OVERVIEW

The course will provide comprehensive coverage of the basic principles, technologies and methodologies pertaining to the interactional aerodynamics mechanisms related to multi-propeller aircraft configurations. Key technical topics covered in this course include the definition of the principal interactional aerodynamics phenomena occurring on innovative aircraft/rotorcraft configurations along with their flight envelope (i.e. propeller-propeller, propeller-wing, blade-vortex-interactions, vortex ring state) and their main effects on aerodynamic performance and acoustic footprint. Course material will extend beyond basic theoretical background about interactional aerodynamics touching on related state-of-the-art methodologies, from experimental techniques to numerical methods, used for the investigation of these phenomena applied to innovative multi-rotor aircraft configurations. Finally, a practical wing-propeller numerical test case will be set up with attendants using DUST to provide technical insights about the use of state-of-the-art mid-fidelity software for the investigation of interactional aerodynamics.

DUST is a mid-fidelity aerodynamics software based on VPM for wake modelling developed by the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology of Politecnico di Milano, it is meant to deliver affordable and reliable solutions of aerodynamics problems on complex configurations.

Focused on scalability and flexibility in the input, geometry definition, movement, and solution phase, DUST allows the user to analyze diverse configurations with increasing and scalable levels of fidelity. DUST is free and open-source, released under the MIT License and is one of the most robust and used mid-fidelity software in scientific and industrial community applied to preliminary design of multi-propeller aircraft configuration.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Acquire a sound understanding of interactional aerodynamics problems applied to multi-propeller aircraft configurations
• Acquire an understanding of the effects of these interactional aerodynamics phenomena on aircraft/rotorcraft loads and performance along with their flight envelope
• Acquire an understanding of the effects of these interactional aerodynamics phenomena on the acoustic signature of aircraft/rotorcraft
• Acquire a basic understanding of the design of innovative aircraft architectures that could mitigate interactional aerodynamics effects on performance and acoustic signature
• Acquire an understanding of the principal experimental techniques and wind tunnel tests set up for the investigation of interactional aerodynamics phenomena in multi-propeller aircraft configurations
• Acquire an understanding of the use of mid-fidelity numerical models for the investigation of interactional aerodynamics phenomena related to basic wing-propellers aerodynamic interaction.

AUDIENCE
This course is intended for holders of a BS degree in aeronautical/aerospace engineering who have had coverage of basic aerodynamics applied to fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Audience members might be also new M.Sc. or Ph.D. graduates or experienced engineers who want to learn about the basic aerodynamics challenges of advanced air mobility (AAM) vehicles. Course audience members should be able to perform basic computational aerodynamic simulations using surface meshes. Audience members with added interest gained about interactional aerodynamics phenomena can use this course to prepare for more advanced courses on innovative multi-propeller aircraft design.

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- AIAA Member Price: $895 USD
- Non-Member Price: $1095 USD
- AIAA Student Member Price: $495 USD