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Results from a set of low speed blade-vortex interaction experiments

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Abstract

The results of a Blade-Vortex Interaction (BVI) experiment are presented. The experiments were the second series to be carried out at Glasgow University (see Kokkalis and Galbraith 1986, 1987), and reflect improvement to the facility. These improvements have resulted in sufficient resolution to observe clear evidence of vortex passage and propagative disturbances caused by the BVI. Additionally the quality of the pressure data permitted a meaningful assessment of force and moment coefficients, and a clear correspondence between their detailed time histories was observed. The data obtained are also compared with the results of previous studies, and qualitative and quantitative similarities are discussed.

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Abbreviations

c :

blade chord length

C mLE :

leading edge moment coefficient

c mQC :

quarter chord moment coefficient

C n :

normal force coefficient

C p :

pressure coefficient

C t :

tangential force coefficient

r :

radial position of pressure measurement pod

R :

blade radius

R e :

Reynolds number

t :

time

t (subscript) :

denotes non-dimensionalisation based upon tip conditions

V x :

chordwise velocity at the measurement position when X v/c = 0.5

V t :

chordwise velocity at the blade tip when X v/c = 0.5

X v :

horizontal distance between the leading edge pressure transducer

Y v :

vertical displacement of the vortex generator junction above the rotor disk

Z v :

lateral displacement of the vortex generator from the tunnel centre line

ΔC n :

the difference between the maximum and minimum C n values measured during a test

Γ :

vortex circulation

\(\bar \Gamma \) :

non-dimensional vortex circulation (= Γ/(c V x))

Ω :

rotor angular velocity

Ψ :

rotor azimuth angle

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Homer, M.B., Saliveros, E., Kokkalis, A. et al. Results from a set of low speed blade-vortex interaction experiments. Experiments in Fluids 14, 341–352 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00189493

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