A new vortex model of a helicopter rotor with an infinite number of blades is proposed, based on Shaidakov’s linear disk theory for calculating inductive speeds at any point in space in the helicopter area. It is proposed to consider the helicopter rotor and the behind vortex column as a system of discrete vortex cylinders. This allows building a matrix of the influence of the vortex system under consideration on any set of points, for example, the calculated points on the rotor itself, on the tail rotor, etc. The model allows calculating inductive velocities at any point near the helicopter using matrix multiplication operation. It is shown that the classical results for the momentum theory remain constant even in the discrete simulation of the helicopter rotor vortex system. The structure of the air flow behind the rotor and the simulation results obtained by the proposed method is compared with the structure of the tip vortices and the results of the blade vortex theory. In addition, the experimental data were compared with the simulation results to verify the correctness of the model under real operating conditions by the helicopter trimming.
Part of the book: Vortex Dynamics Theories and Applications