The Effects of Uncertainties on Predicting Rotor and Propeller Performance.

Abstract

A comparison is made of classical vortex theory with experimental and numerical results on statically thrusting propellers and rotors, and on propellers in forward flight. It is concluded that vortex theory can accurately predict the overall thrust and power of these propulsors when proper account is taken of normality between the vortex sheet and induced velocities in the wake. Further, it is necessary to include accurate airfoil section lift and drag coefficients as a function of Mach number and angle-of-attack in order to realize an accurate prediction. Also, although corrections to account for section thickness and wide-blade effects were found to be negligible, the prediction of rotor or propeller performance was found to depend rather strongly on the helix angle at the edge of the trailing-vortex sheet.

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1975
Accession Number
ADA008419

Entities

People

  • David V. Pauling

Organizations

  • Pennsylvania State University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Coefficients
  • Mach Number
  • Motion
  • Normality
  • Physical Properties
  • Propellers
  • Thickness
  • Trailing Vortices
  • Uncertainty
  • Vortices

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerodynamics.
  • Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics.
  • Regression Analysis.