Inlet-fan flow field computation

The flow field of a tilt-nacelle inlet-fan combination used for V/STOL aircraft is studied. Under certain flight conditions the inlet is subjected to high angles of attack and/or yaw. This produces a non-uniform or distorted flow field at the fan-face that can lead to large blade stresses. This paper presents an analytical approach to the coupled inlet-fan problem. The nacelle is modelled by a distribution of source panels and the fan by a distribution of radial vortices. A modified actuator disc with losses and a quasi-steady rotor response is used to derive the boundary condition at the fan-face. An example of the calculation is shown.