Aerodynamic design optimization of helicopter rotor blades including airfoil shape for hover performance

This study proposes a process to obtain an optimal helicopter rotor blade shape for aerodynamic performance in hover flight. A new geometry representation algorithm which uses the class function/shape function transformation (CST) is employed to generate airfoil coordinates. With this approach, airfoil shape is considered in terms of design variables. The optimization process is constructed by integrating several programs developed by author. The design variables include twist, taper ratio, point of taper initiation, blade root chord, and coefficients of the airfoil distribution function. Aerodynamic constraints consist of limits on power available in hover and forward flight. The trim condition must be attainable. This paper considers rotor blade configuration for the hover flight condition only, so that the required power in hover is chosen as the objective function of the optimization problem. Sensitivity analysis of each design variable shows that airfoil shape has an important role in rotor performance. The optimum rotor blade reduces the required hover power by 7.4% and increases the figure of merit by 6.5%, which is a good improvement for rotor blade design.     

Hover performance of helicopter main and tail rotors with swirl velocities

It is important to quickly predict the hover performance of main and tail rotors with sufficient precision for helicopter design. To investigate the effects of swirl velocities on the hover performance of main and tail rotors, and give a better prediction for the hover performance, a flight performance model was derived and a swirl velocity model was coupled into it. The test data of the UH-60A helicopter were used for validation. When the blade loading coefficient of the main rotor was higher than 005, the effects of the swirl velocities on the main rotor power became significant. The swirl velocities increased the profile torque of the main rotor. The increased torque required the tail rotor to produce more thrust with more power consumption. At a higher blade loading coefficient of the main rotor of 012, the swirl velocities increased the main rotor power, tail rotor power and total power by 380%, 524% and 508%, respectively. The profile power increase of the main rotor caused by the profile swirl velocity was less than that of the induced swirl velocity, but the power increase was higher at high rotor blade loadings. Considering the swirl velocities in the main rotor can improve the prediction precision of the hover performance, especially at high blade loadings      

Numerical analysis on noise of rotor with unconventional blade tips based on CFD/Kirchhoff method

A solver is developed aiming at efficiently predicting rotor noise in hover and forward flight. In this solver, the nonlinear near-field solutions are calculated by a hybrid approach which includes the Navier-Stokes and Euler equations based on a moving-embedded grid system and adaptive grid methodology. A combination of the third-order upwind scheme and flux-difference splitting scheme, instead of the second-order center-difference scheme which may cause larger wake dissipation, has been employed in the present computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The sound pressure data in the near field can be calculated directly by solving the Navier-Stokes equations, and the sound propagation can be predicted by the Kirchhoff method. A harmonic expansion approach is presented for rotor far-field noise prediction, which gives an analytical expression for the integral function in the Kirchhoff formula. As a result, the interpolation process is simplified and the efficiency and accuracy of the interpolation are improved. Then, the high-speed impulsive (HIS) noise of a helicopter rotor at different tip Mach numbers and on different observers is calculated and analyzed in hover and forward flight, which shows a highly directional characteristic of the rotor HIS noise with a maximum value in the rotor plane, and the HSI noise weakens rapidly with the increasing of the directivity angle. In order to investigate the effects of the rotor blade-tip shape on its aeroacoustic characteristics, four kinds of blade tips are designed and their noise characteristics have been simulated. At last, a new unconventional CLOR-II blade tip has been designed, and the noise characteristics of the presented CLOR-II model rotor have been simulated and measured compared to the reference rotors with a rectangular or swept-back platform blade tip. The results demonstrate that the unconventional CLOR-II blade tip can significantly reduce the HSI noise of a rotor.     

Aerodynamic optimization design of general parameters for cycloidal propeller in hover based on surrogate model

A surrogate-model-based aerodynamic optimization design method for cycloidal propeller in hover was proposed, in order to improve its aerodynamic efficiency, and analyze the basic criteria for its aerodynamic optimization design. The reliability and applicability of overset mesh method were verified. An optimization method based on Kriging surrogate model was proposed to optimize the geometric parameters for cycloidal propeller in hover with the use of genetic algorithm. The optimization results showed that the thrust coefficient was increased by 3.56%, the torque coefficient reduced by 12.05%, and the figure of merit (FM) increased by 19.93%. The optimization results verified the feasibility of this design idea. Although the optimization was only carried out at a single rotation speed, the aerodynamic efficiency was also significantly improved over a wide range of rotation speeds. The optimal configuration characteristics for micro and small-sized cycloidal propeller were: solidity of 0.2-0.22, maximum pitch angle of 25°-35°, pitch axis locating at 35%-45% of the blade chord length.      

