3. An Introduction
to the Hovering Theory
2020
Prof. SangJoon Shin
οΆ I. An intro to hovering theory
οΆ II. Momentum Considerations
οΆ III. Rotor Figure of Merit
οΆ IV. Blade β Element Consideration
οΆ V. Effect of profile drag on F.M.
οΆ VI. Effect of Rotor Tip Speed and Solidity on F.M.
Overview
An intro to hovering theory
οΆ No dissymmetry of velocities across the rotor disk
οΆ Momentum theory by Rankine and Froude
- greater physical significance, can be more easily grasped.
Momentum Considerations
οΆ 1. Development of thrust
β’ Increased velocity of the air from its initial value V to its value at the airscrew disk, which arises from the production of thrust, is called the βinducedβ or βdownwashβ velocity β v
β’ Thrust developed by the airscrew is then equal to the most of air passing through the disk in unit time, multiplied by the
total increase in velocity caused by the action of the airscrew.
Momentum Considerations
οΆ 1. Development of thrust (Contd.)
β’ Assumptions
β Infinite number of blades, βactuator diskβ, no loss of thrust at the blade tips
β‘ Power required = axial kinetic energy imported to the air. No blade friction, profile-drag losses, rotational energy ignored.
β’ Infinitely thin disk, no discontinuities in velocity
β²Gradual contraction of the slipstream
Momentum Considerations
οΆ 2. Induced velocity relationships π βΆ π£ππππππ‘π¦ ππ π‘βπ ππππ ππππ€
ππ βΆ πππππππ π ππ π£ππππππ‘π¦ ππ‘ π‘βπ πππ π
ππ βΆ πππππππ π ππ π£ππππππ‘π¦ ππ£ππ ππππ πππ ππ‘ ππ πππππππ‘πππ¦ πππππ πππ π‘ππππ
π π + ππ = βπΎ. πΈ. (1)
π = ππ΄(π + ππ) ππ (2)
βπΎ. πΈ. = 1
2ππ΄ π + ππ [ π + ππ 2 β π2] (3) (1), (2) β (3) : ππ΄π 1 + π ππ π 1 + π = 1
2ππ΄3 1 + π π2 + 2π
β΄ π = 2π (4)
Work done in unit time by the thrust of the
airscrew on the air
Slip stream in unit time
Change of the axial momentum of air in unit time
1
2x mass of air passing
through the disk difference in the squares of the velocities infinitely in front of and behind the disk x
Momentum Considerations
οΆ 3. Induced velocity in hovering
Hover : π βΆ 0, 4 β
2 βΆ β π = πππ 2π 2π (5)
π = π
2πππ 2 (6)
β’ Induced power loss : ππ
β’ Disk loading π
ππ 2 should be kept as low as possible for efficient hovering performance
β’ Uniform inflow assumption β minimum induced power loss for a given thrust
ππ = π ππ = 2π
Momentum Considerations
οΆ 4. Ideal and actual losses
β’ Momentum theory neglects:
- Profile-drag losses
- Nonuniformity of induced flow (tip losses) - Slipstream rotational losses
β’ Listing of actual losses:
- Profile-drag loss Β· Β· Β· Β·30%
- Nonuniform inflow Β· Β· Β· 6%
- Slipstream rotation Β· Β· Β· 0.2%
- Tip loss Β· Β· Β· Β·3%
Rotor Figure of Merit
οΆ Efficiency of a lifting rotor
β’ Actual power required to produce a given thrust
β’ Minimum possible power required to produce thrust β ideal rotor
π = ππππππ’π πππ π ππππ πππ€ππ ππππ’ππππ π‘π βππ£ππ
πππ‘π’ππ πππ€ππ ππππ’ππππ π‘π βππ£ππ = ππ
π (7)
(6) β (7) π = 1
2 π π
π
πππ 2 (8)
βFigure of meritβ
Rotor Figure of Merit
οΆ 1. Ideal F.M.
β’ Ideal rotor : Producing thrust with the minimum amount of power
β ππ = 1
β’ Zero profile drag but non-uniform inflow distribution β non-unique F.M.
