The Blind Test Activity of TILTAERO Project for the Numerical Aerodynamic Investigation of a Tiltrotor

Abstract

The present paper illustrates an aerodynamic analysis performed by CIRA in the framework of the European research project TILTAERO (TILTrotor interactional AEROdynamics) by the application of a BEM methodology and with the aim to investigate the problem of the interactional aerodynamics of a tilt rotor configuration. Due to the lack of experimental database on tilt rotor configurations the one produced during the European research project PROPWING and referring to a propeller-nacelle-wing configuration has been chosen for the numerical-experimental comparison activity. The paper provides a synthetic description of the TILTAERO project and illustrates the main aspects of the PROPWING configuration and the relative experimental database. The main features of the numerical methodology applied is also described. The comparative study is performed by illustrating the numerical and experimental results in terms of steady, time-averaged and unsteady pressure distribution as well as steady and time-averaged normal forces acting on the wing. The results obtained indicate, in general, a satisfactory agreement of the methodology applied with the experiment.