Performance measurements are crucial for helicopter design and are typically derived from generated thrust. However, experimental thrust measurements can be influenced by various factors, potentially leading to inaccuracies in assessing a system's capabilities. Our previous experimental results show the impact of various NACA airfoils on the performance of a dual-rotor helicopter (SREJNGL-31.5ʺ×3.5ʺ×9.4ʺ) including the thrust at various operating conditions (~2000 rpm). The thrust measurements incorporated a load cell connected to a microprocessor to obtain thrust values. To validate our experimental results, our current work includes theoretical modeling of the rotating blades using Ansys finite element analysis. For this purpose, various NACA airfoils with differing maximum camber (0-4%) and maximum thickness (18-24%) were employed. The NACA airfoils coordinates were obtained from http://airfoiltools.com/. We hypothesize that ANSYS modeling will predict higher thrust values than the experimental results. The study employs a refined mesh approach, utilizing 57.97 mm elements and analyzing 175 mm airfoils operating at a maximum rotational speed of 2000 RPM. The computational methodology leverages high-fidelity ANSYS meshing to create a detailed numerical model of the helicopter's rotor dynamics. This model systematically calculates critical aerodynamic parameters, such as thrust generation and Reynolds number characteristics, across different NACA airfoil geometries. Preliminary results indicate variations in thrust and normal air velocity for five NACA airfoils (NACA #2412/6409/0024/0015/2415). The predicted thrust values ranged from 56 N-to-122 N, while vertical air velocity varied from 41 m/s-to-61 m/s. The study specifically focuses on modeling the complex fluid dynamics around the rotor blades, capturing intricate aerodynamic interactions and turbulent flow patterns. Theoretical flow visualization was conducted using advanced computational techniques. These results will be compared to experimental data obtained via laser sheet and high-speed camera visualization. Full results will be presented at the conference.
Ansys Flow Modeling of a Small Scale Dual-Rotor Helicopter with Multiple NACA Airfoils
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Student Abstract Submission