A New Single-blade Based Hybrid CFD Method for Hovering and Forward-flight Rotor Computation

A hybrid Euler/full potential/Lagrangian wake method,based on single-blade simulation,for predicting unsteady aerodynamic flow around helicopter rotors in hover and forward flight has been developed.In this method,an Euler solver is used to model the near wake evolution and transonic flow phenomena in the vicinity of the blade,and a full potential equation(FPE) is used to model the isentropic potential flow region far away from the rotor,while the wake effects of other blades and the far wake are incorporated into the flow solution as an induced inflow distribution using a Lagrangian based wake analysis.To further reduce the execution time,the computational fluid dynamics(CFD) solution and rotor wake analysis(including induced velocity up-date) are conducted parallelly,and a load balancing strategy is employed to account for the information exchange between two solvers.By the developed method,several hover and forward-flight cases on Caradonna-Tung and Helishape 7A rotors are per-formed.Good agreements of the loadings on blade surface with available measured data demonstrate the validation of the method.Also,the CPU time required for different computation runs is compared in the paper,and the results show that the pre-sent hybrid method is superior to conventional CFD method in time cost,and will be more efficient with the number of blades increasing.     

Investigation of rotor control system loads

This paper concentrates on the aeroelasticity analysis of rotor blade and rotor control systems. A new multi-body dynamics model is established to predict both rotor pitch link loads and swashplate servo loads. Two helicopter rotors of UH-60A and SA349/2, both operating in two critical flight conditions, high-speed flight and high-thrust flight, are studied. The analysis shows good agreements with the flight test data and the calculation results using CAMRAD II. The mechanisms of rotor control loads are then analyzed in details based on the present predictions and the flight test data. In high-speed conditions, the pitch link loads are dominated by the integral of blade pitching moments, which are generated by cyclic pitch control. In high-thrust conditions, the positive pitching loads in the advancing side are caused by high collective pitch angle, and dynamic stall in the retreating side excites high-frequency responses. The swashplate servo loads are predominated by the rotor pitch link loads, and the inertia of the swashplate has significant effects on high-frequency harmonics of the servo loads.     

Aerodynamic performance enhancement of a flying wing using nanosecond pulsed DBD plasma actuator

Experimental investigation of aerodynamic control on a 35 swept flying wing by means of nanosecond dielectric barrier discharge(NS-DBD) plasma was carried out at subsonic flow speed of 20–40 m/s, corresponding to Reynolds number of 3.1 · 105–6.2 · 105. In control condition, the plasma actuator was installed symmetrically on the leading edge of the wing. Lift coefficient, drag coefficient, lift-to-drag ratio and pitching moment coefficient were tested with and without control for a range of angles of attack. The tested results indicate that an increase of 14.5% in maximum lift coefficient, a decrease of 34.2% in drag coefficient, an increase of 22.4% in maximum lift-to-drag ratio and an increase of 2 at stall angle of attack could be achieved compared with the baseline case. The effects of pulsed frequency, amplitude and chord Reynolds number were also investigated.And the results revealed that control efficiency demonstrated strong dependence on pulsed frequency. Moreover, the results of pitching moment coefficient indicated that the breakdown of leading edge vortices could be delayed by plasma actuator at low pulsed frequencies.     

跨声速弯掠动叶压气机非定常流场的数值研究(英文)

The unsteady 3D flow fields in a single-stage transonic compressor under designed conditions are simulated numerically to investigate the effects of the curved rotors on the stage performance and the aerodynamic interaction between the blade rows. The results show that, compared to the compressor with unurved rotors, the compressor under scrutiny acquires remarkable increases in efficiency with significantly reduced amplitudes of the time-dependent fluctuation. The amplitude of the pressure fluctuation around the stator leading edge decreases at both endwalls, but increases at the mid-span in the curved rotors. The pressure fluctuation near the stator leading edge, therefore, becomes more uniform in the radial direction of this compressor. Except for the leading edge area, the pressure fluctuatinn amplitude declines remarkably in the tip region of stator surface downstream of the curved rotor, but hardly changes in the middle and at the hub.     

