Rotor-Airwake Aerodynamic Coupling in Real-Time Simulation

An innovative approach for incorporating the coupled interaction between a ship airwake and rotor downwash in real-time dynamic interface simulations is proposed. The approach employs a database of high-fidelity ship-alone and coupled rotor-ship airwake CFD simulations to train an artificial neural network (ANN) based model of the recirculation effects due to the rotor downwash interaction with ship structures. Once trained, the ANN model will provides a real-time correction factor to the rotor inflow velocities used by the rotor model in the flight simulation. The ANN model thus provides a portable, fast-running, plug-in model to the flight simulator that will work with the current rotor and airwake models employed in the NAVAIR Manned Flight Simulator (MFS). The Phase I effort successfully demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed approach for a well defined, limited range of inputs. The will be expanded in Phase II to encompass a larger database of simulations, expanding the applicability of the model to all relative positions between the rotorcraft and ship and a range of ship wind-over-deck conditions. The model will be implemented and evaluated in the MFS flight simulation environment.