Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-07T09:50:45.529Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Autorotating wings: an experimental investigation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 March 2006

E. H. Smith
E. H. Smith
Affiliation:
N.A.S.A. Langley Research Center, Langley, Virginia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The autorotation of a flat plate about its spanwise axis was experimentally studied. Most of the work was done with a wing mounted in the University of Michigan 5 × 7 ft low-speed wind tunnel. The measurements consisted of the unsteady lift, drag, angular acceleration and the wing rotation rate. The flow pattern was studied by means of smoke, tufts and a small model in a water tunnel.

The flow pattern was very different from that over a static wing. The wing did not stall until it was nearly perpendicular to the free stream and the flow did not reattach to the lower surface until the wing had rotated well past zero angle of attack.

The maximum and average lift, drag and angular acceleration were measured for Reynolds numbers from 25 000 to 250 000. At Re = 240 000 the maximum lift coefficient was 4·50 with an average value of 2·20, while the maximum drag coefficient was 4·30 with an average value of 1·60. The angular acceleration was small; the wing rotated at an almost constant angular velocity. The non-dimensional wing rotation rate was measured for Reynolds numbers from 1300 to 280 000 and approached an asymptotic limit of 0·35 for sufficiently high Reynolds numbers.

The effect of applying driving and retarding torques to the wing was studied. As the rotation rate was increased above the free autorotation rate, the lift and drag increased. When the rotation rate was reduced by a retarding torque they both decreased. The power developed by the rotating wing was considerably less than for a windmill of the same frontal area.

A variety of wing configurations were tested, including different airfoils and aspect ratios and spoilers mounted at various locations on the wing. However, except for spoilers that were so large that they prevented autorotation, none of these changes had a major effect on the gross properties of the autorotation phenomenon.

Freely falling wings were also studied. For Reynolds numbers above 4000 the average lift and drag coefficients were comparable to those observed in the fixed axis tests and it appeared that the flow pattern was similar.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 50 , Issue 3 , 14 December 1971 , pp. 513 - 534
Copyright
© 1971 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ahlborn, F. 1897 Der Schwebflug und die Fallbewegung Ebener Tafeln in der Luft. Abh. Naturw. Ver., Hamburg, 15.Google Scholar
Coles, D. 1967 Tumbling airfoil. Unpublished student project, Graduate Aeronautical Laboratory, California Institute of Technology.
Ericsson, L. E. & Reding, L. P. 1969 Unsteady airfoil stall. N.A.S.A. CR 66787, 19.
Foshag, W. F. & Boshlev, G. D. 1969 Preview and preliminary evaluation of lifting horizontal axis rotating-wing aeronautical systems (HARWAS). U.S. Army Aviation Material Lab. Tech. Rep. no. 69-13.Google Scholar
Ham, N. D. 1968 Aerodynamic loading of a two-dimensional airfoil during dynamic stall. A.I.A.A. J. 6, 1927-1934.
Hoerner, S. F. 1965 Fluid Dynamic Drag, pp. 7–10. Published by author, 148 Busteed Drive, Midland Park, New Jersey.
Küchemann, D. 1942 Auftrieb and Widerstand eines Rotierenden Flugeln. Deutsche Luftfahr-Forschung, Aerodynamische Versuchsantalt, Göttingen no. FB-1651, 8.Google Scholar
Marks, L. S. 1941 Mechanical Engineer's Handbook, 4th ed., p. 1133. McGraw-Hill.
Maskell, E. C. 1963 A theory of the blockage effects on bluff bodies and stalled wings in a closed wind tunnel. Aero. Res. Counc. R. & M. no. 3400.Google Scholar
Pope, A. & Harper, J. 1966 Low Speed Wind Tunnel Testing, pp. 326–32. New York: Wiley.
Smith, A. M. O. 1953 On the motion of a tumbling body. J. Aeron. Sci. 20, 73–84.Google Scholar
Willmarth, W. W., Hawk, N. E. & Harvey, R. L. 1964 Steady and unsteady motions and wakes of freely falling disks. Phys. Fluids, 7, 197–208.Google Scholar