The cross-sectional area of a propeller in aircraft design represents the area through which air is ingested and expelled by the engine. It is a critical parameter for understanding engine performance and thrust generation. The formula to calculate the cross-sectional area of the propeller (A_prop) is as follows:
- A = Cross-sectional area of the propeller (in square meters, m²)
- ṁ = Mass flow rate of the propeller-driven engine (in kilograms per second, kg/s)
- ρ = Density of the air ingested by the engine (in kilograms per cubic meter, kg/m³)
- V = Inlet velocity of the air (in meters per second, m/s)