Thermodynamic Analysis of Distributed Propulsion

Thermodynamic Analysis of Distributed Propulsion | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Thermodynamic Analysis of Distributed Propulsion Galen J. Suppes, Adam B. Suppes This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4670270/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The ability of propulsion Sources (Sources) to increase the L/D-efficiency of aircraft is highly dependent on the Sources’ locations, surrounding surface morphologies, and lost work associated with Sources’ operating points. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations were performed on airfoils (i.e., 2D CFD) to provide guidelines for identifying base case specifications of these variables. Trailing-edge upper-surface Source locations provided the greatest direct impact on L/D-efficiency, but mid-chord Sources provided the ability to minimize the interference of sequential thin-plate wing sections. Optimal surrounding surface morphologies depend on the mode of operation, being different for descent and cruising; and so, morphing surfaces are needed to maximize the effectiveness of distributed propulsion. Relative to free stream conditions, Sources have lower pressures at intakes and higher pressures at discharges; the optimal positioning of these pressure differences to generate lift has a significant impact on L/D-efficiency. Metrics were identified to maximize the gain-loss ratio of increased L/D-efficiency versus lost thrust. Distributed-propulsion approaches have particular utility toward designing high- L/D low- AR airframes. Aeronautics and Astronautics Lift Drag thin camber solar aircraft LD-efficiency energy analysis Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare potential competing interests as follows: The authors are inventors on related patents. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4670270","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":321408808,"identity":"10906d73-e640-45b5-9cc2-d0aaee0c7c7b","order_by":0,"name":"Galen J. Suppes","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA1UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBADOQMgIUGSFmPStSRuIFqL/IzcYw8+/KlN385/gPF2RcUdOQb2w0c34NNicCMv3XBm2/HcnTMSmC3PnHlmzMCTlnYDrxaJHDNp3oZjuRtu8H+TbGw7nNggwWOGV4v8DKCWP3+OpRucP8AG0lJPUAvDDaAWBraaBIMDCWAtCQyEtBiceZdu2Nt2wHDDDaBfGs4cNmwj5Bf5dmCI/fhTJw90GOPNhorD8vzsh4/hdxgDDxuQOIzgs+FXDtdSR1jdKBgFo2AUjFwAADOITJoPcjSaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3076-4955","institution":"HS-Drone LLC","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Galen","middleName":"J.","lastName":"Suppes","suffix":""},{"id":321408809,"identity":"e212813e-4256-4af8-bff3-02fe380495f5","order_by":1,"name":"Adam B. Suppes","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5719-7907","institution":"HS-Drone LLC","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Adam","middleName":"B.","lastName":"Suppes","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-07-01 21:36:49","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":false,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":true,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false,"humanSubjectConsent":false,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4670270/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4670270/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":59543194,"identity":"829e5f16-3821-4573-9484-17d4faa498da","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-07-03 04:29:06","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":7168744,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ThermodynamicAnalysisofDistributedPropulsion.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4670270/v1_covered_54900157-50d7-4e91-b821-86eb3c7712e9.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare potential competing interests as follows: The authors are inventors on related patents. ","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eThermodynamic Analysis of Distributed Propulsion\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Lift, Drag, thin camber, solar aircraft, LD-efficiency, energy analysis","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4670270/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4670270/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe ability of propulsion Sources (Sources) to increase the L/D-efficiency of aircraft is highly dependent on the Sources’ locations, surrounding surface morphologies, and lost work associated with Sources’ operating points. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations were performed on airfoils (i.e., 2D CFD) to provide guidelines for identifying base case specifications of these variables. Trailing-edge upper-surface Source locations provided the greatest direct impact on L/D-efficiency, but mid-chord Sources provided the ability to minimize the interference of sequential thin-plate wing sections. Optimal surrounding surface morphologies depend on the mode of operation, being different for descent and cruising; and so, morphing surfaces are needed to maximize the effectiveness of distributed propulsion. Relative to free stream conditions, Sources have lower pressures at intakes and higher pressures at discharges; the optimal positioning of these pressure differences to generate lift has a significant impact on L/D-efficiency. Metrics were identified to maximize the gain-loss ratio of increased L/D-efficiency versus lost thrust. Distributed-propulsion approaches have particular utility toward designing high-\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eL/D\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e low-\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAR \u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eairframes.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Thermodynamic Analysis of Distributed Propulsion","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-07-03 04:20:58","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4670270/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"8d98a079-2435-4813-bf49-63c557a09eae","owner":[],"postedDate":"July 3rd, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":33980792,"name":"Aeronautics and Astronautics"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-07-03T04:20:58+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-07-03 04:20:58","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4670270","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4670270","identity":"rs-4670270","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}