An Experimental Investigation of Rotor–Box Aerodynamic Interaction1

2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dhwanil Shukla ◽  
Narayanan Komerath
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Ground Effect ◽  
Tip Vortex ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Vehicle Performance ◽  
Package Delivery ◽  
Performance Trends ◽  
Torque Measurements ◽  
Flow Phenomena ◽  
High Level

Abstract Multirotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a promising means of package delivery. Such applications generally involve carrying bulky payloads under the vehicle. Understanding the aerodynamic interaction effects of payloads on the vehicle is the key to design such systems, in the low Reynolds number regime of small UAVs. High-speed particle image velocimetry (PIV), force, and torque measurements have been used with a rotor and a cubic box to investigate the rotor–box interactions and configurations typical of multirotor UAVs. The observed rotor and vehicle performance trends are explained by the mean flow field captured through PIV. Conditions similar to ground-effect operation are developed for the rotor at a high level of rotor-box overlap. A slight improvement in the vehicle performance is observed at conditions where the box is just out of the rotor wake. Some basic instantaneous flow phenomena due to rotor–box interaction have been identified. The interactions have been classified into three distinct modes based on observations at a range of box positions relative to the rotor. An empirical tip vortex trajectory model for isolated rotors is found to be instrumental in predicting the interaction mode at a given box position.

Wake Unsteadiness and Tip Vortex System of Full-Scale Helicopters in Ground Effect

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Christian Wolf ◽  
Armin Weiss ◽  
Clemens Schwarz ◽  
Johannes N. Braukmann ◽  
Stefan Koch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Ground Effect ◽  
Tip Vortex ◽  
Minor Role ◽  
Main Rotor ◽  
Forward Flight ◽  
Tip Vortices ◽  
Velocity Statistics ◽  
Vertical Takeoff

The main rotor wakes of the free-flying DLR test helicopters Airbus Bo105 and EC135 were investigated in ground effect during hover, vertical takeoff, and forward flight. A high-speed schlieren system tracked the blade tip vortices at about 60 images per revolution. In addition, a constant temperature anemometry system utilized arrays of fiber film sensors, providing velocity statistics and spectra in the rotor flow. The overall wake structure agreed to preceding studies, but the velocity profiles and tip vortex trajectories were sensitive towards the environmental wind conditions. The tip vortices were observed in the schlieren images up to an age corresponding to about two revolutions below the rotor plane, before developing instabilities and falling below the detection limit. Systematic vortex pairing was found for the Bo105 but not for the EC135. The remnants of the tip vortices were identified further downstream in the wake by means of rotor-harmonic velocity signals, but they play a minor role in comparison to broad-banded turbulent fluctuations with a Kolmogorov-like spectrum. For vertical takeoff cases, the rotor wake had a hover-like structure until breaking down into low-frequency oscillations when exceeding a hub height of approximately 1.4 rotor radii. In forward flight, different types of wake velocity footprints were categorized on the basis of the normalized advance ratio. Blade–vortex interactions were found in the frontal area of the main rotor planes and between the main rotor tip vortices and the Bo105's tail rotor. The interactions prevent a further evolution of the tip vortices.

The interaction between a steady jet flow and a supersonic blade tip

1993 ◽  
Vol 248 ◽  
pp. 543-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Peake
Keyword(s):  
Flow Direction ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Delta Function ◽  
Tip Vortex ◽  
Sound Waves ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Side Edge ◽  
Counter Rotation ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
High Level

The potentially high level of noise generated by modern counter-rotation propellers has attracted considerable interest and concern, and one of the most potent mechanisms involved is the unsteady interaction between the tip vortex shed from the tips of the forward blade row and the rear row. In this paper a model problem is considered, in which the tip vortex is represented by a jet of constant axial velocity, which is convected at right angles to itself by a uniform supersonic mean flow, and which is cut by a rigid airfoil with its chord aligned along the mean flow direction. Ffowcs Williams & Guo have previously considered this problem for an infinite-span airfoil and a circular jet; in this paper we extend their analysis to include the effects of the presence of the second-row blade tip on the interaction, by considering a semi-infinite-span airfoil. As a first attempt, the case of a highly compact jet, represented by a delta-function upwash on the airfoil, is considered, and both the total lift on the airfoil and the radiation are investigated. The presence of the airfoil corner and side edge is seen to cause the lift to decay in time from its infinite-span value towards zero, due to a spanwise motion round the side edge; whilst the radiation is shown to be composed of two Signals, the first received directly from the interaction between the jet and the leading edge, and the second resulting from the diffraction of sound waves emanating from the leading edge by the side edge. The effect of choosing a more diffuse upwash distribution is then considered, in which case it becomes clear that the first signal has a considerably larger amplitude, and shorter duration, than the second, diffracted signal.

