On the Influence of Inflow Model Selection for Time-Domain Tiltrotor Aeroelastic Analysis

The methods of using the viscous vortex particle method, dynamic inflow, and uniform inflow to conduct whirl-flutter stability analysis are evaluated on a four-bladed, soft-inplane tiltrotor model using the Rotorcraft Comprehensive Analysis System. For the first time, coupled transient simulations between comprehensive analysis and a vortex particle method inflow model are used to predict whirl-flutter stability. Resolution studies are performed for both spatial and temporal resolution in the transient solution. Stability in transient analysis is noted to be influenced by both. As the particle resolution is refined, a reduction in simulation time-step size must also be performed. An azimuthal time step size of 0.3 deg is used to consider a range of particle resolutions to understand the influence on whirl-flutter stability predictions. Comparisons are made between uniform inflow, dynamic inflow, and the vortex particle method with respect to prediction capabilities when compared to wing beam-bending frequency and damping experimental data. Challenges in assessing the most accurate inflow model are noted due to uncertainty in experimental data; however, a consistent trend of increasing damping with additional levels of fidelity in the inflow model is observed. Excellent correlation is observed between the dynamic inflow predictions and the vortex particle method predictions in which the wing is not part of the inflow model, indicating that the dynamic inflow model is adequate for capturing damping due to the induced velocity on the rotor disk. Additional damping is noted in the full vortex particle method model, with the wing included, which is attributed to either an interactional aerodynamic effect between the rotor and the wing or a more accurate representation of the unsteady loading on the wing due to induced velocities.