Advanced Cycloidal Aero-Propulsion System (ACAPS)

This proposal provides research and assessment of the Cycloidal Propeller for stratospheric airship operations. This effort will include design and simulation of a propeller system sized for the stratospheric airship, assessment of materials, their performance, reliability for long-endurance operations, and weight impact as compared with prior material types. Subscale validation experiments to corroborate aerodynamic performance model results will be performed. We will assess performance and applications of Cycloidal Propellers across the range of operating environments and temperature extremes that could be encountered during long-duration flight. Cycloidal Propellers have a unique ability to convert low-velocity, high-volume fluid flow into useful, efficient thrust. It is about 99% volumetrically efficient and offers higher levels of thrust per power input than conventional propeller types. The high efficiency reduces the demands for power, fuel weight or solar cell quantity on a stratospheric airship. It is highly responsive to motion control commands, and has the ability to vector thrust in any direction (perpendicular to its axis of rotation) almost immediately, providing unprecedented levels of maneuverability and station-keeping. It is well suited to hold an airship in a fixed position, both vertically and horizontally, and for maneuvering an airship for launch, recovery, docking and ground handling.