Wind Tunnel Assessment of the Computational Framework for Helicopter Fuselage Drag Reduction Using Vortex Generators
Alex Zanotti, Giovanni Droandi, Giuseppe Gibertini, Franco Auteri, Politecnico di Milano; Jean-Christophe Boniface, Robert Gaveriaux, Arnaud Le Pape, ONERA - The French Aerospace Lab
May 17, 2016

Wind Tunnel Assessment of the Computational Framework for Helicopter Fuselage Drag Reduction Using Vortex Generators
- Presented at Forum 72
- 9 pages
- SKU # : 72-2016-021
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Wind Tunnel Assessment of the Computational Framework for Helicopter Fuselage Drag Reduction Using Vortex Generators
Authors / Details: Alex Zanotti, Giovanni Droandi, Giuseppe Gibertini and Franco Auteri, Politecnico di Milano; Jean-Christophe Boniface, Robert Gaveriaux and Arnaud Le Pape, ONERA - The French Aerospace LabAbstract
A comprehensive wind tunnel campaign was performed to assess the results of a computational framework aimed to study the optimal layout and position of vortex generators for helicopter fuselage drag reduction. The most promising vortex generators configurations indicated by the numerical study were tested on a heavy-class helicopter fuselage model. The experimental activity, including loads, pressure measurements and stereo particle image velocimetry surveys, confirmed the main trends predicted by numerical simulations. In particular, the wind tunnel tests results showed that the best array of vortex generators positioned on the model back-ramp downstream the fuselage upsweep produces a maximum drag reduction of about 5% with respect to the measured clean fuselage drag. Moreover, velocity fields and pressure distributions evaluated around the backdoor/tail-boom junction enabled to investigate the flow physics related to the vortex generators functioning for fuselage drag reduction.