β’ Max F.M. of untwisted blades β 0.94 - relation between D.L. and P.L.
π = 1
2 π π
π
πππ 2 = 1
2π. πΏ. π·.πΏ.
π (9)
β’ Assuming sea-level, π. πΏ. = 38π 1
π·.πΏ. (10) β²M=1 : upper limit for any rotor
M=0.75 : typical of good rotor M=0.5 : poor rotors
οΆ 2. Non-dimensional F.M.
β’ Non-dimensional quantities :
π = πΆπππ 2π(Ξ©π )2
π = πΆπππ 2π(Ξ©π )2π (11)
π = πΆπππ 2π(Ξ©π )2
πΆπ = πΆπ
π = 1
2
πΆπ3ΰ΅2
πΆπ = 0.707πΆπ
3ΰ΅ 2
πΆπ (12)
Rotor Figure of Merit
Blade β Element Consideration
οΆ Limitation of the momentum theory - No info about the blade design
- Profile-drag losses ignored
β’ Effective A.o.A. πΌπ = πΌ β π (π = Ξ€π€ π)
β’ π: inflow A.o.A. = π + ππ
β’ π: blade pitch angle
β’ π = πΌ + π
βClimb velocity
Effect of Profile Drag on F.M.
οΆ 1. Expression for thrust - Differential lift
ππΏ = πΆπ(ππ ππ)(1
2πππ 2) (13)
- Simplification : Flow through the disk is small compared with the tangential velocity
sin π = π, cos π = 1, ππ = Ξ©π (14)
- Blade-element lift
πΆπ = ππΌπ = π π β π (15)
(14), (15) β (13) : ππ = ππΏ = π1
2π Ξ©π 2π π β π π ππ (16)
Effect of Profile Drag on F.M.
οΆ 1. Expression for thrust (Contd.) - Assumption
π = ππ‘ π
π β (18)
(17), (18) β (16) : ππ = π1
2π Ξ©π 2ππ
π ππ‘ β ππ‘ π ππ (19)
Integrating over blade radius, assuming constant c
π = π
2 πΞ©2ππ
2 ππ‘ β ππ‘ π (20)
π = πΆπππ 2π Ξ©π 2
Uniform inflow distribution
βideal twistβ
Effect of Profile Drag on F.M.
οΆ 1. Expression for thrust (Contd.)
πΆπ = π
4 ππ
ππ ππ‘ β ππ‘ (21)
- βSolidityβ : ratio of the total blade area to the rotor disk area π = πππ
ππ 2 = ππ
ππ (22)
(22) β (21) πΆπ = π
4 π ππ‘ β ππ‘ (23)
β Thrust of an ideally twisted, constant-chord blade
Effect of Profile Drag on F.M.
οΆ 2. Expression for torque
β’ Drag of the blade element
β’ Torque
ππ = ππ· β π = π1
2π Ξ©π 2π(π·ππ + πππ)πππ (24)
β’ Blade-section AoA for an ideally twisted blade πΌπ = π
π ππ β ππ‘ = 1
π₯ ππ β ππ‘ (25)
Profile drag Induced drag
component of lift in the plane of rotation due to the tilt of the lift vector caused by the inflow velocity
Effect of Profile Drag on F.M.
οΆ 2. Expression for torque (Contd.)
β’ Constant drag coefficient assumption
β Highly optimistic rotor performance then blade stall is present
β assume πΆππ = πΏ : average blade profile-drag coefficient πΆπ = ππ
π ππ‘ β ππ‘ , π = ππ‘ π
π , πΆππ = πΏ (26)
(26) β (24) : ππ = π1
2πΞ©2π3π πΏ + ππ‘ π 2
π2 ππ‘ β ππ‘ π ππ (27)
Integrating : Q = π
4 πΞ©2π4π πΏ
2 + πππ‘ ππ‘ β ππ‘ (28)
(28) = (11) : πΆπ = π
4 πΏ
2 + πππ‘ ππ‘ β ππ‘ (29)
(23) β (29) : πΆπ = ππΏ
8 + ππ‘πΆπ (30)
Effect of Profile Drag on F.M.
