Propeller Theories

PROPELLER PSB KIRUBAKARAN M.S.
THEORIES
CONTENTS
• Momentum Theory
• Blade Element Theory
2
ROTOR IN VERTICAL FLIGHT
The helicopter rotor produces an upward thrust by driving a column of air downwards through the rotor plane.
A relationship between the thrust produced and the velocity of the air can be obtained by,
→ Newtonian mechanics
→ Laws of conservation of mass
→ Laws of conservation of momentum
→ Laws of conservation of energy
This approach is commonly referred to as THE MOMENTUM THEORY for helicopters
The rotor is conceived as an 'actuator disc', across which there is a sudden increase of pressure, uniformly spread.
In HOVER the column of air passing through the disc is a clearly defined streamtube above and below the disc
→ Outside this streamtube the air is undisturbed.
→ No rotation is imparted to the flow.
3
The helicopter rotor in HOVER condition
Flow Field Pressure Velocity
As air is sucked into the disc from above, the pressure falls.
→ An increase of pressure ∆p occurs at the disc, after which the pressure falls again in the outflow,
→ Again coming back to the initial or atmospheric level p∞
→ Velocity in the streamtube increases from zero at 'upstream infinity' to a value vi at the disc
→ The increase in pressure falls in the outflow', reaching a value v∞ at 'downstream infinity’
→ Continuity of mass flow in the streamtube requires that the velocity is continuous through the disc.
4
Flow Field Pressure Velocity
→ Energy conservation, in the form of Bernoulli's equation, can be applied separately to the flows before and after the disc.
→ Using the assumption of incompressible flow, we have in THE INFLOW
1 2
p = pi +  vi
2
→ In THE OUTFLOW
1 2 1 2
pi + p +  vi = p +  v
2 2
5
From the inflow and outflow expressions, we have, 1 2
p =  v
2
Now by momentum conservation, the thrust T on the disc is equal to the overall rate of increase of axial momentum of the
air,
T =  Avi v
A being the disc area, hence ρAvi is the mass flow through it.
Since ∆p is the thrust per unit area of the disc, we have,
T
p = =  Avi v
A
From the above two expressions for ∆p we have,

v = 2vi
From the above expression, it is incurred that the half the velocity wrt the air occurs above the disc and half below it, and the
relationship between thrust and the velocity vi → sub the value of vi in the Thrust expression, we have,
T = 2  Avi2
6
T = 2  Avi2
From the thrust expression, we can derive the significance of vi
T
vi =
2 A
Also, the ratio w =
T is termed the 'DISC LOADING’
A
w
vi =
2
vi is the 'induced velocity' or alternatively the 'downwash', which becomes more obvious when the helicopter is in forward
flight
The level of disc loading for a piston-engine helicopter → 10 kg/m2

The level of disc loading for a gas turbine engines helicopter → 30 ~ 40 kg/m2
7
The work done on the air, represented by

→ Change in kinetic energy per unit time, is
1 1 1
( m ) v2 = (  Avi ) v2 = (  Avi ) (2vi )2 = 2  Avi3 = Tvi
2 2 2
→ This is known as the Induced power of the rotor (Pi)
Pi = Tvi
From the expression of induced velocity, vi
T 3/2
T
Pi = Tvi = T =
2 A 2 A
Hence the Induced power of the rotor (Pi) is given as,

T 3/2
Pi =
2 A
8
The rotor tip speed is given by → ΩR

where Ω is the angular velocity and R the rotor radius.
Then the coefficients to non - dimensionalize the parameters for deriving the characteristics can be given as,
Thrust Power Induced Velocity
T P vi
CT = CP = i =
 A ( R )  A ( R )
2 3
R
Hence the relationships of simple momentum theory for a rotor in hover can be expressed as follows;
Combing the expressions, we can write the parameters as follows;
CT 3/2
i =
CT CPi = CT =
2 2
9
FIGURE OF MERIT
→ The induced power Pi is the major part of the total power absorbed by a rotor in hover.
→ The power component required to overcome the aerodynamic drag of the blades → PROFILE POWER (P0)
→ The induced power relates to the useful function of the rotor that of producing lift
→ The ratio of induced power to total power is a measure of ROTOR EFFICIENCY in the hover.
→ This ratio is called the FIGURE OF MERIT, commonly denoted by M.
Using the results of simple momentum theory, M may be variously expressed as:
Pi
M=
( Pi + P0 )
The above expression can be expressed in terms of non-dimensionalized parameters, as follows,
−1
Pi  P0   CP 2 
M= = 1 +  = 1 + 0 3/2 
( Pi + P0 )  Pi   CT 
10
ROTOR IN VERTICAL FLIGHT – BLADE ELEMENT THEORY
Blade element theory is basically the application of the standard process of aerofoil theory to the rotating blade.
The blade is assumed throughout to be rigid

