Home   >   CSC-OpenAccess Library   >    Manuscript Information
Influence of Helicopter Rotor Wake Modeling on Blade Airload Predictions
Christos Zioutis, Apostolos Spyropoulos, Anastasios Fragias, Dionissios Margaris, Dimitrios Papanikas
Pages - 521 - 537     |    Revised - 30-12-2009     |    Published - 31-01-2010
Volume - 3   Issue - 6    |    Publication Date - January 2010  Table of Contents
MORE INFORMATION
KEYWORDS
Helicopter aerodynamics, rotor wake, vortex core
ABSTRACT
In the present paper a computational investigation is made about the efficiency of recently developed mathematical models for specific aerodynamic phenomena of the complicated helicopter rotor flowfield. A developed computational procedure is used, based on a Lagrangian type, Vortex Element Method. The free vortical wake geometry and rotor airloads are computed. The efficiency of special models concerning vortex core structure, vorticity diffusion and vortex straining regarding rotor airloads prediction is tested. Investigations have also been performed in order to assess a realistic value for empirical factors included in vorticity diffusion models. The benefit of using multiple vortex line to simulate trailing wake vorticity behind blade span instead of isolated lines or vortex sheets, in spite their computational cost, is demonstrated with the developed wake relaxation method. The computational results are compared with experimental data from wind tunnel tests, performed during joined European research programs.
CITED BY (2)  
1 Hegne, A. V., & Hegne, P. Design and Power Transmission of Advanced Light Helicopter.
2 Rodriguez, S. B. (2011). Swirling Jets for the Mitigation of Hot Spots and Thermal Stratification in the VHTR Lower Plenum. 7474, Sandia National Laboratories (available at.
1 Google Scholar 
2 Academic Journals Database 
3 ScientificCommons 
4 ScientificCommons 
5 Academic Index 
6 CiteSeerX 
7 refSeek 
8 iSEEK 
9 Socol@r  
10 ResearchGATE 
11 Libsearch 
12 Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (BASE) 
13 Scribd 
14 WorldCat 
15 SlideShare 
16 PdfSR 
17 PDFCAST 
18 Chinese Directory Of Open Access 
A. I. Spyropoulos, A. P. Fragias, D. G. Papanikas and D. P. Margaris. “Influence of arbitrary vortical wake evolution on flowfield and noise generation of helicopter rotors”. Proceedings of the 22nd ICAS Congress, Harrogate, United Kingdom, 2000.
A. I. Spyropoulos, C. K. Zioutis, A. P. Fragias, E. E. Panagiotopoulos and D. P. Margaris. “Computational tracing of BVI phenomena on helicopter rotor disk”. International Review of Aerospace Engineering (I.RE.AS.E), 2(1):13-23, February 2009.
A. J. Chorin. “Computational fluid mechanics”. 1st edition, Academic Press, (1989).
C. Golia, B. Buonomo and A. Viviani. “Grid Free Lagrangian Blobs Vortex Method with Brinkman Layer Domain Embedding Approach for Heterogeneous Unsteady Thermo Fluid Dynamics Problems”. International Journal of Engineering, 3(3):313-329, 2009.
C. K Zioutis, A. I. Spyropoulos, D. P. Margaris and D. G. Papanikas. “Numerical investigation of BVI modeling effects on helicopter rotor free wake simulations”. Proceedings of the 24th ICAS Congress, 2004, Yokohama, Japan.
C. Tung and L. Ting. “Motion and decay of a vortex ring”. Physics of Fluids, 10(5):901-910, 1967.
D. B. Bliss, M. E. Teske and T. R. Quackenbush. “A new methodology for free wake analysis using curved vortex elements”. NASA CR-3958, 1987.
D. H. Wood and D. Li. “Assessment of the accuracy of representing a helical vortex by straight segments”. AIAA Journal, 40(4):647-651, 2005.
G. H. Vatistas, V. Kozel and W. C. Mih. “A simpler model for concentrated vortices”. Experiments in Fluids, 11(1):73-76, 1991.
G. H. Xu and S. J. Newman. “Helicopter rotor free wake calculations using a new relaxation technique”. Proceedings of 26th European Rotorcraft Forum, Paper No. 37, 2000.
G. J. Leishman, A. Baker and A. Coyne "Measurements of rotor tip vortices using threecomponent laser doppler velocimetry". Journal of American Helicopter Society, 41(4):342- 353, 1996.