οΆ 2. Expression for torque (Contd.)
It is necessary to replace ππ‘ by parameters that are known or easily
(6) : π = π
2πππ 2 = πΆπππ 2π(Ξ©π )2
2πππ 2 = Ξ©π πΆπ
2 (31)
ππ‘ = π
Ξ©π (32)
(31), (32) : ππ‘ = πΆπ
2 (33)
(33) β (30) : πΆπ = πΆπ
3ΰ΅ 2
2 + ππΏ
8 (34)
Inducedβ loss
β Profile-drag
loss
Effect of Profile Drag on F.M.
οΆ 3. M as a function of πΆπ and πΏ (34) β F.M.
π = 0.707πΆπ
3ΰ΅ 2
πΆπ = 0.707 πΆπ
3ΰ΅ 2 πΆπ3ΰ΅
2 2 +ππΏ8
(35)
β’ If πΏ = 0(zero profile drag)
β M=1, M is independent of rotor operating conditions, such as disk loading or tip speed
Effect of Profile Drag on F.M.
οΆ 3. M as a function of πΆπ and πΏ (Contd.)
β’ At a small πΆπ operation, M would be small β profile drag is fixed and large compared to the numerator.(a)
β’ At πΆπ increases, relative importance of the πΏ term decreases β M increases until at a large enough πΆπ.(b)
β’ little thrust, or very high tip speed
β’ (b) rate of increase of thrust > that in power required.
β²Variation of M w.r.t.πΆπ for typical values of π, πΏ
β’ (c) at very high thrust values, rate of change of F.M. is not as rapid
β’ β induced losses become a larger percentage of the total loss.
β’ However, In practice, large increases in G β stall of the blade section
β’ β large increase in profile-drag, falling off of thrust β large decrease in F.M.
Effect of Rotor Tip Speed and Solidity on F.M.
οΆ Most efficient hovering rotor:
β’ infinite diameter, zero rotational speed
β Profile-drag losses β 0, induced losses β 0
β’ Impossible due to practical considerations
β structural, blade weight, size limitations
οΆ 1. Optimum combinations of ππ‘ππ and π
Combination of ππ‘ππ and π for minimum profile-drag losses
i) rotor should operate at mean lift coefficient closest to the stall AoA.
ii) rotor should operate at lowest feasible ππ‘ππ
πΆπ ~ (ππ‘ππ)2 and πΆπ~ (ππ‘ππ)3 β for a given thrust, smallest profile-drag power loss is obtained at the smallest ππ‘ππ
Thrust also β πΆπΏ β thrust should be produced at high πΆπΏ and low ππ‘ππ
β high π
Effect of Rotor Tip Speed and Solidity on F.M.
οΆ 2. Effect of ππ‘ππ
ππ‘ππ = 600πππ β 400πππ
β power required decrease 50hp (26%), 800lb (25%) increase of
thrust for a constant power and π for minimum profile-drag losses.
β’ Also vertical rate of climb 200fpm
β 1150fpm
Effect of Rotor Tip Speed and Solidity on F.M.
οΆ 3. Relationship between πΆπΏ, πΆπ and π
W = πΆπΏ Χ¬0π π1
2π(Ξ©π)2π ππ = πΆπ ππ 2π(Ξ©π )2 1
6πΆπΏπΞ©2π 3ππ = πΆπ ππ 2π(Ξ©π )2 πΆπΏ = 6πΆπ
π (36)
Lower πΆπΞ€π : increase in πΆπΞ€π by reduction in π β gain in F.M.
Higher πΆπΞ€π : increase in π β gain in F.M.
β²F.M. vs πΆπΞ€π
Effect of Rotor Tip Speed and Solidity on F.M.
οΆ 3. Relationship between πΆπΏ, πΆπ and π (Contd.)
β’ Practical consideration on ππ‘ππ
- Sudden power failure, more K.E. in the blades
- Larger coning angles and poor psychological effects
β efficient and smooth operation at high speeds β hover design requirements
Design compromise