A CFD Analysis of Winglet Angle Effects on the Hover Performance of a Helicopter Rotor

Abstract

This study numerically investigates the aerodynamic performance of a UH-60A Black Hawk rotor blade equipped with winglets under hover conditions. The primary objective is to evaluate the potential for performance improvement by analyzing various winglet angles and directions. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted using NUMECA, solving the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations with the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model. The results indicate that the incorporation of winglets yields a modest increase in rotor thrust of approximately 2%. However, this thrust enhancement is accompanied by an increase in torque across all tested winglet configurations, indicating a concomitant rise in power requirement.