diff --git a/posts/best-propeller-cad-tutorial.md b/posts/best-propeller-cad-tutorial.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5d2b7e4 --- /dev/null +++ b/posts/best-propeller-cad-tutorial.md @@ -0,0 +1,34 @@ +--- +title: "Best Tutorial For Modeling a Propeller in CAD" +author: "James Pace" +date: "2024/02/03" +--- + +Most of the videos I've seen on YouTube that show how to model a +propeller in CAD focus on building something that "looks" like +a propeller. +The videos ignore that the propeller's aerodynamic profile effects +its performance and thus it is worth atleast trying to pick a profile +that our understanding of physics would support. + +This is particularly bad with videos where people model and then print +toroidal propellers after basically making up dimensions and then are +surprised the performance isn't that great. +Toroidal propellers got some buzz on the internet after a researcher at +MIT pulished a paper showing a toroidal propeller design that was quieter +and safer than traditional designs with comparable thrust. +Most of the propellers I've seen people try on YouTube have dimensions +that aren't supported by theory (other than they look like the ones from +MIT) and most of them don't even do that. + +The best video I've seen on YouTube that shows how to model a propeller in CAD +is linked below. +The presenter is not very exciting, but he does a good job explaining what profile +he is using and how he is "twisting" the profile to get the right angle of attack +at different points along the propeller. + +The comments on the video by @gumbykevbo are also very informative. + +{{< video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGszDz0tlRY >}} + +