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Rapid Computational Aerodynamic Analysis for Multi-Rotor Aircraft

AMS Seminar Series

Speaker: Jonathan Chiew, NASA Ames Research Center

Presentation

Seminar Slide Deck (PDF-37MB)

Abstract

The advent of distributed electric propulsion has led to the conception of hundreds of novel aircraft in recent years. Nearly all these concepts incorporate multiple propellers which often create complex aerodynamic interactions, especially during converting or transitional flight. This work focuses on the development of a rapid aerodynamic simulation capability for multi-rotor aircraft that provides accurate performance estimates. The first portion of presentation discusses rotor modeling using blade element theory and integral velocity sampling. The following section explores performance and robustness considerations throughout the entire simulation process. Comparisons to both experimental data and high-fidelity simulations are performed, demonstrating the efficacy of the model for rapid and accurate assessment of aircraft performance.

Biography

Photo of Jonathan Chiew
Jonathan Chiew works in the Computational Aerosciences Branch of the NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division at NASA's Ames Research Center. He has been part of the Cart3D development team for the past seven years and recently completed his Ph.D. as a Pathways Intern in Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University. Jonathan received a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech (2008) and an M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University (2015). Prior to enrolling at Stanford, he worked for The Boeing Company for 5 years as an aerodynamics engineer performing high-fidelity CFD simulations for various rotorcraft configurations.