Vortex Core Size in the Rotor Near-Wake

Abstract

Using a kinetic energy conservation approach, a number of simple analytic expressions are derived for estimating core size of tip vortices in the near-wake of rotors in hover or axial-flight (climb). The influence of thrust, axial-flight advance ratio, blade count, blade aspect ratio, nonuniform disk loading, and vortex structure on rotor vortex core size is assessed. Vortex core size is found to be directly proportional to rotor thrust and inversely proportional to axial-flight advance ratio. Further, it is found that the more efficient the rotor is with respect to factors that affect induced power, the smaller the vortex core size. In particular, uniformity of the rotor disk loading clearly has the greatest influence on vortex core size of the parameters studied in this paper.