Induced Velocities Near a Lifting Rotor with Nonuniform Disk Loading

A method is given for converting known uniformly loaded rotor induced velocities to correspond with arbitrary axisymmetric nonuniform disk load distributions. Numerical results for two specific distributions are given in chart form. Symmetry relations and relations between radial disk loading and wake velocities are developed. Experimental flow measurements are presented and compared with theory. Reasonable agreement is shown in the forward part of the flow when nonuniform loading is assumed, but far behind the rotor the flow is more like that of a wing.