Analytical Framework for Design of Aero-Propulsive Geometries with Powered Wakes

Broadening interest by the aeronautics community in distributed electric propulsion systems has led to a need for prediction methods capable of analyzing the performance of coupled aeropropulsive systems. A 2D, inviscid, and incompressible scheme to investigate the performance of these systems is described. The current method is an extension of previously designed algorithms for this problem. The scheme incorporates a vortex panel method for multiple lifting geometries and iteratively solves for the circulation distribution and position of a powered jet wake that emanates from the surface elements, bounding the propulsive streamtube. The scheme is capable of resolving both the upper and lower wake boundaries, as well as the thickness of the surface elements. Methods for the determination of the total pressure rise in the powered wake are described. Initial validation and design cases show that the tool is reasonably capableof predicting the surface pressure distribution and section lift coefficient of aero-propulsive geometries. A case study incorporating thrust vectoring also demonstrates the capabilities of the tool for flow visualization and initial conceptual design of powered lift aero-propulsive systems.