G. J. Leishman, M. J. Bhagwat and A. Bagai. “Free-vortex filament methods for the analysis of helicopter rotor wakes”. Journal of Aircraft, 39(5):759-775, 2002.
G. K. Batchelor, “Introduction to fluid dynamics”. Cambridge University Press, (1967).
H. B. Squire. “The growth of a vortex in turbulent flow”. Aeronautical Quarterly, 16(3):302- 306, 1965.
J. A. Stott and P. W. Duck. “The effects of viscosity on the stability of a trailing-line vortex in compressible flow”. Physics of Fluids, 7(9):2265-2270, 1995.
J. M. Bhagwat and G. J. Leishman. “Correlation of helicopter rotor tip vortex measurements”. AIAA Journal, 38(2):301-308, 2000.
J. M. Bhagwat and G. J. Leishman. “Generalized viscous vortex model for application to freevortex wake and aeroacoustic calculations”. Proceedings of American Helicopter Society 58th Annual Forum and Technology Display, Montreal, Canada, 2002.
K. Chua and T.R. Quackenbush. “Fast three-dimensional vortex method for unsteady wake calculations”. AIAA Journal, 31(10):1957-1958, 1993.
M. J. Bhagwat and G. J. Leishman. “Rotor aerodynamics during manoeuvring flight using a time-accurate free vortex wake”. Journal of American Helicopter Society, 48(3):143-158, 2003.
M. J. Bhagwat and G. J. Leishman. “Stability, consistency and convergence of time-marching free-vortex rotor wake algorithms”. Journal of American Helicopter Society, 46(1):59-71, 2001.
M. P. Scully and J. P. Sullivan. “Helicopter rotor wake geometry and airloads and development of laser Doppler velocimeter for use in helicopter rotor wakes”. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Aerophysics Laboratory Technical Report 183, MIT DSR No. 73032, 1972.
M. P. Scully. “Computation of helicopter rotor wake geometry and its influence on rotor harmonic airloads”. ASRL TR 178-1, 1975
M. Ramasamy, G. J. Leishman. “Interdependence of diffusion and straining of helicopter blade tip vortices”. Journal of Aircraft, 41(5):1014-1024, 2004.
N. Hariharan and L. N. Sankar. “A review of computational techniques for rotor wake modeling”. Proceedings of AIAA 38th Aerospace Sciences Meeting, AIAA 00-0114, Reno NV, 2000.
S. E. Windnall and T. L. Wolf. “Effect of tip vortex structure on helicopter noise due to blade vortex interactions”. AIAA Journal of Aircraft, 17(10):705-711, 1980.
S. Gupta and G. J. Leishman. “Accuracy of the induced velocity from helicoidal vortices using straight-line segmentation”. AIAA Journal, 43(1):29-40, 2005.
T. A. Egolf and A. J. Landgrebe. “A prescribed wake rotor inflow and flow field prediction analysis”. NASA CR 165894, June 1982.
T. Leonard. “Computing three dimensional incompressible flows with vortex elements”. Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics, 17: 523-559, 1985.
T. R. Quackenbush, D. A. Wachspress and Boschitsch. “Rotor aerodynamic loads computation using a constant vorticity contour free wake model”. Journal of Aircraft, 32(5):911-920, 1995.
T. S. Beddoes. “A wake model for high resolution airloads”. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Basic Rotorcraft Research, Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD, 1985.
T. Sarpkaya. “Computational methods with vortices - The 1988 Freeman scholar lecture”. ASME Journal of Fluids Engineering, 111(5):5-52, March 1989.
W. Johnson. “Rotorcraft aerodynamics models for a comprehensive analysis”. Proceedings of 54th Annual Forum of American Helicopter Society, Washington, DC, May 20-22, 1998.
W. R. Splettstoesser, G. Niesl, F. Cenedese, F. Nitti and D. G. Papanikas. “Experimental results of the European HELINOISE aeroacoustic rotor test”. Journal of American Helicopter Society, 40(2):3-14, 1995.
Mr. Christos Zioutis
University of Patras - Greece
zioutis@mech.upatras.gr
Mr. Apostolos Spyropoulos
University of Patras - Greece
Mr. Anastasios Fragias
University of Patras - Greece
Associate Professor Dionissios Margaris
Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics Department - Greece
Professor Dimitrios Papanikas
University of Patras - Greece


CREATE AUTHOR ACCOUNT
 
LAUNCH YOUR SPECIAL ISSUE
View all special issues >>
 
PUBLICATION VIDEOS