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Assessment of current rotor design comparison practices based on high-fidelity CFD methods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 January 2020

T. Fitzgibbon ,
M. Woodgate  and
G. Barakos Open the ORCID record for G. Barakos [Opens in a new window]
T. Fitzgibbon
Affiliation:
CFD Laboratory, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
M. Woodgate
Affiliation:
CFD Laboratory, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
G. Barakos*
Affiliation:
CFD Laboratory, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
*
george.barakos@glasgow.ac.uk
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Abstract

This paper provides an assessment of current rotor design comparison practices. First, the employed CFD method is validated for a number of rotor designs and is shown to achieve accurate performance predictions in hover and high-speed forward flight. Based on CFD results, a detailed investigation is performed in terms of comparing different rotor designs. The CFD analysis highlighted the need of high fidelity methods due to the subtle aerodynamics involved in advanced planforms. Nevertheless, the paper suggests that the correct basis for comparison in terms of performance metrics must be used to inform decisions about the suitability of the rotor blades designs for specific applications. In particular, when comparing blades of advanced planforms, direct torque and thrust comparisons are better than the commonly used lift to drag ratio and figure of merit.

Keywords

Rotor designRotorcraft CFDSolidity
Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 124 , Issue 1275 , May 2020 , pp. 731 - 766
Copyright
© Royal Aeronautical Society 2020

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