The influence of the blade tip shape on brownout by an approach based on computational fluid dynamics

• Main Authors: Jianping Hu, Guohua Xu, Yongjie Shi, Shuilin Huang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2021-01-01
• Series: Engineering Applications of Computational Fluid Mechanics
• Subjects: in-ground-effect; brownout; cfd; dem; coupling
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19942060.2021.1917454

In this study, a computational fluid dynamics approach based on solving the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equation and shear stress transport (SST) (Menter) k-ω turbulence model is used to solve the rotor in ground effect. A discrete element method based on solving the Hertz-Mindlin (no-slip) contact model and considering the real physical properties and collision is used to solve the motion and distribution of sediment particles in the field. By coupling the two approaches, the dust cloud development in the ground-effect flow field of a helicopter with rectangular-tip and slotted-tip blades is simulated for six seconds. The characteristics of the flow field are analyzed, and the influence of the flow field generated by the two types of blades on the movement and distribution of sediment particles on the ground and the subsequent dust cloud development over time are compared. The relatively long time of numerical results show that the sediment particles initially located on the ground are uplifted by the interaction between the blade tip vortex and the ground. Over time, the particles become more concentrated around the tip vortex core. The sediment particles in the dust cloud move primarily in the radial and axial directions of the rotation center, and the circumferential movement is not significant. The optimized slotted-tip blade provides better dissipation of the tip vortex core intensity near the ground than the rectangular-tip blade, thus weakening the entrainment effect of the sediment particles on the ground and reducing the dust cloud concentration around the disc plane.