COMBUSTION RESEARCH & FLOW TECHNOLOGY INC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: An innovative approach for incorporating the coupled interaction between a ship airwake an

Description

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 will use 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 provide a real-time correction factor to the rotor inflow velocities used by the rotor model in the flight simulation. The ANN model will thus provide 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). Phase I will evaluate the feasibility of this approach for a single ship-rotorcraft combination and a fixed approach path, and assess the suitability of the model by comparing to a fully coupled CFD simulation. In Phase II, the ANN model would be trained with a larger database of simulations, expanding the applicability of the model for a full helicopter simulation, and be implemented into the MFS flight simulator. Phase III would involve expanding the model for all ship-aircraft combinations of interest.