The influence of helicopter rotor-fuselage flow interaction on temperature fields in forward flight

The interaction between the rotor and fuselage of a helicopter is a three-dimensional and highly unsteady phenomenon. Meanwhile, the exhaust plume of the turbo-shaft engine which has the characteristics of high exhaust temperature and velocity, is subjected to the interference of rotor flow field. The flow interaction has a great influence on the temperature distribution and infrared radiation performance, especially in the engine affecting area. Numerical calculation is established for simulating the downwash of the isolated rotor at hovering condition based on CFD analysis by using three different methods. The "actuator disk" method is applied to form a new simulation for rotor-fuselage interaction flow field in forward flight. We also calculate and analyze the temperature distribution on the helicopter fuselage and exhaust plume. Ultimately, based on the characterization of the flow and temperature fields, the helicopter solid wall infrared radiation has been investigated by utilizing a ray tracing method. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.