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Engineers are developing more realistic simulation software for helicopter pilots which recreates the extreme turbulent airflows that can throw a craft off balance and cause a crash. Such turbulence can occur near oil rigs, ships and skyscrapers.
The simulation software being developed by researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) will for the first time incorporate realtime computational analysis for both flow mechanics and flight dynamics, rather than depending on stored flow data.
Dr Jürgen Rauleder, chair of helicopter technology at TUM said: “Until now, flight simulators have not adequately reflected the reality of flying in close proximity to large objects.”
“When it comes to wind conditions and the response of the helicopter, existing programs follow a rigid pattern. Local variations and changing conditions are not taken into account – unless the entire flow environment is known in advance.”
Currently, the only way pilots can gain experience needed to compensate for the complex interplay of airflows during flight is through on-the-job training, which is expensive, risky and stressful. It also imposes heavy demands on the aircraft.
With the TUM team’s simulation program, the user enters the external conditions such as topography, wind speeds and the helicopter type. The algorithms use that data to compute the interacting flow field at the virtual helicopter’s current location.
The program also lets pilots instantly “feel” the impact of the local air flows on the helicopter. This allows them to try out the effects of their control movements in a stress-free situation.
The researchers have validated the simulation with “established reference models”. To find out whether the models reflect conditions at sea, the engineers are cooperating with the US Naval Academy, the University of Maryland and the George Washington University, where researchers have measured airflows on a ship using hundreds of sensors.