Computational methods for simulation of flow around helicopter engine inlet

Using the finite volume method, the Navier-Stokes equations are solved on a body-fitted structured grid. The low speed and hovering flight of MI-171V5 helicopter are numerically simulated, and the flowfield characteristics around its engine inlet are calculated. Following this, beginning with a prescribed wake model, a semi-empirical correction for the vortex core effect on rotor wake is made, and a free-wake calculation is carried out. The calculated results show that both computational-fluid-dynamics method and free-wake analytical technique can predict the vortex wake flowfield distributions.