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Development of a rotorcraft dust-emission parameterization using a CFD model

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Abstract

Flights of rotorcraft over the desert floor can result in significant entrainment of particulate matter into the atmospheric boundary layer. Continuous or widespread operation can lead to local and regional impacts on visibility and air quality. To account for this pollutant source in air quality models, a parameterization scheme is needed that addresses the complex vertical distribution of dust ejected from the rotorcraft wake into the atmospheric surface layer. A method to parameterize the wind and turbulence fields and shear stress at the ground is proposed here utilizing computational fluid dynamics and a parameterized rotor model. Measurements taken from a full scale experiment of rotorcraft flight near the surface are compared to the simulation results in a qualitative manner. The simulation is shown to adequately predict the forward detachment length of the induced ground jet compared to the measured detachment lengths. However, the simulated ground vortex widths and vorticity deviate substantially from the measured values under a range of flight speeds. Results show that the method may be applicable for air quality modeling assuming slow airspeeds of the rotorcraft, with advance ratios of 0.005–0.02.

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Abbreviations

ASL:

Atmospheric surface layer

CFD:

Computational fluid dynamics

DRI:

Desert Research Institute (Nevada)

M-O:

Monin-Obukhov

RANS:

Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes

TKE:

Turbulent kinetic energy

VBM:

Virtual Blade Model

VTM:

Vorticity Transport Model

YPG:

Yuma Proving Grounds

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Desert Research Institute, 2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, NV, 89512, USA

    Jerrold D. McAlpine, Darko R. Koracin & John A. Gillies

  2. Department of Geography, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA

    Douglas P. Boyle

  3. Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Desert Research Institute, 2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, NV, 89512, USA

    Eric V. McDonald

Authors
  1. Jerrold D. McAlpine
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  2. Darko R. Koracin
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  3. Douglas P. Boyle
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  4. John A. Gillies
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  5. Eric V. McDonald
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Correspondence to Jerrold D. McAlpine.

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McAlpine, J.D., Koracin, D.R., Boyle, D.P. et al. Development of a rotorcraft dust-emission parameterization using a CFD model. Environ Fluid Mech 10, 691–710 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10652-010-9191-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10652-010-9191-y

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