Experiments on the Helicopter-Obstacle Aerodynamic Interference in Absence of External Wind

Abstract

The rotor-obstacle interaction has become a challenging research topic in the last few years. In the present paper a comprehensive experimental survey carried out at University of Glasgow is described, taking advantage of two di↵erent rotor rigs and several experimental techniques. The results are then compared with those already obtained for a similar investigation at Politecnico di Milano. The experimental database comprises load measurements on the rotor (in order to assess the rotor performance for di↵erent positions with respect to a cubic obstacle), Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) measurements of the rotor inflow and Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry (SPIV) measurements in the region between the rotor and the obstacle. Despite a few slight di↵erences in geometry and test conditions, the two databases show several similarities that are analysed in the paper