Rotare
Image credit: Unsplash
Rotare is a feature-rich and open-source implementation of the Blade Element Momentum Theory (BEMT) in Matlab.
This software can be used for the analysis and the design of all kinds of rotors: helicopters main/tail rotors, aircraft propellers, wind/tidal turbines, etc.
Rotare was developed primarily for teaching purposes at the University of Liege (Belgium) during my Ph.D. The code was later extended to add different solvers, many extensions to the base methodology and to support more complex geometries. It is now a complete analysis tool that can be used in a wide range of applications outside of academia.
Features
The code allows the modeling of single and coaxial rotors with varying airfoil, custom twist and taper.
It can model steady and axial flows for both single and coaxial rotors. It can also model single rotors under oblique flows.
Multiple corrections and extension are implemented, such as: tip/hub losses, compressibility corrections, tip relief, spinner effects, etc.
The software also implements multiple solvers, that solve different sets of the BEMT equations (different solving procedure, or different hypotheses). While there is no real benefit to it in a design standpoint, this can be used to showcase the differences between the various methodologies for solving the BEMT equations.
Project roadmap
| Status | Item |
|---|---|
| Done | Basic implementation |
| In progress | Code cleanup & optimization |
| Aug 2022 | Open-source release of the code |
| Aug 2022 | Coaxial rotors implementation |
| Oct 2022 | Oblique flows implementation |
| Nov 2022 | Validation |
Additional info
An abstract has been introduced to present Rotare at the AIAA SciTech 2023 Forum in National Harbour, MD, USA. It is still under review by the conference committee.
Thomas Lambert
PhD Student in Aerospace Engineering
My current research focuses on unsteady and experimental aerodynamics. In specifics, I am studying the capabilities of tandem wings systems under flapping motion.