High-Fidelity Computational Analysis of Ducted and Coaxial Rotors for Urban Air Mobility

High-fidelity computational fluid dynamics simulations have been carried out for ducted and coaxial rotors, for urban air mobility applications. The three-dimensional unsteady Navier-Stokes equations are solved on overset grids using high-order accurate schemes, dual-time stepping, and a hybrid turbulence model. Performance has been assessed by looking at the rotor coefficients, and acoustic behavior has been qualitatively studied through the observation of pressure fluctuations. The effects on performances of several duct parameters are first assessed. Counter-rotating and co-rotating coaxial rotor systems are then studied and compared, and the effect of the duct on these systems is analyzed.