Ship Airwakes in Waves and Motions and Effects on Helicopter Operation

• Published in: Computers & fluids 2020-08, Vol.208, p.104627, Article 104627
• Main Authors: Dooley, Gregory, Ezequiel Martin, J., Buchholz, James H.J., Carrica, Pablo M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Actuator disc theory; Aerodynamic loads; Aerodynamics; Airframes; Computational fluid dynamics; Computer simulation; Coupling; Downwash; dynamic interface; Flight decks; Flight operations; Flight training; Fuselages; Higher harmonics; Hovering; Hovering flight; Military helicopters; Pilot training; Sea states; Ship airwake; Ship decks; ship motions; Simulation; Tail rotors; Velocity distribution
• ISSN: 0045-7930; 1879-0747
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compfluid.2020.104627

•Effects of ship motions on the airwake are studied for two wave conditions.•One‐ and two‐way coupled approaches used to analyze effects on a helicopter.•Motions corresponding to sea state 6 waves have considerable effects on airwake and helicopter.•Fluctuations due waves and motions cannot be added linearly to no‐motions fluctuations.•Large craft cause considerable induced air flow, requiring two‐way coupled analyses. Insight into the effects of motions and waves on a ship airwake can be used to provide information regarding safe conditions for at sea flight operations and pilot training. We present a study on the effects of waves and motions on a ship's airwake and a helicopter operating above the flight deck using full scale computational fluid dynamics simulations. The ONR Tumblehome Ship (ONRT) geometry is analyzed in wind and regular head waves corresponding to nominal sea states 3 and 6. In order to separate the effects of waves and motions, simulations are conducted for both sea states with combinations of: waves and motions, waves and no motions, no waves with motions, and no motions or waves. A triple velocity decomposition is conducted in order to quantify changes in the airwake due to motions and waves. The aerodynamic loads on a helicopter hovering in the airwake are studied with one-way and two-way coupling approaches. The one-way coupled analysis uses the velocity field data from the full scale airwake simulations along with disk actuator theory to calculate thrust fluctuations for three different rotor sizes operating above the flight deck. In the two-way coupled study a helicopter loosely based on the Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk hovering above the flight deck of the ONRT is simulated, including dynamic overset grids of the main rotor, tail rotor and fuselage. This approach captures the interaction between the rotor downwash and the ONRT airwake. The study shows that for the lower sea state 3 the motions and waves have little effect on the airwake behavior, exhibiting little change with respect to the baseline case without motions and waves. At sea state 6 the flow field is modified significantly, which also affects the forces on the helicopter. Force fluctuations show main peaks at the wave encounter frequency and the blade passage frequency, as well as higher harmonics. The one-way coupling approach shows that larger rotors effectively filter out small scale fluctuations while smaller diameter rotors are affected by smaller flow structures.