Experimental investigation on a side-by-side twin rotor system in pusher configuration

Abstract

Growing interest in electric propulsion, together with the increased deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles, results in the consequent need for a clear understanding of the physical phenomena under propeller interactions which represent a primary noise source in multi-rotor configurations. To this purpose, the effect of rotor-to-rotor interactions of a twin pusher propeller configuration at static thrust conditions was experimentally investigated through aerodynamic and aeroacoustic measurement campaigns. The propellers tested refer to the APC-8x45MR rotor with an 8 inches diameter. The aerodynamics and aeroacoustics of several configurations were investigated using PIV technique, Pitot tube acquisitions, and microphone measurements performed in an anechoic environment. The propeller speed was varied within a typical range in the applications for both co-rotating and counter-rotating layouts. To define critical relative positions, many tip-to-tip separation distances were considered highlighting the general effects. Owing to the deformation exhibited by the rotor wakes due to their proximity, the pressure and velocity signals were conditioned to inspect the driving mechanisms responsible for the noise emission. Results provide a deeper insight into the physics involved and show different types of interaction effects on the fluid-dynamic field as a function of the propeller position, allowing the identification of the main critical configurations.