Rotorcrafts

Hernán Amaya BEng. MSc. PhD.

Presentation Overview

• Vertical flight.
Helicopters Aerodynamics
Vertical Flight

Slipstream
Boundary

Climb, Normal working state:

• Uniform inflow.

1
*Leishman J. G., (2006). Principles of Helicopter Aerodynamics. Cambridge University Press.
Helicopters Aerodynamics
Vertical Flight

Descent, divided into three conditions:

• Vortex Ring State.
• Turbulent Wake State.
• Windmill Brake State.

2
*Leishman J. G., (2006). Principles of Helicopter Aerodynamics. Cambridge University Press.
Helicopters Aerodynamics
Vertical Flight
𝒗𝒄 + 𝟐𝒗𝒊

Descent, Vortex Ring State: Direction

• Low rates of descent. of velocity

• Tip vortices appears.

• No M.T nor B.E.T available.
𝒗𝒄 + 𝒗𝒊

𝒗𝒄

3
*Leishman J. G., (2006). Principles of Helicopter Aerodynamics. Cambridge University Press.
Helicopters Aerodynamics
Vertical Flight
𝒗𝒄 + 𝟐𝒗𝒊
Descent, Turbulent Wake
State: Direction
of velocity
• Velocity increase further.
• Wake above the rotor
becomes more turbulent. 𝒗𝒄 + 𝒗𝒊
• Helicopter vibrations.
• No M.T nor B.E.T available.

𝒗𝒄

4
*Leishman J. G., (2006). Principles of Helicopter Aerodynamics. Cambridge University Press.
Helicopters Aerodynamics
Vertical Flight
𝒗𝒄 + 𝟐𝒗𝒊
Descent, Windmill Brake State:
• Higher descent velocities. Direction
of velocity
• Rotor extracts energy from
the flow and brakes the flow
velocity like a windmill. 𝒗𝒄 + 𝒗𝒊

𝒗𝒄

𝑃 = 𝑇 𝑣𝑐 + 𝑣𝑖 𝑖𝑓 𝑣𝑐 + 𝑣𝑖 = 0
𝑃 = 0 = 𝐴𝑢𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
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*Leishman J. G., (2006). Principles of Helicopter Aerodynamics. Cambridge University Press.
Helicopters Aerodynamics
Climb, Normal Working State (M.T)
𝑚ሶ = 𝜌𝐴 𝑣𝑐 + 𝑣𝑖 Mass flow rate.
𝑇 = 𝑚ሶ 𝑣𝑐 + 𝑤 − 𝑚𝑣 ሶ 𝑐 Thrust.
𝑇 = 𝑚𝑤ሶ
𝑤 = 2𝑣𝑖
Then
𝑇 = 𝜌𝐴 𝑣𝑐 + 𝑣𝑖 ∗ 2𝑣𝑖
𝑇 = 2𝜌𝐴𝑣ℎ2
Then
𝑣ℎ2 = 𝑣𝑖 𝑣𝑐 + 𝑣𝑖 = 𝑣𝑐 𝑣𝑖 + 𝑣𝑖2 Non-dimensional.
𝑣𝑖 2 𝑣 𝑣
+ 𝑣𝑐 𝑣 𝑖 − 1 = 0 Quadratic equation.
𝑣ℎ ℎ ℎ

𝑣𝑖 𝑣𝑐 𝑣𝑐 2
= − 2𝑣 + +1 Inflow at climb.
𝑣ℎ ℎ 2𝑣ℎ
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Helicopters Aerodynamics
Climb, Normal Working State (M.T)

𝑣𝑖 +𝑣𝑐 𝑣 𝑣𝑐 2
= 2𝑣𝑐 + +1 Net flow at the rotor disk.
𝑣ℎ ℎ 2𝑣ℎ

2𝑣𝑖 +𝑣𝑐 𝑣𝑐 2
=+ +4 At farfield downstream.
𝑣ℎ 2𝑣ℎ

𝑃𝑖 𝑣𝑖 +𝑣𝑐
𝑃ℎ
= 𝑣ℎ
Power ratio.
𝑃𝑖 = 𝑇(𝑣𝑐 + 𝑣𝑖 ) Induced Power.
1 1
ሶ 𝑐2
𝑃𝑖 = 2 𝑚ሶ 𝑣𝑐 + 𝑤 − 2 𝑚𝑣 In terms of Kinetic Energy.
1
𝑃𝑖 = 2 𝑚ሶ 2𝑣𝑐 𝑤 + 𝑤 2

