CFD simulation of helicopter rotor flow based on unsteady actuator disk model

Barakos, G.N. , Fitzgibbon, T., Kusyumov, A.N., Kusyumon, S.A. and Mikhailov, S.A. (2020) CFD simulation of helicopter rotor flow based on unsteady actuator disk model. Chinese Journal of Aeronautics, 33(9), pp. 2313-2328. (doi: 10.1016/j.cja.2020.03.021)

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Abstract

Actuator Disks (AD) can provide characterizations of rotor wakes while reducing computational expense associated with modeling the fully resolved blades. This work presents an unsteady actuator disk method based on surface circulation distribution combined with empirical data, blade element theory and rotor momentum theory. The nonuniform circulation distribution accounts for 3D blade load effects, and in particular, tip loses. Numerical simulations were conducted for the isolated pressure sensitive paint model rotor blade in hover and forward flight using the HMB3 CFD solver of Glasgow University. Validation of CFD results in comparison with published numerical data was performed in hover, for a range of blade pitch angles using fully turbulent flow and the k-ω SST model. In forward flight, the vortex structures predicted using the unsteady actuator disk model showed configurations similar to the ones obtained using fully resolved rotor blades. Despite the reduced grid cells number, the CFD results for AD models captured well the main vortical structures around the rotor disk in comparison to the fully resolved cases.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Barakos, Professor George and Fitzgibbon, Thomas
Authors: Barakos, G.N., Fitzgibbon, T., Kusyumov, A.N., Kusyumon, S.A., and Mikhailov, S.A.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Autonomous Systems and Connectivity
Journal Name:Chinese Journal of Aeronautics
Publisher:Elsevier
ISSN:1000-9361
ISSN (Online):2588-9230
Published Online:18 June 2020
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. on behalf of Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics
First Published:First published in Chinese Journal of Aeronautics 33(9): 2313-2328
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

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