HIGH FIDELITY ROTOR AERODYNAMIC MODULE FOR REAL-TIME ROTORCRAFT FLIGHT SIMULATION

Improved aerodynamic modeling is crucial to next generation rotorcraft flight simulations and trainers. Current real-time simulations fail to adequately model key aerodynamic phenomena related to rotor tip vortices, vortex-induced loading, rotorwash beyond the rotor disc, vortex ring state and ground vortex flow. These deficiencies occur because current generation real-time models cannot predict the non-uniform unsteady three-dimensional nature of the rotor-induced flow field with sufficient accuracy. Current models are also limited in their ability to capture the aerodynamic impact of blade tip shape (e.g., taper, sweep, anhedral, BERP) on the flow field and rotor tip loads that influence the full spectrum of flight characteristics from performance and handling qualities to visibility during brownout landings. To advance the state of real-time aerodynamic models for flight simulation applications, an advanced rotor blade aerodynamics and induced velocity module has been developed for coupling with flight simulations and trainers that addresses limitations with current generation models. The new aerodynamics module has been validated for accurate real-time prediction of performance, blade loading and rotor wake for general flight conditions and tip shapes including full and partial ground effect, ground vortex flows and vortex ring state. A key feature of this new model is that no tuning or empirical modifications are required to obtain these results, so it is quickly scalable to different aircraft without the need for additional testing.