A Hybrid Navier-Stokes/Vortex Particle Wake Methodology for Modeling

Helicopter Rotors in Forward Flight and Maneuvers

Luke Battey

October 20th, 2017

MK 325, 11 AM – 12 noon

Maneuvering flight and high-speed flight are critical design points in any rotorcraft’s operating envelope. These conditions give complex flow phenomena, creating high stresses and vibrations. To accurately predict the flow properties over the relatively flexible rotor blades, coupling between computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and computational structural dynamics (CSD) is required.

In this work, GT-Hybrid, a hybrid wake rotorcraft CFD code that is coupled to DYMORE, is used. A vortex particle method has been implemented in place of the existing lattice methodology. Results have been obtained for two forward flight simulations and are in good agreement with flight test and wind tunnel data.

It is proposed that the GT-Hybrid solver with the vortex particle method be further evaluated by simulating three maneuvering flight conditions – a pull-up maneuver, and two dive-turn maneuvers.

Committee Members