Ship airwake effects on the helicopter rotor aerodynamic loads

Abstract

A previously developed approach to modeling and simulation of ship airwake has been used in the study of airwake effects on rotor aerodynamic loads of a four-bladed articulated rotor system. Using full scale at sea test data, the current study identifies a power spectral model for the vertical component of the ship airwake velocity. Also, a spline-fit model is developed for the rnean airwake velocities around the ship deck. Using simulated samples of vertical airwake velocities and a simplified rotor aerodynamic model, effects of airwake velocities on rotor rolling and pitching moments and rotor thrust are investigated.