Practical Considerations in Rotor Design Optimisation Studies

Fitzgibbon, T. A., Woodgate, M. A. and Barakos, G. N. (2021) Practical Considerations in Rotor Design Optimisation Studies. 47th European Rotorcraft Forum, 07-09 Sep 2021.

Abstract

The present study demonstrates the application of an adjoint harmonic balance optimisation framework applied to the AH-64A blade. This framework allows for efficient optimisation of unsteady rotor flows whilst maintaining the fidelity of the Navier-Stokes equations. An analysis of the optimised rotor blade is presented, including the key design features that contribute to the performance benefits in each of the examined design conditions. The computational methodology and optimisation setup are analysed based on the impact on the final planform shape. The main areas of investigation include the interaction between the treatment of rotor solidity and trim state, and the employed parameterisation process as well as the impact of solution fidelity on the optimal shape. The employed methodology leads to significant performance benefits, however, the present analysis shows that there is potential for further improvements.

• Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Fitzgibbon, Dr Thomas and Barakos, Professor George and Woodgate, Dr Mark
• Authors: Fitzgibbon, T. A., Woodgate, M. A., and Barakos, G. N.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Autonomous Systems and Connectivity
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 The Authors
• First Published: First published in 47th European Rotorcraft Forum: 15
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

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