Drag reduction of airframe and non-lifting rotating systems

• Author(s): Pereira, Gonçalo Alexandre da Graça
• Date: 2009
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.6/2464
• Origin: uBibliorum
• Subject(s): Indústria aeronáutica; Aeronave
• Document Type: Master thesis
• Language: English
• Advisor(s): Silva, André Resende Rodrigues da
• Contributor(s): uBibliorum

Description

This work was made possible through the collaboration between University of Beira Interior, CEIIA and Agusta Westland.

Acting as a bridge for the development of the aeronautics sector in the European Union, the Clean Sky project is being developed in partnership with leading European manufacturers of aircraft and their components. Taking into account all the environmental problems addressed during the recent past, this project has the goal of revolutionizing the industry through the construction and operation of aircraft with a low environmental impact. Consequently, the development of this dissertation focuses on the Green Rotorcraft (GRC2) project that is part of the mentioned European programme, which aims to shorten the time to market for new solutions tested on heavy-sized utility aircraft, aerodynamically improved to reduce fuel consumption and consequent emissions. The present work shows, through a literature search focused on guidelines and studies for active and passive control methodologies, a theoretical review of methods to reduce the parasite drag of the fuselage and non-lifting rotating systems with the objective to implement them on heavy-sized helicopters, which can ensure the achievement of the primary objectives established by the European Commission for the Clean Sky programme. Consequently, design guidelines are shown with practical examples demonstrated, to give evidence and enable the development of this project. An analytical work is performed in this thesis, divided into two distinct areas: Active Horizontal Stabilizer, to trim the fuselage; and Cooling Systems, improved to reduce their net ram drag. Optimization solutions are presented in this research, showing the theoretical benefits obtained from the implementation of such changes.