Unsteady Aerodynamic Modeling and Analysis of Load Distribution for Helicopter Rotor Blades
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 35, Issue 1
Abstract
The complexity of the kinematics and aerodynamics of rotors is a challenging problem for achieving accurate modeling for prediction of rotor loads. The present paper describes an unsteady aerodynamic model based on strip theory for the prediction of local aerodynamic loads on helicopter blades in translational flights. The proposed model accounts aerodynamically for unsteady behavior, poststall, leading-edge suction, and, structurally, local elastic torsion. Also, the local pitching moment coefficient is calculated according to the local parameters of both aerodynamic characteristics and unsteady angle of attack. A case study with published experimental data is selected to validate the model for the same operating conditions. The case is the 7A rotor high-speed test (point 312) performed in the French Space Lab’s (ONERA) S1MA wind tunnel in Modane-Avrieux, France. The proposed model is capable of predicting, qualitatively, the variation in both local normal force and pitching moment coefficients. Computational solver results are compared with experimental results to qualitatively clarify the physical differences between them. The main conclusion is that the proposed model calculations generally reflect the same trends as the test data, providing confidence in the ability to increase the model’s fidelity in calculating the aerodynamic behavior of rotors.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
References
Allongue, M., and J. Drevet. 1989. “New rotor test rig in the large Modane wind tunnel.” In Proc., Fifteenth European Rotorcraft Forum. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Netherlands Association of Aeronautical Engineers.
Beaumier, P., and Y. Delrieux. 2005. “Description and validation of the ONERA computational method for the prediction of blade-vortex interaction noise.” Aerosp. Sci. Technol. 2005 (Sep): 31–43.
Beer, F. P., E. R. Johnston Jr., and J. DeWolf. 1999. “Mechanics of materials.” Stress 1 (10): 1–12.
Benoit, B., K. Kampa, W. von Grunhagen, P.-M. Basset, and B. Gimonet. 2000. “Host, a general helicopter simulation tool for Germany and France.” In Proc., Annual Forum of the American Helicopter Society, 1110–1131. Fairfax, VA: American Helicopter Society.
Benoit, C., S. Péron, and S. Landier. 2015. “Cassiopee: A CFD pre-and post-processing tool.” Aerosp. Sci. Technol. 45 (Sep): 272–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2015.05.023.
Cambier, L., S. Heib, and S. Plot. 2013. “The Onera elsA CFD software: Input from research and feedback from industry.” Mech. Ind. 14 (3): 159–174. https://doi.org/10.1051/meca/2013056.
Coleman, R. P., A. M. Feingold, and C. W. Stempin. 1945. Evaluation of the induced-velocity field of an idealized helicoptor rotor. Hampton, VA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Costes, J.-J. 1995. “Aerodynamic moments on rotor blades in forward flight: Test results and modeling.”. In Proc., 21st European Rotorcraft Forum. St. Petersburg, Russia: Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute.
Dayhoum, A., M. Y. Zakaria, and E. Abdelhamid. 2020. “Elastic torsion effects on helicopter rotor loading in forward flight.” In Proc., AIAA Scitech 2020 Forum, 0507. Reston, VA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Dayhoum, A., M. Y. Zakaria, and O. E. Abdelhamid. 2019. “Unsteady aerodynamic modeling and prediction of loads for rotary wings in forward flight.” In Proc., Int. Design Engineering Technical Conf. and Computers and Information in Engineering Conf. New York: ASME.
DeLaurier, J. D. 1993. “An aerodynamic model for flapping-wing flight.” Aeronaut. J. 97 (964): 125–130.
Drees, J. M. 1949. “A theory of airflow through rotors and its application to some helicopter problems.” J. Helicopter Assoc. Great Br. 3 (2): 79–104.
Drzewiecki, S. 1920. Théorie générale de l’hélice: Hélices aériennes et hélices marines. Lexington, MA: Gauthier-Villars et cie.
Ferlisi, C. 2018. “Rotor wake modelling using the vortex-lattice method.” Ph.D. thesis, École Polytechnique de Montréal.
Froude, R. E. 1889. “On the part played in propulsion by differences of fluid pressure.” Trans. Inst. Naval Architects 30 (1): 390.
Garinis, D., M. Dinulović, and B. Rašuo. 2012. “Dynamic analysis of modified composite helicopter blade.” FME Trans. 40 (2): 63–68.
Gessow, A., and G. C. Myers. 1952. Aerodynamics of the helicopter. New York: Frederick Ungar.
