Keywords

vortex particle, wake interaction, distributed propulsion, rotor, propeller, multirotor, coplanar, wake mixing, electric aircraft, vortex breakdown, transition, free wake

Abstract

Recent developments in electric aircraft technology have enabled the use of distributed propulsion for the next generation of vertical lift vehicles. However, the ability to rapidly assess the performance of these design concepts, with sufficient fidelity, is a current weakness of this nascent industry. This paper explores the capacity of the viscous Vortex Particle Method (VPM) to model wake interactions found in distributed propulsion. The elements of the vortex particle method are summarized, and a new approach for the calculation of vortex stretching through the complex-step derivative approximation is presented. Preliminary validation is performed on vortex ring cases resembling the fundamental dynamics encountered in propeller wakes. Unsteady wake dynamics of individual propellers are suc- cessfully modeled, replicating the instabilities that lead to vortex breakdown as observed experimentally. Comparing the method with results from momentum theory, it is shown that VPM is consistent with theoretical values of near and far field induced velocities, and a notable feature is its ability to model near/far field transition. Furthermore, VPM is able to fully characterize induced velocities across the entire wake, from the stable region where momentum theory operates, through instability transition and eventual vortex breakdown. The simulation of a multirotor configuration of two tip-to-tip propellers is shown, displaying the capacity of VPM to model wake mixing. The results presented here are intermediate steps in the development of a mid-fidelity modeling tool for the early design stages of distributed-propulsion electric aircraft.

Original Publication Citation

Alvarez, E. J., and Ning, A., “Development of a Vortex Particle Code for the Modeling of Wake Interaction in Distributed Propulsion,” AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Conference, Atlanta, GA, Jun. 2018. doi:10.2514/6.2018-3646

Document Type

Conference Paper

Publication Date

2018-6

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/5015

Publisher

AIAA

Language

English

College

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology

Department

Mechanical Engineering

University Standing at Time of Publication

Assistant Professor

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