (preferred), FBX, OBJ, STL or MP4 (standard 720p, 1080p, or 3K 360˚ spherical surround format), or a makeScene package for live over-the-air collaboration with shared spatial content.  See the how-to guide for hints and instructions on how to easily export or convert content from most 3D authoring tools and platforms. 2:makeSEA supports Oculus Quest 2, Magic Leap 1, and Microsoft Hololens 2, makeSEA for Enterprise supports additional client devices; contact us for more information.

Trade Show Alternative

Is your tradeshow game plan caput because of COVID? Ours is! It's OK: use makeSEA and MagicLeap for Trade Shows and Exhibits to put your full-scale booth — that you host live and your...

Free makeSEA Account & Catapult App

makeSEA user accounts and Catapult for spatial computing have always been free. Covid-19 is changing the way we work, collaborate, interact and learn forever. It is accelerating the shift to...

Where Do We Go from Here?

I think we all have to accept that part of today's normal will become the "new" normal. At any time, another pandemic or other crisis can and probably will affect the way we teach, learn,...

Doing our part to help with local PPE

Doing our part to help with local PPE needs using hashtag # makeSEA hashtag # Catapult and hashtag # MagicLeap for rapid iteration and visualization on 3D printed...

Additive Manufacturing, AR and COVID-19

The global manufacturing industry is reeling from the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. The mega-factories we rely on are experiencing shortages of personnel and raw materials for production....

Adapting to the New Normal

We are entering a new era. Whether you are a business, in the education field or just looking for ways to communicate safely, we are being forced to accept that we all need to find ways to...

Feeling Like a Fish Out of Water

During this time of uncertainty, we're all feeling a little like a fish out of water. Looking for new ways to conduct business, educate and train, share information and collaborate with...

Look to the Future with Spatial Computing

Now more than ever we need to think about keeping organizations running smoothly in a crisis. We are all being challenged and forced to look at the future. Businesses, educational...

Use Catapult for Forensic Visualization

What can you do with makeSEA and Catapult for Magic Leap? How about forensic visualization. Imagine being able to securely convert and deliver forensic scans data to full-scale immersive...

makeSEA is More

makeSEA is busy printing masks to help with the Coronavirus crisis. makeSEA's core value starting out was to support independent 3D designers, maker spaces and education with a platform that...

Change How You Communicate and Collaborate

It's time to change the way you think about collaborating, communicating, teaching, and design. Time to change the way you capture and curate evolving ideas. Use https://makeSEA.com + ...

makeSEA Catapult App launched on Magic Leap World

It's time to change the way you think about communicating, teaching, and design. Time to change the way you capture and curate evolving ideas. Use makeSEA + Catapult and Magic Leap...

makeSEA at Construct 3D Conference

Look for us at the Construct 3D Conference between February 13-16 at Rice University in Houston, Texas. We’ll be joining an awesome list of sponsors and exhibitors and hope to see many of you...

Positive ROI with the Use of Mixed Reality

Mixed Reality (MR) is an umbrella term given to computer-generated environments that either merge the physical and virtual worlds (AR) or create an entirely immersive experience (VR) for the...

How Technology is Impacting Education...In a Good Way

  Today’s students have been raised on digital devices—digital engagement is a part of their DNA. It seems like a “no-brainer “ that instructors, especially at the high school and...

Easy Augmented Reality

makesea for Augmented Reality (AR) is a SaaS that supports a number of verticals and at the core is a content management platform that can be dressed for any experience from consumer branding...

AR and 3D Printing Should be Part of Advanced Curriculums

makeSEA for Education provides a safe, secure environment for students to collaborate and iterate on 3D designs and projects. Our SaaS platform also offers a way to get started with Augmented...

Using AR for EDU

      It’s no secret that keeping the attention of today’s students is harder than ever. From grade school to college level, these students have been raised with...

Some AR Stats to Think About

Download the infographic . If you think Augmented Reality/Mixed Reality is still just something to think about, think again! This technology is being used in everyday businesses...

A picture is worth a thousand words

Sometimes a picture IS worth a thousand words. makeSEA can get your firm AR ready. Have you considered how Augmented reality (AR) could help your architecture or construction firm? ...