JavaProp

JavaProp is a new implementation of the previous SimProp program. SimProp was written purely for the web pages using the "C" language.

It was running on the UNIX workstation which had a high speed permanent connection to the internet. The program was driven via a cgi script which read the input from temporary files being posted from the web browser of the user. Output went back to the user via temporary HTML pages and some embedded graphics were created using the gnuplot program and pbm tools for conversion to GIF.

JavaProp is a relatively simple program, which is based on the blade element theory. The blade is divided into small sections, which are handled independently from each other. Each segment has a chord and a blade angle and associated airfoil characteristics. The theory makes no provision for three dimensional effects, like sweep angle or cross flow. But it is able to find the additional axial and circumferential velocity added to the incoming flow by each blade segment. This additional velocity results in an acceleration of the flow and thus thrust. Usually this simplified model works very well, when the power and thrust loading of the propeller (power per disk area) is relatively small, as it is the case for most aircraft propellers.

The analysis results of JavaProp will be slightly different from SimProp.