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Helicopters Aerodynamics
Descent, Windmill Brake State (M.T)
𝑚ሶ = 𝜌𝐴 𝑣𝑐 − 𝑣𝑖 Mass flow rate.
−𝑇 = 𝑚ሶ 𝑣𝑐 − 𝑤 − 𝑚𝑣 ሶ 𝑐 Thrust.
𝑇 = −𝑚𝑤ሶ
𝑤 = 2𝑣𝑖
Then
𝑇 = 𝜌𝐴 𝑣𝑐 − 𝑣𝑖 ∗ 2𝑣𝑖
𝑇 = 2𝜌𝐴𝑣ℎ2
Then
𝑣ℎ2 = − 𝑣𝑐 + 𝑣𝑖 𝑣𝑖 = −𝑣𝑐 𝑣𝑖 − 𝑣𝑖2 Non-dimensional.
𝑣𝑖 2 𝑣 𝑣
+ 𝑣𝑐 𝑣 𝑖 + 1 = 0 Quadratic equation.
𝑣ℎ ℎ ℎ

𝑣𝑖 𝑣𝑐 𝑣𝑐 2
= − 2𝑣 − −1 Inflow at descent.
𝑣ℎ ℎ 2𝑣ℎ
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Helicopters Aerodynamics
Descent, Windmill Brake State (M.T)
𝑣𝑖 +𝑣𝑐 𝑣𝑐 𝑣𝑐 2 𝑣𝑐
= + +1 Net flow at the rotor disk, ≥0
𝑣ℎ 2𝑣ℎ 2𝑣ℎ 𝑣ℎ

𝑣𝑖 +𝑣𝑐 𝑣 𝑣𝑐 2 𝑣𝑐
𝑣ℎ
= 2𝑣𝑐 − 2𝑣ℎ
−1 Net flow at the rotor disk, 𝑣ℎ
≤ −2
ℎ

2𝑣𝑖 +𝑣𝑐 𝑣𝑐 2
=± −4 At farfield downstream.
𝑣ℎ 2𝑣ℎ

𝑃𝑖 𝑣𝑖 +𝑣𝑐
= Power ratio.
𝑃ℎ 𝑣ℎ
𝑃𝑖 = −𝑇(𝑣𝑐 − 𝑣𝑖 ) Induced Power.
1 1
ሶ 𝑐2
𝑃𝑖 = 2 𝑚ሶ 𝑣𝑐 − 𝑤 − 2 𝑚𝑣 In terms of Kinetic Energy.
1
𝑃𝑖 = 2 𝑚ሶ −2𝑣𝑐 𝑤 + 𝑤 2

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Helicopters Aerodynamics
Universal Power Curve-a

10
*Leishman J. G., (2006). Principles of Helicopter Aerodynamics. Cambridge University Press.
Helicopters Aerodynamics
Universal Power Curve-a
𝑣𝑐
𝐹𝑜𝑟 − 2 ≤ ≤ 0 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑣𝑒:
𝑣ℎ
2 3 4
𝑣𝑖 𝑣𝑐 𝑣𝑐 𝑣𝑐 𝑣𝑐
= 𝑘 + 𝑘1 + 𝑘2 + 𝑘3 + 𝑘4
𝑣ℎ 𝑣ℎ 𝑣ℎ 𝑣ℎ 𝑣ℎ
Where,
𝑘1 = −1.125
𝑘2 = −1.372
𝑘3 = −1.718
𝑘4 = −0.655
𝑃𝑒 = 𝑇 𝑣𝑐 + 𝑣ҧ𝑖 + 𝑃𝑜
𝑃𝑒 = 𝐸𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 (𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙).
𝑣ҧ𝑖 = 𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒.
𝜎𝐶
𝑃𝑜 = 8 𝑑 𝜌𝜋𝑅2 Ω𝑅 3 Profile Power.

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*Leishman J. G., (2006). Principles of Helicopter Aerodynamics. Cambridge University Press.
Helicopters Aerodynamics
Autorotation

𝑣𝑐
≈ −1.85 𝑡𝑜 − 1.9
𝑣ℎ
𝐶𝑑 ≈ 1.2 𝑡𝑜 1.3 Acts like a Parachute.

Helicopter autorotation, flightliteracy webpage

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Helicopters Aerodynamics
Autorotation – Freewheeling unit

Helicopter freeeheeling unit, havkar webpage

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot7FJwfyy-c
Thank You