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Implementation of a trim routine in a rotor model for the numerical simulation of helicopter flow-fields

Includes bibliographical references (p. 82-83)

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Naidoo, Vaneshen
Other Authors: Meyer, CJ
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Mechanical Engineering 2014
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access_status_str Open Access
author Naidoo, Vaneshen
author2 Meyer, CJ
author_browse Meyer, CJ
Naidoo, Vaneshen
author_facet Meyer, CJ
Naidoo, Vaneshen
author_sort Naidoo, Vaneshen
collection Thesis
description Includes bibliographical references (p. 82-83)
format Thesis
id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/8911
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:34:10.861Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2014
publishDateRange 2014
publishDateSort 2014
publisher Department of Mechanical Engineering
publisherStr Department of Mechanical Engineering
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/8911 Implementation of a trim routine in a rotor model for the numerical simulation of helicopter flow-fields Naidoo, Vaneshen Meyer, CJ Mechanical Engineering Includes bibliographical references (p. 82-83) The aim of the current project is to develop, validate and implement a trim routine for a numerical rotor model, developed for the use in simulations of a helicopter exterior flow-field. In this investigation a ROBIN fuselage geometry was utilised. Simulations of the fuselage without the rotor were carried out initially so that investigations into the computational grids and turbulence models could be done. The computational simulations were performed in the commercially available CFD solver, FLUENT® Computational grids were created for the near wall modelling approach and wall function approach. Some of the more applicable turbulence models available in the solver were compared. For the wall function approach grids the k - ε, and its variants, the RNG and realizable models were found to be suitable choices. For the near wall modelling approach grids used, the SST models performed the best. The rotor model used during this investigation utilised a combination of blade element and actuator disk theory. Forces exerted by the rotor are calculated with the use of blade characteristics and flow properties. These forces were applied to the domain as momentum sources terms. The rotor model was incorporated with the CFD solver, through the use of a User Defined Function (UDF). The method used to trim the rotor was the Newton-Raphson Iterative method. This trim routine was incorporated in the UDF used for the rotor model. Tests were conducted, on a 'rotor-alone' model, as well as the rotor and fuselage model. The trim routine was found to be rigorous and managed to trim the rotor in each of the tests conducted. Good agreement between experimental and numerical collective pitch angle and cyclic pitch coefficients were found. Also the effect of the fuselage on the trim conditions proved to be minimal. 2014-10-29T10:06:02Z 2014-10-29T10:06:02Z 2006 Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8911 eng application/pdf Department of Mechanical Engineering Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Mechanical Engineering
Naidoo, Vaneshen
Implementation of a trim routine in a rotor model for the numerical simulation of helicopter flow-fields
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Implementation of a trim routine in a rotor model for the numerical simulation of helicopter flow-fields
title_full Implementation of a trim routine in a rotor model for the numerical simulation of helicopter flow-fields
title_fullStr Implementation of a trim routine in a rotor model for the numerical simulation of helicopter flow-fields
title_full_unstemmed Implementation of a trim routine in a rotor model for the numerical simulation of helicopter flow-fields
title_short Implementation of a trim routine in a rotor model for the numerical simulation of helicopter flow-fields
title_sort implementation of a trim routine in a rotor model for the numerical simulation of helicopter flow fields
topic Mechanical Engineering
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8911
work_keys_str_mv AT naidoovaneshen implementationofatrimroutineinarotormodelforthenumericalsimulationofhelicopterflowfields