100 Years of Rotor Vortex Theory

Development of theories
of optimal rotors

V.L. Okulov, J.N. Sørensen, G.A.M. van Kuik

100 Years of Rotor Vortex Theory

N.E. Joukowsky has reported

“Vortex theory of the screw propeller”
1 October 1912
 Before Rotor Vortex Theory
Momentum (or slipstream, or actuator disk) theory (1889)

W. Rankine R.E. Froude

Strong discussion about a validation of the theory took place up to the

first formulation of the vortex theory but a distrust to the Froude’s
theory in English school kept long time after that.
 Before Rotor Vortex Theory
Aerodynamics of aerofoil

Lord
Rayleigh M. Kutta N. Joukowsky

Strong discussion about aerodynamics of aerofoil results to

the formulation of Kutta-Joukowsky theorem (1902 - 1906).
 Before Rotor Vortex Theory
Blade elements theory (1892)

S. Drzewiecki

The original theory of Drzewecki was incomplete

because it did not include induction velocity.
For this reason propellers designed in accordance with his theory in
beginning of XX century was inferior to ones after empirical selection.
 Before Rotor Vortex Theory
Aerodynamics of wing

The first picture of the wing vortex by Lanchester (1907)

F. Lanchester

The first simplified vortices

of wing (Prandtl 1913) More accurate vortices
(Prandtl 1918)
L. Prandtl Joukowsky used it to his
vortex theory of rotor Betz used it for rotor
 100 Years of Rotor Vortex Theory
Rotor vortex theory
of Joukowsky
(October 1912)

was formulated in first article (1912)

of his famous cycle from 4 articles
“Vortex theory of screw propeller”
(1912-1918)
N.E. Joukowsky

+ =

Flamm’s visualization and the first wing vortex system result to his theory
100 Years of Rotor Vortex Theory
Model of helical tip vortex in his first article (1912)
Joukowsky was first who derived the vortex ring approximation for helical tip vortex
but he neglected a regular rest term which is sufficiently great without which
becomes impossible to find a correct solution for rotor with finite number of blades

Moor & Saffman (Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1972)

re-suggested the vortex ring approximation 60 years later!
Ricca (JFM, 1994) estimated the regular term by numerical simulation
 100 Years of Rotor Vortex Theory
Rotor with infinite number of blades in his first article (1912)

A complete solution with definition of induction

velocity and blade form was found by vortex
theory for rotor with infinite number of blades
(Joukowsky 1912)

In the first article (1912) Joukowsky proposed the rotor vortex theory
with finite number of blades but he could solve this infinite case only!
 100 Years of Rotor Vortex Theory
2-d article of “Vortex theory of screw propeller” (1914)

V. Vetchinkin Vortex system for rotor with Blade element approach

(pupil of Joukowsky) arbitrary circulation along blade
to the Vetchinkin’s rotor
(Vetchinkin, 1913)
(Joukowsky 1914)

In the second article (1914) Joukowsky only described the method

but he could not formulate an law for optimization
100 Years of Rotor Vortex Theory
3-d article of “Vortex theory of screw propeller” (1915)

In the third article (1914) Joukowsky for the first time created
theory of hydrodynamical cascades from the blade profiles
 100 Years of Rotor Vortex Theory
4-th article of “Vortex theory of screw propeller” (1918)
The general momentum theory based on an understanding of the rotor
flow from the vortex theory of the screw propeller has been formulated

A partial case of the general theory for wind turbine rotor

with constant circulation includes a paradox of infinite
power for small tip speed ratio. This paradox has been
Propeller case discussed by Sørensen & van Kuik in (WE, 2011)
100 Years of Rotor Vortex Theory
Rotor vortex theory of German school (1919)

A. Betz
L. Prandtl (pupil of Prandtl)

The German vortex theory of rotor based on

Prandtl solution for wing with elliptical distribution of load.
 100 Years of Rotor Vortex Theory
Prandtl’s correction of infinite number of blades (1919)

Idealized vortex system for Associative plane flow with

screw propeller by Prandtl the wake behind Betz rotor

In 1919 Prandtl’s school could only formulate the optimum for the rotor
vortex theory with finite number of blades but they have considered
case of infinite number of blades like the Russian consideration!
The First Results grounded by Rotor Vortex Theory
Betz-Joukowsky limit (1920)
The First Results grounded by Rotor Vortex Theory
Blade element momentum (BEM) theory (1912-1920)

+ =

The first combination was made in Russia (Sabinin & Yuriev 1912),
the next ones in Germany (Betz 1915) and English school adopted
it in book by Fage & Collins in 1919 only.

