Engine Air Intake Design and Evaluation - Examples from the Bluecopter™ Demonstrator.

Abstract

The Bluecopter demonstrator was developed to prove the feasibility of future eco-friendly rotorcraft by demonstrating significant reduction of CO2 emission, fuel consumption and noise (Ref. 1). In this context, several different engine air intake configurations were designed and tested, with the aim of improving engine efficiency and reducing fuel consumption, with minimal to no impact on airframe drag. The present paper summarizes the engine intake design, optimization and testing activities carried out in the frame of the Bluecopter project.