→ at normal rotation speeds the outward centrifugal force is the largest force acting on a blade
→ effect is sufficient to hold the blade in rigid form.
→ In vertical flight, including hover, the main problem is the need to integrate the elementary forces along the blade span.
→ The blade incidence and induced flow angles are normally small enough to allow small-angle approximations.
Blade rotation is anticlockwise with angular velocity Ω
The blade radius is R, the tip speed therefore being ΩR, alternatively written as Vt
11
An elementary blade section is taken at
→ radius y
→ chord length c
→ spanwise width dy
The flow seen by the section has velocity components

→ Ωy in the disc plane
→ ( vi + Vc) perpendicular to it.
12
The flow seen by the section has velocity components

→ Ωy in the disc plane
→ ( vi + Vc) perpendicular to it.
→ Blade Pitch angle → θ

→ Inflow angle → φ
→ Angle of incidence of blade section → α
13
The resultant of component of Velocity is given as,
U = ( vi + Vc ) + ( y ) 
2 2
 
The angle between the flow direction and the plane of rotation, known as the inflow angle φ ,is given by,
 ( vi + Vc ) 
 = tan 
−1

 ( ) 
 y
14
For smaller inflow angles, the approximation can be given as follows,
 ( vi + Vc ) 
= 
 ( y ) 
The angle of incidence of the blade section (α) can be given as,
 =  −
15
The elementary lift and drag forces on the section can be given as follows,
1
dL = U 2 ( cdy ) CL
2
1
dD = U 2 ( cdy ) CD
2
16
Resolving these normal and parallel to the disc plane gives an element of thrust (dT)and an element of blade torque(dQ)
dT = dL cos  − dD sin 
dQ = ( dL sin  + dD cos  ) y
17
The inflow angle φ may generally be assumed small

→ near the blade root where Ωy is small
→ The blade loads are small.
The following approximations can therefore be made: U = y
dT = dL
dQ = ( dL + dD ) y 18
Dimensionless quantities to characterize the performance parameters can be given as follows,
dT
r=y R dCT =
 A ( R )
2
U y dQ
= =r dCQ =
R R
 A ( R ) R
2
19
The inflow factor (λ ) along the blade profile can be given as follows,
=
( vi + Vc )
= r
R
20
The element of thrust can be evaluated as follows,

1
dT dL
U 2 ( cdy ) CL 1 c
dCT = = =2 = C r 2
dr
 A ( R )  ( R 2 ) ( R )  ( R ) ( R ) 2R
2 2 2 2 L
1 c
dCT = CL r 2 dr
2R 21
The element of thrust can be evaluated as follows,
1 c
For a Single Blade → dCT = CL r 2 dr
2R
1 Nc
For ‘N’ Blades → dCT = CL r 2 dr
2R 22
Solidity Ratio (σ)

It is defined as the ratio of blade area to the disc area for a constant blade chord c
Blade(area ) NcR Nc
= = =
Disc(area )  R 2
R
23
The element of thrust in terms of Solidity Ratio for ‘N’ blades can be evaluated as follows,
1 Nc
dCT = CL r 2 dr
wkt →  =
Nc 2R
R
1
dCT =  CL r 2 dr
2
24
END OF LECTURE
25

Propeller Theories

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Propeller Theories

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PROPELLER PSB KIRUBAKARAN M.S.

This approach is commonly referred to as THE MOMENTUM THEORY for helicopters

Flow Field Pressure Velocity

Flow Field Pressure Velocity

From the above two expressions for ∆p we have,

The level of disc loading for a piston-engine helicopter → 10 kg/m2

The work done on the air, represented by

Hence the Induced power of the rotor (Pi) is given as,

The rotor tip speed is given by → ΩR

Thrust Power Induced Velocity

The blade is assumed throughout to be rigid

Blade rotation is anticlockwise with angular velocity Ω

The flow seen by the section has velocity components

The flow seen by the section has velocity components

→ Blade Pitch angle → θ

The resultant of component of Velocity is given as,

For smaller inflow angles, the approximation can be given as follows,

The inflow angle φ may generally be assumed small

Dimensionless quantities to characterize the performance parameters can be given as follows,

The element of thrust can be evaluated as follows,

The element of thrust can be evaluated as follows,

Solidity Ratio (σ)

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