Three Dimensional Analysis of a Rotor in Forward Flight

Abstract
The steady, incompressible laminar Navier‐Stokes equations in Cartesian coordinates are solved for the flow field and performance characteristics of a helicopter rotor in forward night. The rotor is modeled as a distribution of momentum sources, the strengths of which are determined from implicit functional relations involving the flow field properties, the rotor geometry and the aerodynamic characteristics of the blade cross‐section. These strengths are calculated along with the rest of the flow field in an iterative manner using a finite‐volume based primitive variable algorithm. With no a priori knowledge, the wake is solved for in a time‐averaged sense. Blade‐loads are obtained far test cases and compared with experimental results. Solutions for the surrounding flow field representing both the near and far wake are also presented.

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