Analysis of Tail Rotor Orthogonal Blade Vortex Interaction. Dept Report 0301

Suttie, D. R. and Coton, F. N. (2003) Analysis of Tail Rotor Orthogonal Blade Vortex Interaction. Dept Report 0301. Technical Report. Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

During helicopter operation, the wake of the main rotor can interact with the main rotor blades and the tail rotor blades. The focus of the present research Is the interaction of the main rotor tip vortices with the tail rotor blades. Helicopters are particularly susceptible to this type of blade vortex interaction during low angle descent and climb. As a result of these interactions high decibel noise is emitted and control degradation may occur. The aim of the present research is to indicially model the blade vortex interaction for the limiting orthogonal case. It is hoped that the research will provide a greater understanding of the complex interactions leading, in the long term, to the potential development of more environmentally appealing civil aircraft and increased component life. In this report initial analysis of pressure data from the orthogonal interactions of a vortex with a stationary blade, collected in the University of Glasgow 2.64 m by 2.04 m wind tunnel is presented. This analysis involved removing high frequency noise and random freestream turbulence effects from the data before examining the impulsive change in normal force during the initial stages of the interaction. It has been established that the impulsive response is most severe in the vicinity of the vortex core centreline where the axial core flow in the vortex is the dominant parameter. With increasing distance from the core, the severity of the response becomes dependent on the sense of rotation of the vortex. Finally, the future direction of the work towards development of a robust indicial model of the phenomenon is discussed.

• Item Type: Research Reports or Papers (Technical Report)
• Status: Published
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Coton, Professor Frank
• Authors: Suttie, D. R., and Coton, F. N.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Autonomous Systems and Connectivity
• Publisher: Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Glasgow
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2003 Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Glasgow
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced with the permission of the Department