Page "Propeller (marine)" Paragraph 13

The blade element theory ( BET ) is a mathematical process originally designed by William Froude ( 1878 ), David W. Taylor ( 1893 ) and Stefan Drzewiecki to determine the behaviour of propellers.

It involves breaking an airfoil down into several small parts then determining the forces on them.

These forces are then converted into accelerations, which can be integrated into velocities and positions.