Optimal Design And Wind Tunnel Testing Of Propellers For A Winged Compound Helicopter

Abstract

This paper presents an example of optimal propeller designs for a winged compound helicopter and its experimental/numerical validations. Considering flight conditions of the full-scale aircraft, a conceptual design of the propeller specifications has been conducted. The chord and twist distributions are optimized using Efficient Global Optimization (EGO) with a Kriging model, and the optimal propeller shapes are explored through performance evaluation using CFD analysis. While previous research focused on the design of side propellers, this study reports on the design of the tail propeller. Additionally, the performance of the optimal designs has been evaluated based on wind tunnel test results and CFD analysis. The fuel-saving effects of these optimal propellers on the rotorcraft system are also assessed, showing approximately a 10% reduction in fuel consumption at target cruise condition based on both CFD and wind tunnel test results.