The motion of two-dimensional vortex pairs in a ground effect

1977 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 659-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. Barker ◽  
Steven C. Crow
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Ground Plane ◽  
Vortex Formation ◽  
Ground Effect ◽  
Transition To Turbulence ◽  
High Speed Photography ◽  
Surface Boundary ◽  
Water Tank ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Mean Flow

A new technique for generating a pair of line vortices in the laboratory has been developed. The mean flow of these vortices is highly two-dimensional, although most of the flow field is turbulent. This two-dimensionality permits the study of vortex motions in the absence of the Crow mutual induction instability and other three-dimensional effects. The vortices are generated in a water tank of dimensions 15 × 122 × 244 cm. They propagate vertically and their axes span the 15 cm width of the tank. One wall of the tank is transparent, and the flow is visualized using fluorescein dye. High speed photography is used to study both the transition to turbulence during the vortex formation process and the interaction of the turbulent vortices with a simulated ground plane.Transition occurs first in an annular region surrounding the core of each vortex, starting with a shear-layer instability on the rolled-up vortex sheet. The turbulent region then grows both radially inwards and radially outwards until the entire recirculation cell is turbulent. A ‘relaminarization’ of the vortex core appears to take place somewhat later.The interaction of the vortex pair with the ground plane does not follow the predictions of potential-flow theory for line vortices. Although the total circulation is apparently conserved, the vortices remain at a larger distance from the ground than is expected and eventually ‘rebound’ or move away from the ground. Differences between a free-surface boundary condition and a smooth or rough ground plane are discussed. The ground-plane interaction is qualitatively very similar to that of aircraft trailing vortices observed in recent flight tests.

scholarly journals Modeling the Excess Velocity of Low-Viscous Taylor Droplets in Square Microchannels

Fluids ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thorben Helmers ◽  
Philip Kemper ◽  
Jorg Thöming ◽  
Ulrich Mießner
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Process Intensification ◽  
Continuous Phase ◽  
Channel Cross Section ◽  
Optimization Approach ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Bypass Flow ◽  
Wall Film ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
The Mean

Microscopic multiphase flows have gained broad interest due to their capability to transfer processes into new operational windows and achieving significant process intensification. However, the hydrodynamic behavior of Taylor droplets is not yet entirely understood. In this work, we introduce a model to determine the excess velocity of Taylor droplets in square microchannels. This velocity difference between the droplet and the total superficial velocity of the flow has a direct influence on the droplet residence time and is linked to the pressure drop. Since the droplet does not occupy the entire channel cross-section, it enables the continuous phase to bypass the droplet through the corners. A consideration of the continuity equation generally relates the excess velocity to the mean flow velocity. We base the quantification of the bypass flow on a correlation for the droplet cap deformation from its static shape. The cap deformation reveals the forces of the flowing liquids exerted onto the interface and allows estimating the local driving pressure gradient for the bypass flow. The characterizing parameters are identified as the bypass length, the wall film thickness, the viscosity ratio between both phases and the C a number. The proposed model is adapted with a stochastic, metaheuristic optimization approach based on genetic algorithms. In addition, our model was successfully verified with high-speed camera measurements and published empirical data.

scholarly journals Influence of hinge length and distribution number on the camber and cornering properties of a non-pneumatic tire

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 168781402098468
Author(s):  
Xianbin Du ◽  
Youqun Zhao ◽  
Yijiang Ma ◽  
Hongxun Fu
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Network Model ◽  
Adaptive Learning ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Back Propagation ◽  
Lateral Force ◽  
Learning Ability ◽  
Vehicle Performance ◽  
Neural Network Theory ◽  
Bp Neural Network Model

The camber and cornering properties of the tire directly affect the handling stability of vehicles, especially in emergencies such as high-speed cornering and obstacle avoidance. The structural and load-bearing mode of non-pneumatic mechanical elastic (ME) wheel determine that the mechanical properties of ME wheel will change when different combinations of hinge length and distribution number are adopted. The camber and cornering properties of ME wheel with different hinge lengths and distributions were studied by combining finite element method (FEM) with neural network theory. A ME wheel back propagation (BP) neural network model was established, and the additional momentum method and adaptive learning rate method were utilized to improve BP algorithm. The learning ability and generalization ability of the network model were verified by comparing the output values with the actual input values. The camber and cornering properties of ME wheel were analyzed when the hinge length and distribution changed. The results showed the variation of lateral force and aligning torque of different wheel structures under the combined conditions, and also provided guidance for the matching of wheel and vehicle performance.