Betz-Joukowsky limit
First optimization
of wind turbine by Glauert’s correction

BEM theory (1935)

H. Glauert
Development of Rotor Vortex Theory
Goldstein’s solution for Betz rotor (1929)

S. Goldstein

Unfortunately his solution was very complex to simulate and

Theodorsen used the electromagnetic analogy to design blades
for the screw propeller
Development of Rotor Vortex Theory
Theodorsen’s measurements for Betz rotor (1945)

Theodore Theodorsen prepares an electromagnetic equipment to give a

talk on the physics of a four-blade propeller in 1945.
 Development of Rotor Vortex Theory
Progress of helical vortex theory in XX century
Goldstein’s circulation Self-induced velocity of the helix
2

1.5
 Joukowsky’s
approximation
1

0.5

0.5
pitch
1 2 4 6 8 10

Points: Tibery & Wrench (1964)

Black line is analytical solution (Okulov, 2004)
Lines: Okulov & Sørensen (WE, 2008)
Many famous contributions in helical vortex theory (e.g. Forsdyke,1928; Goldstein,
1929; Rosenhead, 1930; Morgan & Wrench, 1965; Crow, 1970; Widnall et al 1971 &
1972; Moore & Saffman, 1972; Batchelor, 1973; Callegari & Ting, 1978; Fukumoto &
Miyazaki, 1991; Okulov 1993&1995; Ricca, 1994; Kuibin & Okulov 1998; Vozhdaev
et all 1997; Boersma & Wood ,1999 etc.) were made in XX century to result
analytical solutions for both rotor with finite number of blades.
 Development of Rotor Vortex Theory
Major assumptions of the main rotor theories
Number of Definition of Circulation
Theories
blades the pitch in the wake along blade
Betz-Joukowsky limit
actuator disk non specified non specified
(1920)
Glauert’s optimization
non specified non specified* non specified
(1935)
Joukowsky consideration
infinite without induction velocity constant
of the rotor I (1912)
Betz consideration
infinite without induction velocity Betz type
of the rotor II (1919)
Prandtl tip correction
finite (N0) without induction velocity correction of Betz type
(1919)
Goldstein’s solution
finite (N0=1-4) without induction velocity Goldstein’s type
of the rotor II (1929)
Theodorsen’s consideration with induction velocity
finite (N0) Goldstein’s type
of the rotor II (1948) of far wake
with induction velocity
New OS solution of rotor II (2008) finite (N0) Goldstein’s type
in rotor plane
with induction velocity
New OS solution of rotor I (2010) finite (N0) constant
in rotor plane
 Development of Rotor Vortex Theory
Test of the Betz-Goldstein’s and Theodorsen’s theories
1 6
Lightly loaded propeller with CP CT

finite number of blades 0.8

5

 w w
C T  2 w  1   I1  I 3
(Betz, 1919; Goldstein,1929) 0.6
4
 2 2
The induction velocity did not 3

influence on the pitch of the 0.4  w  N = 1

C P  2 w  I1  I 3  N = 2 2
 2  N = 3
wake 0.2
N
N
=
=
5
10 1
N = 20


N =  
0 0
0 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15 20

0.6
Theodorsen’s consideration CP 0.8
CT
for propeller with finite 0.5
  
C T  2 w   w     
number of blades 0.4 C P  2 w 1  w   w  0.6  2 
(Theodorsen,1948) 0.3
0.4
The pitch calculates via 0.2
N=2
induction velocity in far wake N=3 0.2
0.1 N=4
N=5
R/V N=6 R/V
0 0
0 5 10 0 5 10

Points is Glauert’s optimization

 Development of Rotor Vortex Theory
Comparison of both rotors (Okulov & Sørensen, JFM 2010)
Joukowsky vortex model of rotor Betz vortex model of rotor

 w  w 
CP  2w1  I1  I3 
 2  2 

Points is Glauert’s optimization

For the first time the comparison between the famous rotor conceptions
was made by analytical solutions but in both cases the wake expansion
has been neglected.
100 Years of Rotor Vortex Theory

The centennial is also celebrated in

Russia.

The Russian institute TsAGI, founded by

Joukowsky, makes a special issue on
this topic

“Development
of theories of an optimal rotor”

by V. Okulov, J. Sørensen G. van Kuik.

100 Years of Rotor Vortex Theory

Collaboration between Russian and German aerodynamic schools

in the beginning of XX-th century was very successful
 100 Years of Rotor Vortex Theory
Concluding remarks

Both Russian and German schools created their vortex theories

independently because World War I and Russian revolution
separated their collaboration.

100 years of the theory should celebrate from 2012 to 2019!

The story of rotor vortex theory

will be continued!