Transactions of Nanjing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics
Numerical Simulation Study on Aerodynamic Interference Characteristics of Overlapping Rotors in Heavy-Load eVTOL Aircraft
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Abstract:
Focusing on the unclear mechanism of aerodynamic interference in overlapping rotors of heavy-load electric vertical take-off and landing （eVTOL） aircraft， this paper aims to reveal the aerodynamic interference characteristics and flow field evolution laws of overlapping rotor configurations in hovering conditions through numerical simulation methods. The research method involves constructing a computational model for rotor flow fields and aerodynamic characteristics based on the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes （RANS） equations and the Spalart-Allmaras （S-A） turbulence model. The dynamic simulation of rotor rotational motion was achieved by using the moving nested grid technology. The reliability of the computational method was ensured through the grid independence verification and the comparison with experimental data. The research results indicate that in overlapping rotor systems， rotor Ⅱ experiences a decrease in thrust， significant power fluctuations， and reduced hovering efficiency due to continuous interference from the adjacent rotor’s wake and blade-vortex interactions. Blade-tip vortices undergo breakage， fusion， and secondary rolling in the overlapping region， forming large-scale turbulent structures that lead to attenuation of the induced velocity field and aerodynamic efficiency losses. Additionally， the interaction between the rotor downwash and the fuselage triggers a “fountain effect” and a sudden increase in surface pressure on the fuselage， exacerbating flow field distortion. Based on the aforementioned mechanisms， the safe flight of overlapping rotor configurations can be achieved by optimizing the configuration strategy of the rotational speed phase difference between adjacent blades. This study provides a theoretical basis for the rotor layout design and the aerodynamic performance enhancement of heavy-load eVTOL aircraft.
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This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China（No.11872211）.
Clc Number:
V211.7
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