Trek Aerospace Advantage

Overview

CFD
Trek has developed a proprietary CFD software program, TASPA (Trek Aerospace Shrouded Propeller Analysis), to design shrouded propeller modules.

Wind Tunnel Tests
In 2000, our original, 38” diameter, 5-bladed, shrouded-fan spent 10 weeks in the NASA Ames’ 7’x10’ wind tunnel.  We tested various shroud attitudes, airspeeds, and configurations.  The results were used to verify the accuracy of TASPA.

In 2007, we tested a 54” diameter, shrouded prop against a 76” free prop in the University of Maryland’s Glenn L. Martin Wind Tunnel.  The results of that test confirmed that the smaller, shrouded prop produced more thrust than the conventional free prop at airspeeds up to 200 knots.

Static Tests
Using our wind tunnel data and predictions from TASPA, we performed 3 months of static thrust enhancement in 2001.  The result was that during that time we increased our Figure of Merit (a measure of static thrust efficiency) from 56% to 76%.  (We currently achieve Figure of Merits in excess of 80%.)

Performance enhancements
All of our detailed analysis and testing gave us a better understanding of just how shrouded props work.  Because of this, Trek now designs and builds shrouded-props that produce up to 75% more static thrust than most of our competition.

We haven’t spent all of our efforts on static thrust, however.  The old rule of thumb was that a shrouded prop was only good to about 150 mph (130 knots).  As the results from our 2007 wind tunnel tests confirm, Trek’s shrouded props are better than free props at airspeeds up to 200 knots.