Hoerner, S. 1965a. “Pressure drag.” Fluid-Dyn. Drag 3 (Apr): 3–16.
Hoerner, S. 1965b. “Skin friction drag.” Fluid-Dyn. Drag 2 (Jan): 2–16.
Jones, R. T. 1940. The unsteady lift of a wing of finite aspect ratio. Washington, DC: NACA.
Kuethe, A., and C. Chow. 1986. The finite wing: Foundations of aerodynamics. 4th ed., 145–164. New York: Wiley.
Lanchester, F. W. 1915. “A contribution to the theory of propulsion and the screw propeller.” J. Am. Soc. Naval Eng. 27 (2): 509–510. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-3584.1915.tb00408.x.
Leishman, G. J. 2006. Principles of helicopter aerodynamics. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.
Liiva, J., F. J. Davenport, L. Gray, and I. C. Walton. 1968. Two-dimensional tests of airfoils oscillating near stall. Volume 1. Summary and evaluation of results. Philadelphia, PA: Boeing VERTOL Co.
Ortun, B., M. Potsdam, H. Yeo, and K. Van Truong. 2017. “Rotor loads prediction on the ONERA 7a rotor using loose fluid/structure coupling.” J. Am. Helicopter Soc. 62 (3): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.4050/JAHS.62.032005.
Proulx-Cabana, V., and E. Laurendeau. 2019. Towards non-linear unsteady vortex lattice method (NL-UVLM) for rotary-wing aerodynamics. Palavakkam, Tamil Nadu: Adventure Aero Sports Association.
Prouty, R. W. 1995. Helicopter performance, stability, and control. Washington, DC: Transportation Research Board.
Rankine, W. J. M. 1865. “On the mechanical principles of the action of propellers.” Trans. Inst. Naval Archit. 1865 (1): 6.
Rodriguez, B., C. Benoit, and P. Gardarein. 2005. “Unsteady computations of the flowfield around a helicopter rotor with model support.” In Proc., 43rd AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, 466. Reston, VA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2005-466.
Scherer, J. O. 1968. Experimental and theoretical investigation of large amplitude oscillation foil propulsion systems.
Shipman, K., and E. Wood. 1971. “A two-dimensional theory for rotor blade flutter in forward flight.” J. Aircr. 8 (12): 1008–1015. https://doi.org/10.2514/3.59198.
Taha, H., and A. S. Rezaei. 2019. “Viscous extension of potential-flow unsteady aerodynamics: The lift frequency response problem.” J. Fluid Mech. 868 (Jun): 141–175. https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.2019.159.
Taha, H. E., and A. S. Rezaei. 2020. “On the high-frequency response of unsteady lift and circulation: A dynamical systems perspective.” J. Fluids Struct. 93 (Jan): 102868. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfluidstructs.2020.102868.
Theodorsen, T. 1935. General theory of aerodynamic instability and the mechanism of flutter. Washington, DC: NACA.
Tourjansky, N., and E. Szechenyi. 1992. The measurement of blade deflections—A new implementation of the strain pattern analysis. Avignon, France: Association Aronautique et Astronautique de France.
Yamauchi, G., and W. Johnson. 1983. Trends of Reynolds number effects on two-dimensional airfoil characteristics for helicopter rotor analyses. Washington, DC: NASA.
Zakaria, M., H. Taha, and M. Hajj. 2017. “Measurement and modeling of lift enhancement on plunging airfoils: A frequency response approach.” J. Fluids Struct. 69 (Feb): 187–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfluidstructs.2016.12.004.
Zakaria, M. Y., H. E. Taha, and M. R. Hajj. 2016. “Design optimization of flapping Ornithopters: The pterosaur replica in forward flight.” J. Aircr. 53 (1): 48–59. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.C033154.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 35 • Issue 1 • January 2022
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 27, 2021
Accepted: Jul 26, 2021
Published online: Sep 21, 2021
Published in print: Jan 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Feb 21, 2022
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.
Cited by
- Abdallah Dayhoum, Mohamed Y. Zakaria, Omar E. Abdelhamid, Experimental Investigation for a Small Helicopter in Hovering and Forward Flight Regimes, Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 10.1061/JAEEEZ.ASENG-4823, 36, 4, (2023).
- Hisham M. Shehata, Mohamed Y. Zakaria, Craig A. Woolsey, Muhammad R. Hajj, Lift enhancement by a flapped trailing edge at low Reynolds number: A frequency response approach, Journal of Fluids and Structures, 10.1016/j.jfluidstructs.2022.103518, 110, (103518), (2022).