Analysis of the Aeroacoustic Characteristics of a Rigid Coaxial Rotor in Forward Flight Based on the CFD/VVPM Hybrid Method

Abstract

This study develops a hybrid solver with reversed overset assembly technology (ROAT), a viscous vortex particle method (VVPM), and a CFD program based on the URNS method, in order to study the aerodynamic and acoustic characteristics of coaxial rigid rotors. The aerodynamic load of the “AH-1G” helicopter rotor is first calculated based on the hybrid method and compared with available experimental data. The prediction of the linear noise of the OLS rotor is then performed and the obtained results are compared with available experimental data. These results allow the evaluation of the accuracy of the hybrid method for emulating rotor aerodynamics and acoustics. Afterwards, the hybrid and CFD methods are applied to obtain the aerodynamic and acoustic characteristics of the given coaxial rigid rotor model, while taking into account the trim of the collective pitch. The obtained results demonstrate that the hybrid method has high proficiency in capturing blade–vortex-interaction impulsive loads and high computational efficiency in predicting associated loading noise characteristics. Furthermore, the effect of the hybrid method on the noise characteristics of coaxial rigid rotors under a different advance ratio, blade tip speed, shaft angle, and other conditions, as well as the impact of the upper and lower rotors on the noise contribution of the coaxial rotor are analyzed. Finally, the impacts of the initial phase and the vertical spacing on the sound pressure level are studied.