A Nonlinear Rail Vehicle Dynamics Computer Program SAMS/Rail: Part 1—Theory and Formulations

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khaled E. Zaazaa ◽  
Brian Whitten ◽  
Brian Marquis ◽  
Erik Curtis ◽  
Magdy El-Sibaie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Dynamic Performance ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Contact Element ◽  
Contact Forces ◽  
Simulation Code ◽  
Vehicle Performance ◽  
Normal Contact ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
High Speed Trains

Accurate prediction of railroad vehicle performance requires detailed formulations of wheel-rail contact models. In the past, most dynamic simulation tools used an offline wheel-rail contact element based on look-up tables that are used by the main simulation solver. Nowadays, the use of an online nonlinear three-dimensional wheel-rail contact element is necessary in order to accurately predict the dynamic performance of high speed trains. Recently, the Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Research and Development has sponsored a project to develop a general multibody simulation code that uses an online nonlinear three-dimensional wheel-rail contact element to predict the contact forces between wheel and rail. In this paper, several nonlinear wheel-rail contact formulations are presented, each using the online three-dimensional approach. The methods presented are divided into two contact approaches. In the first Constraint Approach, the wheel is assumed to remain in contact with the rail. In this approach, the normal contact forces are determined by using the technique of Lagrange multipliers. In the second Elastic Approach, wheel/rail separation and penetration are allowed, and the normal contact forces are determined by using Hertz’s Theory. The advantages and disadvantages of each method are presented in this paper. In addition, this paper discusses future developments and improvements for the multibody system code. Some of these improvements are currently being implemented by the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). In the accompanying “Part 2” and “Part 3” to this paper, numerical examples are presented in order to demonstrate the results obtained from this research.

Visualization of Internal Flow Field of Propeller Fan

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takaya Onishi ◽  
H. Sato ◽  
M. Hayakawa ◽  
Y. Kawata
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Laser Light ◽  
Internal Flow ◽  
Light Sheet ◽  
Tip Vortex ◽  
Laser Light Sheet ◽  
Blade Surface ◽  
Similar Tendency ◽  
Flow Phenomena

Propeller fans are required not only to have high performance but also to be extremely quiet. The internal flow field of ventilation propeller fans is even more complicated because they usually have a very peculiar configuration with protruding blades upstream. Thus, many kinds of internal vortices yield which cause noise and their cause and countermeasures are needed to be clarified. The purposes of this paper are to visualize the internal flow of the propeller fan from the static and rotating frame of reference. The internal flow visualization measured from the static frame gives approximately the scale of the tip vortex. The visualization from the rotating coordinate system yields a better understanding of the flow phenomena occurring at the specific blade. The experiment is implemented by using a small camera mounted on the shaft of the fan and rotated it to capture the behavior of the vortices using a laser light sheet to irradiate the blade surface. Hence, the flow field of the specific blade could be understood to some extent. The visualized results are compared with the CFD results and these results show a similar tendency about the generation point and developing process of the tip vortex. In addition, it is found that the noise measurement result is relevant to the effect of tip vortex from the visualization result.

RANS and Large Eddy Simulation of Internal Combustion Engine Flows—A Comparative Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaofeng Yang ◽  
Saurabh Gupta ◽  
Tang-Wei Kuo ◽  
Venkatesh Gopalakrishnan
Keyword(s):  
Large Eddy Simulation ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Combustion Engine ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Partial Geometry ◽  
Computational Domain ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Eddy Simulation ◽  
Large Eddy ◽  
Rans Simulations

