Shape reconfiguration for underwater propeller efficiency improvement

We investigate experimentally the propulsive efficiency of a propeller in water with chordwise flexible blades that deform under the action of fluid loading. Using a scale model experiment, we record the deformation of the blades as well as the thrust and torque generated by the rotor. The use of flexible materials can improve the resilience to changing external conditions: with optimal flexibility, the blades deform and remain efficient under off-design conditions. We derive a theoretical law for blade tip deformation and show good agreement with experiments. Our results suggest that, using only the blade flexibility alone, we are able to program the blade deformation to passively adopt an optimized shape for efficient propulsion within a given parameter range.