Experimental and numerical investigation of the surface-modified treatment and aerodynamic performance of a ducted-fan impeller

A ducted fan is a potential solution to improve the dynamic performance of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The impeller of the ducted fan is the most critical plastic part. Compared with the injection molding process, the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) process has a lower cost and shorter cycle time, but its roughness and lift performance are undesirable. Based on the hydrophobic surface treatment and the related performance research of the ducted fan impeller, this research aimed to improve the anti-impedance properties. Then, the modified surface of the impeller was built based on mussel-inspired mechanisms and the chemical surface-coating process of fan products. Experiments were conducted using a scanning electron microscope with an ener-gy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy system (SEM-EDS), laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), and a UAV dynamic test platform. The experimental results show that the coating resulted in reduced surface roughness for injection molding and FDM mold..., Experiments were conducted using a scanning electron microscope with an ener-gy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy system (SEM-EDS), laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), and a UAV dynamic test platform., No