CFD Simulations of Tiltrotor Configurations in Hover

Abstract

Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics calculations are presented for isolated, half-span, and full-span V-22 tiltrotor hover configurations. These computational results extend the validity of CFD hover methodology beyond conventional rotorcraft applications to tiltrotor configurations. Computed steady-state, isolated rotor performance agrees well with experimental measurements, showing little sensitivity to grid resolution. However, blade-vortex interaction flowfield details are sensitive to numerical dissipation and are more difficult to model accurately. Time-dependent, dynamic, half- and full-span installed configurations show sensitivities in performance to the tiltrotor fountain flow. As such, the full-span configuration exhibits higher rotor performance and lower airframe download than the half-span configuration. Half-span rotor installation trends match available half-span data, and airframe downloads are reasonably well predicted. Overall, the CFD solutions provide a wealth of flowfield details that can be used to analyze and improve tiltrotor aerodynamic performance.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2002
Accession Number
ADA525812

Entities

People

  • Mark A. Potsdam
  • Roger C. Strawn

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Boundary Layer
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Figure Of Merit
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Fluid Flow
  • Geometry
  • Helicopter Rotors
  • Mach Number
  • Measurement
  • Pressure Distribution
  • Reynolds Number
  • Steady State
  • Three Dimensional
  • Tilt Rotor Aircraft

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerodynamics/Aeronautics.
  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)