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Hovering performance analysis of helicopter rotor blades using supercritical airfoil

Inamul Hasan (Department of Aeronautical Engineering, ACS College of Engineering, Bangalore, India)
Mukesh R. (Department of Aerospace Engineering, ACS College of Engineering, Bangalore, India)
Radha Krishnan P. (Department of Aeronautical Engineering, ACS College of Engineering, Bangalore, India)
Srinath R. (Department of Aerospace Engineering, RV College of Engineering, Bangalore, India)
Boomadevi P. (Department of Aeronautical Engineering, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India)

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology

ISSN: 0002-2667

Article publication date: 25 January 2024

Issue publication date: 25 September 2024

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to find the characteristics of supercritical airfoil in helicopter rotor blades for hovering phase using numerical analysis and the validation using experimental results.

Design/methodology/approach

Using numerical analysis in the forward phase of the helicopter, supercritical airfoil is compared with the conventional airfoil for the aerodynamic performance. The multiple reference frame method is used to produce the results for rotational analysis. A grid independence test was carried out, and validation was obtained using benchmark values from NASA data.

Findings

From the analysis results, a supercritical airfoil in hovering flight analysis proved that the NASA SC rotor produces 25% at 5°, 26% at 12° and 32% better thrust at 8° of collective pitch than the HH02 rotor. Helicopter performance parameters are also calculated based on momentum theory. Theoretical calculations prove that the NASA SC rotor is better than the HH02 rotor. The results of helicopter performance prove that the NASA SC rotor provides better aerodynamic efficiency than the HH02 rotor.

Originality/value

The novelty of the paper is it proved the aerodynamic performance of supercritical airfoil is performing better than the HH02 airfoil. The results are validated with the experimental values and theoretical calculations from the momentum theory.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Data availability: The data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article.

Citation

Hasan, I., R., M., P., R.K., R., S. and P., B. (2024), "Hovering performance analysis of helicopter rotor blades using supercritical airfoil", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 96 No. 8, pp. 1026-1044. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-09-2023-0244

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited

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