| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/R90116/01 |
| Title: |
Understanding of the Fluid Dynamics of Rotor Wake Breakdown in Low Speed Flight |
| Principal Investigator: |
Brown, Professor RE |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Aeronautics |
| Organisation: |
Imperial College London |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 October 2002 |
Ends: |
30 September 2005 |
Value (£): |
70,459
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| Aerospace, Defence and Marine |
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| Related Grants: |
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| Panel History: |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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Rotor wake breakdown is a potentially dangerous regime of unsteady flow encountered by all helicopters within a range of descending flight conditions. Traditionally flight near the boundaries of the breakdown regime is avoided, but this may no longer be possible with certain advanced rotorcraft shortly to come into service. The physical mechanisms leading to the onset of wake breakdown are poorly understood and the literature is contradictory regarding the effects of rotor geometry and operating condition. A preliminary study has established, though, our ability to model computationally the behaviour of rotors in the breakdown regime, and also to capture the details of the flow experimentally. This work will thus use a synthesis of numerical and wind-tunnel experimentation to expand and validate our detailed understanding of the behaviour of helicopter rotors in the breakdown regime, and will hopefully yield a valid physical model for the onset of wake breakdown which will be of practical use in the development and certification of new and existing rotorcraft.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.imperial.ac.uk |