Applications of numerical optimization techniques to design of axial compressor blades

This paper describes the shape optimization of NASA rotor 37 and rotor and stator blades in a single-stage transonic axial compressor.Shape optimization of the blades operating at the design flow condition has been performed using the response surface method and three-dimensional Navier-Stokes analysis.Thin-layer approximation is introduced to the Navier-Stokes equations,and an explicit Runge-Kutta scheme is used to solve the governing equations.The three design variables,blade sweep,lean and skew,are introduced to optimize the three-dimensional stacking line of the blades.The objective function of the shape optimization is an adiabatic efficiency.Throughout the optimization of rotor and stator blades, optimal blade shape can be obtained.It is noted the increase of adiabatic efficiency by optimization of the blade shape with the stacking line in the single-stage transonic axial compressor is more effective in a rotor blade rather than a stator blade because of the large deformation of blade shape in the stator blade.      

Tip-leakage flow loss reduction in a two-stage turbine using axisymmetric-casing contouring

In order to reduce the losses caused by tip-leakage flow, axisymmetric contouring is applied to the casing of a two-stage unshrouded high pressure turbine（HPT） of aero-engine in this paper. This investigation focuses on the effects of contoured axisymmetric-casing on the blade tipleakage flow. While the size of tip clearance remains the same as the original design, the rotor casing and the blade tip are obtained with the same contoured arc shape. Numerical calculation results show that a promotion of 0.14% to the overall efficiency is achieved. Detailed analysis indicates that it reduces the entropy generation rate caused by the complex vortex structure in the rotor tip region, especially in the tip-leakage vortex. The low velocity region in the leading edge（LE） part of the tip gap is enlarged and the pressure side/tip junction separation bubble extends much further away from the leading edge in the clearance. So the blocking effect of pressure side/tip junction separation bubble on clearance flow prevents more flow on the tip pressure side from leaking to the suction side, which results in weaker leakage vortex and less associated losses.     

新型桨尖旋翼悬停气动性能试验及数值研究

通过旋翼台试验和数值模拟方法对具有China Laboratory of Rotorcraft（CLOR）桨尖旋翼的悬停气动性能进行研究。为进行对比研究,共设计完成3副模型旋翼,分别为参考的矩形桨叶、常后掠桨尖的桨叶以及具有CLOR桨尖气动外形的桨叶。在模型旋翼台上进行这3副模型旋翼在不同转速、不同桨叶安装角条件下的旋翼拉力和扭矩测量;数值计算是采用一个基于Narier-Stokes方程／自由尾迹分析／全位势方程的旋翼流场求解的混合计算流体力学（CFD）方法进行的,计算结果与试验结果显示出较好的一致性。在此基础上,数值模拟了在旋翼试验台上很难开展的高速旋转试验状态。最后,根据试验和数值结果,对比分析具有CLOR新型桨尖旋翼与矩形桨尖以及常后掠桨尖旋翼的悬停气动性能,得出关于非常规气动外形桨尖对旋翼气动特性的影响机理,初步体现了CLOR桨尖旋翼具有良好的悬停性能。     

桨叶翼型弯度对摆线桨悬停状态的气动性能影响

以悬停状态下的摆线桨为研究对象,利用数值模拟方法,分别研究了桨叶相对弯度X和最大弯度位置Y对摆线桨气动性能的影响。结果表明:与桨叶为对称翼型的摆线桨相比,当桨叶具有一定弯度且最大弯度位置适中时,摆线桨气动性能得到很大的提升。当桨叶相对弯度X为4%C(C为翼型弦长)、最大弯度位置Y距离前缘40%C~50%C时,摆线桨升力和气动功耗比较低,悬停效率最高,整体气动性能更好。      

改进型CLOR桨尖旋翼气动特性试验研究及数值分析

 通过风洞试验及数值模拟对具有改进型CLOR(CLOR-Ⅱ)桨尖的旋翼悬停和前飞状态气动特性开展研究。在CLOR桨尖旋翼试验及数值分析的基础上,考虑旋翼非定常流场特点,兼顾旋翼悬停和前飞气动性能,对旋翼桨叶的气动外形进行了改进,主要包括采用多种翼型优化配置以综合改善旋翼前行侧压缩性及后行侧桨叶失速特性,并考虑旋翼前飞状态对其桨叶动力学特性的需求,重新设计了桨尖前后缘的外形。在风洞中分别对3种旋翼进行多种状态条件下的试验研究,为从流动细节上获得不同桨尖旋翼的气动特性差别,采用计算流体力学(CFD)方法对试验状态进行了数值模拟对比。对更高转速状态进行模拟,结果表明相对于其他两种旋翼,CLOR-Ⅱ桨尖旋翼在改善跨声速特性和提高失速迎角等方面具有明显优势,而且综合提高了旋翼悬停和前飞气动性能。     

