Momentum Disk Analysis. The helicopter rotor can be idealised as a momentum disk.

It imparts a uniform velocity (vi) to the airflow creating a change in momentum which will result in an upward thrust (T). Hover For the hover case air is sucked in from all directions so the farfield inlet velocity is effectively ero! accelerated to vi at the disk and then propelled to a final slipstream velocity of vs below. If the area of the disk is " then the mass flow of air being accelerated is

m = A v i
The change in momentum of the stream will be M = m v s and this will be e#ual to the force produced! the thrust.

T = A vi v s .
The change in $nergy per unit time of the stream will be
2 =1 m E vs 2

The work done per unit time on the air by the thrust is

= T . s =T vi W t
hence

1 T vi = A v 2 A vi v2 i v s= s = E 2
giving

v s =2 v i .
%ence thrust of the ideal rotor in hover is

T =2 A vi2 .
"s the thrust is re#uired to be e#ual the weight of the vehicle! it is possible to use this e#uation to predict the induced flow re#uired to be produced by the rotor!

v i=

T = W 2 A

Climb For the case where the helicopter is climbing! the rotor will capture flow from a fi&ed area above and accelerate this to a final slipstream velocity. The momentum balance will be slightly different as the incoming air has an initial momentum due to the helicopter climb speed and the rotor is 'ust augmenting this. The mass flow rate through the disk will be!

m = A vi V c .
The thrust due to momentum change will be!

T =m v sV c V c = A v iV c v s .

The variation of pressure will drop below atmospheric above the disk! increas due to the energy input of the disk and then drop bad to atmospheric in the slipstream. "pplying and $nergy balance will again lead to v s =2 v i so that! T =2 A v V v .
i c i

(earranging gives!

v2 i V c v i

T =0 2 A

)olving this #uadratic e#uation for *i gives!

V c v i= 2
or

V 2 c 2

2T A

V c Vc 2 T v i= 2 2 2 A

The re#uired variation in induced velocity for climb is shown in the following figure!

+ess induced velocity is re#uired for climb as the momentum change applied to a higher initial velocity is more effective. Descent ,escent can be analysed by using a negative value of *c in the above e#uations. %owever there are physical limits on this approach due to the changing flow pattern. "s the capture area is now below! problems will arise as the rotor is now capturing its own wake an recirculating it to create momentum change. $ventually at a higher rate of descent the system will become closed and the rotor will simply recycle its own wake (-ring state-). In this condition there is no momentum change and hence no thrust.

") slowly descending rotor. (.ositive Thrust)

/) moderate rate descent ((ing )tate! no thrust).

0) fast descent rate ( windmilling ) If the above stable flow state can be avoided! a fast descent can be achieved which puts the rotor in to a windmill state. 0apture area is still below but rotor is absorbing momentum from the stream and a divergent slip stream appears above. This negative change in momentum will again produce a thrust (a vertical drag). This flow state can be used for autorotation of the blades.

Power required. $ngine power is re#uired to be supplied to the disk in order to produce the re#uired thrust. There will be two components of power re#uiredment in this simple analysis. .ower is re#uired to produce the momentum change ( P1=T.v i ) and power is re#uired to make

the helicopter climb ( P2 =T.V c ). 1eglecting power losses in transmission! fuselage drag components! etc. The the power re#uired for the operation of the rotor will be!

Prequired =T V c

Vc Vc 2 Vc Vc 2 T T =T . 2 2 2 A 2 2 2 A

"gain assuming climb rates are small so thrust appro&imately e#uals weight ! the variation of power re#uired for different climb rates is shown in the following figure.