Rotorcraft Flow Simulation - Technology and Results

Aeromechanic and aeroacoustic simulation of helicopters and other rotorcraft have made tremendous progress over the last years, especially at the upper end of the fidelity spectrum. Advances in high performance computing have enabled the detailed aerodynamic simulation of complete rotorcraft configurations under trimmed flight conditions. This book presents recent results created at the author's working group, as well as giving an overview of other relevant international developments in the field.
Methods of varying complexity, accuracy and reliability are covered, discussing their respective strengths and weaknesses. Emphasis is on high fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) coupled to structure dynamic simulation on the rotor blades, including the flight mechanical trim in free flight. Detailed analysis of local flow features assists in the profound understanding of complex phenomena, facilitating further progress. Aeroacoustic postprocessing of aerodynamic data gives insight into major noise mechanisms and can identify potential improvements.
With this information the responsible rotorcraft aeromechnics engineer can competently select and apply the appropriate tools for the problem given, taking into account boundary conditions like accuracy requirements and resource constraints. Accordingly, reliable simulations support rotorcraft development throughout the entire design process.