关键设计参数对摆线桨气动性能影响

以西北工业大学自行研制的摆线桨飞行器为研究对象,对简化的二维摆线桨模型进行了非定常数值模拟.在数值模拟模块中,桨叶的公转及俯仰振荡运动采用弹簧近似光滑模型和局部重划模型相结合的动网格技术来处理.重点研究了关键设计参数对摆线桨气动性能的影响,结果表明:随着桨叶数的增加,悬停气动效率提高;随着翼型厚度增加,推力变大,气动功耗减小;桨叶俯仰轴位置位于桨叶弦向中部位置时的功率载荷最大,悬停气动效率最高;随着最大俯仰角增大,气动功耗逐渐增加,悬停气动效率降低;当桨叶上、下半周最大俯仰角之和一定时,采用上半周最大俯仰角小的设置时,推力和气动功耗较大,悬停气动效率也更高.      

风扇转子叶片防颤振设计技术

以某两级风扇为对象开展防颤振设计技术研究。风扇转子叶片设计中,选择了合适的展弦比,既考虑到气动性能水平,还考虑到结构质量和颤振稳定性。采用流固耦合能量法评估所设计风扇的各排转子叶片的颤振稳定性问题,并通过叶片厚度、三维造型、根尖弦长比等设计参数的调整消除颤振风险。研究结果表明:展弦比不应是方案设计阶段防颤设计唯一的关注参数;在叶尖跨声速的转速更容易发生颤振现象;较强的叶尖前缘激波会造成较强的流固耦合作用,形成复杂的气动功分布结构;叶片厚度和尖根弦长比等参数是改善叶片颤振风险的有效参数。      

悬停状态共轴双旋翼桨叶扭转气动特性

针对桨叶气动性能的提高,建立了一套基于悬停状态的共轴双旋翼桨叶扭转设计方法.在该方法中,设定单旋翼桨叶扭转几何安装角,通过仿真验证,合理的桨叶扭转,可提高旋翼性能7.0%;根据桨尖涡对桨叶的影响,以及共轴双旋翼气动特性,分别对桨尖几何安装角及上下旋翼几何安装角进行修正,实现悬停状态共轴双旋翼桨叶扭转设计.最后,对所设计的共轴双旋翼进行模拟仿真,结果表明该扭转翼较未经扭转的矩形翼升力提高了10.3%.      

旋翼非定常气动特性CFD模拟的通用运动嵌套网格方法

针对直升机旋翼非定常气动特性CFD模拟中的网格生成难题,提出了一套高效、通用的运动嵌套网格生成方法.首先,基于Poisson方程求解和翻折法生成旋翼桨叶的正交贴体网格.其次,针对旋翼桨叶的扭转分布及变距、挥舞等复杂运动,建立了一套通用的洞单元识别的扰动衍射法;为保证洞包络面的封闭性,完善了挖洞过程中网格加密策略;在洞边界确立基础上,提出了一种高效、鲁棒的最小距离法贡献单元搜索的改进方法.在此基础上,建立了基于RANS(Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes)方程的旋翼非定常流场CFD模拟方法.最后,采用所建立的方法分别对悬停和前飞状态下的C-T(Caradonna-Tung)旋翼和7A(Helishape 7A)旋翼的气动特性、桨尖涡的位置进行了计算,计算结果与试验值误差小于5%,验证了该运动嵌套网格生成方法在旋翼非定常气动特性CFD模拟中的有效性.      

悬停状态倾转旋翼噪声试验及数值计算

结合消声室试验和数值计算研究了悬停状态倾转旋翼气动噪声特性。消声室试验采用孤立倾转旋翼模型,测试了不同总距角和桨尖马赫数状态的气动噪声数据。数值计算基于CFD(computational fluid dynamic)结合FW-H(Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings)声学方程的方法,采用试验数据验证了计算模型的可靠性。分析了倾转旋翼的噪声传播特点以及拉力系数和桨尖马赫数对噪声总声压级的影响,并对比了孤立旋翼和双旋翼状态的气动噪声特性。结果表明:倾转旋翼噪声随着拉力系数和桨尖马赫数的增加均有所增加,维持旋翼拉力不变时降低桨尖马赫数虽然使得拉力系数增加,旋翼噪声水平仍然降低;倾转双旋翼噪声相对纵向平面对称分布,在多个方位角区域存在着局部最大值,这和双旋翼噪声传播时的相互叠加以及双旋翼间气动干扰相关。