Aerodynamic characteristics simulation of helicopter rotor in hover using HeliX software

Abstract

In order to predict hover performance of a new helicopter rotor, the aerodynamic performance and flow field of the rotor in hover is calculated by using HeliX software. The comparison between numerical results and wind tunnel test data of S-76 rotor as a validation case of CFD method demonstrate that HeliX software has the capability to consistently and reliably predict performance parameters for a helicopter rotor. The numerical results of the new rotor in hover suggest that the maximum hover efficiency of the new rotor is about 73% with collective pitch angle of 9.2°, while the shock induced separation and the reattachment phenomenon begin to appear on the upper surface near the blade tip. As the increase of collective pitch angle from 9.2° to 11.2°, hover efficiency decreases significantly due to the serious flow separation near the blade tip. The research in this paper can provide reference and guidance for aerodynamic optimization design of helicopter rotor.