Rotor-obstacle aerodynamic interaction in hovering flight: An experimental survey

Despite the presence of a fair number of numerical and experimental works on the rotor-obstacle interaction, a systematic study of the aerodynamic phenomena involved is lacking. In this paper a comprehensive experimental survey carried out at University of Glasgow is described, taking advantage of two different rotor rigs and several experimental techniques. Load measurements on the rotor were carried out in order to assess the rotor performance for different positions with respect to a cubic obstacle, thus simulating a set of possible hovering flight conditions around the obstacle. Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) measurements of the rotor inflow were used in order to investigate how the aerodynamic interaction affected the rotor performance. Eventually Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry (SPIV) measurements in the region between the rotor and the obstacle were carried out in order to have a better insight of the interacting flow field.