RCAIDE.Library.Methods.Powertrain.Converters.Rotor.Performance.Actuator_Disc_Theory.Actuator_Disk_performance
Actuator_Disk_performance#
- Actuator_Disk_performance(rotor, conditions)[source]#
Analyzes a general rotor given geometry and operating conditions using Actuator Disc Theory.
- Parameters:
rotor (Data) –
- Rotor component with the following attributes:
- number_of_bladesint
Number of blades on the rotor
- tip_radiusfloat
Tip radius of the rotor [m]
- hub_radiusfloat
Hub radius of the rotor [m]
- cruiseData
- Cruise conditions
- design_efficiencyfloat
Design efficiency at cruise
- design_torque_coefficientfloat
Design torque coefficient at cruise
- body_to_prop_velfunction
Function to transform velocity from body to propeller frame
- orientation_euler_angleslist
Orientation of the rotor [rad, rad, rad]
conditions (Data) –
- Flight conditions with:
- freestreamData
- Freestream properties
- densitynumpy.ndarray
Air density [kg/m³]
- speed_of_soundnumpy.ndarray
Speed of sound [m/s]
- framesData
Reference frames - body : Data
- Body frame
- transform_to_inertialnumpy.ndarray
Rotation matrix from body to inertial frame
- inertialData
- Inertial frame
- velocity_vectornumpy.ndarray
Velocity vector in inertial frame [m/s]
- energyData
- Energy conditions
- convertersdict
Converter energy conditions indexed by tag - commanded_thrust_vector_angle : numpy.ndarray
Commanded thrust vector angle [rad]
- blade_pitch_commandnumpy.ndarray
Blade pitch command [rad]
- omeganumpy.ndarray
Angular velocity [rad/s]
- Returns:
- Results are stored in conditions.energy.converters[rotor.tag]:
- thrustnumpy.ndarray
Thrust vector [N]
- powernumpy.ndarray
Power [W]
- rpmnumpy.ndarray
Rotational speed [RPM]
- omeganumpy.ndarray
Angular velocity [rad/s]
- power_coefficientnumpy.ndarray
Power coefficient
- thrust_coefficientnumpy.ndarray
Thrust coefficient
- torque_coefficientnumpy.ndarray
Torque coefficient
- speed_of_soundnumpy.ndarray
Speed of sound [m/s]
- densitynumpy.ndarray
Air density [kg/m³]
- tip_machnumpy.ndarray
Tip Mach number
- efficiencynumpy.ndarray
Efficiency
- torquenumpy.ndarray
Torque [N·m]
- orientationnumpy.ndarray
Orientation matrix
- advance_rationumpy.ndarray
Advance ratio
- velocitynumpy.ndarray
Velocity vector [m/s]
- disc_loadingnumpy.ndarray
Disc loading [N/m²]
- power_loadingnumpy.ndarray
Power loading [N/W]
- thrust_per_bladenumpy.ndarray
Thrust per blade [N]
- torque_per_bladenumpy.ndarray
Torque per blade [N·m]
- blade_pitch_commandnumpy.ndarray
Blade pitch command [rad]
- commanded_thrust_vector_anglenumpy.ndarray
Commanded thrust vector angle [rad]
- figure_of_meritnumpy.ndarray
Figure of merit
- Return type:
None
Notes
This function implements the Actuator Disc Theory to analyze rotor performance. It calculates thrust, torque, power, and efficiency based on the rotor geometry and operating conditions.
- The computation follows these steps:
Extract rotor parameters and operating conditions
Transform velocity from inertial to rotor frame
Calculate rotational speed and diameter
Compute torque using the design torque coefficient
Calculate power and thrust
Compute performance metrics (thrust coefficient, power coefficient, etc.)
Store results in the conditions data structure
- Major Assumptions
Actuator disc theory assumes a uniform pressure jump across the rotor disc
The rotor is modeled as an infinitely thin disc
The flow is steady, incompressible, and inviscid
The rotor efficiency is constant and equal to the design value
Theory Actuator Disc Theory models the rotor as an infinitely thin disc that creates a pressure jump in the flow. The theory relates thrust, power, and induced velocity through momentum and energy conservation principles.
- Key relationships include:
Thrust: \(T = \eta\cdot P/V\)
Torque coefficient: \(Cq = Q/(ρ·n²·D⁵)\)
Thrust coefficient: \(Ct = T/(ρ·n²·D⁴)\)
Power coefficient: \(Cp = P/(ρ·n³·D⁵)\)
Figure of Merit: \(FM = T·√(T/(2·ρ·A))/P\)
- where:
T is thrust
P is power
V is velocity
η is efficiency
Q is torque
ρ is density
n is rotational speed
D is diameter
A is disc area