A comparative cold flow analysis between Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) and large eddy simulation (LES) cycle-averaged velocity and turbulence predictions is carried out for a single cylinder engine with a transparent combustion chamber (TCC) under motored conditions using high-speed particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements as the reference data. Simulations are done using a commercial computationally fluid dynamics (CFD) code CONVERGE with the implementation of standard k-ε and RNG k-ε turbulent models for RANS and a one-equation eddy viscosity model for LES. The following aspects are analyzed in this study: The effects of computational domain geometry (with or without intake and exhaust plenums) on mean flow and turbulence predictions for both LES and RANS simulations. And comparison of LES versus RANS simulations in terms of their capability to predict mean flow and turbulence. Both RANS and LES full and partial geometry simulations are able to capture the overall mean flow trends qualitatively; but the intake jet structure, velocity magnitudes, turbulence magnitudes, and its distribution are more accurately predicted by LES full geometry simulations. The guideline therefore for CFD engineers is that RANS partial geometry simulations (computationally least expensive) with a RNG k-ε turbulent model and one cycle or more are good enough for capturing overall qualitative flow trends for the engineering applications. However, if one is interested in getting reasonably accurate estimates of velocity magnitudes, flow structures, turbulence magnitudes, and its distribution, they must resort to LES simulations. Furthermore, to get the most accurate turbulence distributions, one must consider running LES full geometry simulations.

A Robust Implementation of a Reynolds Stress Model for Turbomachinery Applications in a Coupled Solver Environment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Roos Launchbury ◽  
Luca Mangani ◽  
Ernesto Casartelli ◽  
Francesco Del Citto
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Stress ◽  
Turbulence Modeling ◽  
Computational Cost ◽  
Reynolds Stress Model ◽  
Tip Vortex ◽  
Stability And Convergence ◽  
Stress Model ◽  
Robust Implementation ◽  
Flow Phenomena ◽  
The Stability

Abstract In the industrial simulation of flow phenomena, turbulence modeling is of prime importance. Due to their low computational cost, Reynolds-averaged methods (RANS) are predominantly used for this purpose. However, eddy viscosity RANS models are often unable to adequately capture important flow physics, specifically when strongly anisotropic turbulence and vortex structures are present. In such cases the more costly 7-equation Reynolds stress models often lead to significantly better results. Unfortunately, these models are not widely used in the industry. The reason for this is not mainly the increased computational cost, but the stability and convergence issues such models usually exhibit. In this paper we present a robust implementation of a Reynolds stress model that is solved in a coupled manner, increasing stability and convergence speed significantly compared to segregated implementations. In addition, the decoupling of the velocity and Reynolds stress fields is addressed for the coupled equation formulation. A special wall function is presented that conserves the anisotropic properties of the model near the walls on coarser meshes. The presented Reynolds stress model is validated on a series of semi-academic test cases and then applied to two industrially relevant situations, namely the tip vortex of a NACA0012 profile and the Aachen Radiver radial compressor case.

Aerodynamic ground effects on DLRF6 vehicle

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mojtaba Tahani ◽  
Mehran Masdari ◽  
Ali Bargestan
Keyword(s):  
Stokes Equations ◽  
Ground Effect ◽  
Longitudinal Direction ◽  
Propulsion System ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Noticeable Effect ◽  
Navier Stokes Equations ◽  
Vehicle Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Logical Connection

Purpose The overall performance of an aerial vehicle strongly depends on the specifics of the propulsion system and its position relative to the other components. The purpose of paper is this factor can be characterized by changing several contributing parameters, such as distance from the ground, fuselage and wing as well as the nacelle outlet velocity and analyzing the aerodynamic performance. Design/methodology/approach Navier–Stokes equations are discretized in space using finite volume method. A KW-SST model is implemented to model the turbulence. The flow is assumed steady, single-phase, viscous, Newtonian and compressible. Accordingly, after validation and verification against experimental and numerical results of DLRF6 configuration, the location of the propulsion system relative to configuration body is examined. Findings At the nacelle outlet velocity of V/Vinf = 4, the optimal location identified in this study delivers 16% larger lift to drag ratio compared to the baseline configuration. Practical implications Altering the position of the propulsion system along the longitudinal direction does not have a noticeable effect on the vehicle performance. Originality/value Aerial vehicles including wing-in-ground effect vehicles require thrust to fly. Generating this necessary thrust for motion and acceleration is thoroughly affected by the vehicle aerodynamics. There is a lack of rigorous understanding of such topics owing to the immaturity of science in this area. Complexity and diversity of performance variables for a numerical solution and finding a logical connection between these parameters are among the related challenges.

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