Validation and insight of a full-scale S-76 helicopter rotor using the Lattice-Boltzmann Method

This paper describes scale-resolving unsteady flow simulations performed using a Lattice-Boltzmann based solver, applied, for the first time, to a full-scale helicopter main rotor in forward flight. The simulation setup is obtained through a fully automated in-house developed workflow. Validation is performed by comparing thrust and power coefficients with reference wind tunnel data; with and without trimming based on an in-house developed Newton-Raphson trim algorithm. Results for different rotor advance ratios yield insight in both aerodynamic and acoustic quantities for the rotor, highlighting both mean as well as unsteady behavior. Finally, digital helicopter noise certification is performed by calculating the ground noise map for a helicopter in landing condition. (C) 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study applies a Lattice-Boltzmann based solver to perform scale-resolving unsteady flow simulations on a full-scale helicopter main rotor in forward flight for the first time. The validation is conducted by comparing the simulation results with reference wind tunnel data, providing insights into aerodynamic and acoustic quantities for different rotor advance ratios. Additionally, digital helicopter noise certification is achieved by calculating the ground noise map for a helicopter in landing condition.