Session JD - Vortex Dynamics III.
ORAL session, Monday afternoon, November 19
Marriott Hall 2, Marriott Hotel and Marina San Diego
Rotor blades are often modeled using either the lifting-line or the lifting-surface approach. Classical lifting-line theory treats the case of a high aspect ratio blade where the blade is modeled by just a bound vortex line. The tip-vortex and the trailing vortex sheet are shed from the bound vortex line. The lifting-line approach will thus be expected to be accurate for large aspect ratio wings and blades. In the lifting-surface approach the blade is modeled by a thin lifting surface to more precisely understand the aerodynamic behavior of the chordwise flow close to the blade surface and its effect on the formation of the tip-vortex and consequently the entire wake. Due to the presence of a finite chord, this model seems to be more robust as far as chordwise changes in flow patterns are concerned. The objective of the present work is to compare results from two distinct vortex-wake models. The Wake Model with Lifting-Line has a robust model for the wake. The Lifting-Surface Model with Wake Effects has a robust model for the lifting-surface with additional terms in the governing equations representing a simplified model for the wake. Bound and tip-vortex strengths, tip-vortex trajectories and velocity profiles are evaluated using these models very close to the blade. It is observed that the results obtained from these models are comparable. The minor discrepancies observed are explained in terms of the assumptions made. To establish the validity of the models the results are also compared with experimental data.
Sponsored by the Rotorcraft Center of Excellence at Georgia Institute of Technology and the Army Research Office.