Nasa Design and Analysis of Rotorcraft
The NASA Design and Analysis of Rotorcraft (NDARC) software is an aircraft system analysis tool intended to support both conceptual design efforts and technology impact assessments. The principal tasks are to design (or size) a rotorcraft or airplane to meet specified requirements, including vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) operation, and then analyze the performance of the aircraft for a set of conditions. For broad and lasting utility, it is important that the code have the capability to model general rotorcraft configurations, and estimate the performance and weights of advanced rotor concepts. The architecture of the NDARC code accommodates configuration flexibility, a hierarchy of models, and ultimately multidisciplinary design, analysis, and optimization. Initially the software is implemented with low-fidelity models, typically appropriate for the conceptual design environment.
An NDARC job consists of one or more cases, each case optionally performing design and analysis tasks. The design task involves sizing the aircraft to satisfy specified design conditions and missions. The analysis tasks can include off-design mission performance calculation, flight performance calculation for point operating conditions, and generation of subsystem or component performance maps. For analysis tasks, the aircraft description can come from the sizing task, from a previous case or a previous NDARC job, or be independently generated (typically the description of an existing aircraft).
The aircraft consists of a set of components, including fuselage, rotors, wings, tails, and propulsion. For each component, attributes such as performance, drag, and weight can be calculated; and the aircraft attributes are obtained from the sum of the component attributes. Description and analysis of conventional rotorcraft configurations is facilitated, while retaining the capability to model novel and advanced concepts. Specific aircraft configurations considered are single main-rotor and tailrotor helicopters; tandem helicopters; coaxial helicopters; tiltrotors; compound helicopters; autogiros; multi-copters; and airplanes.
NDARC has been used to develop and model NASA Concept Vehicles for Urban Air Mobility, including side-by-side, quadrotor, tiltwing, and lift+cruise configurations, with electric, hybrid, and turboshaft propulsion.
NDARC distribution is controlled by the NASA Ames Software Release Authority, and requires a Software Usage Agreement. Information about the software and the form needed to complete the SUA is at https://software.nasa.gov/software/ARC-16265-1.
NDARC users covered by a Software Usage Agreement can obtain access to the complete NDARC web site, including documentation, examples, training information, compiler instructions, and executables.
POINT OF CONTACT
Wayne Johnson
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
- 1. Johnson, W. "NDARC. NASA Design and Analysis of Rotorcraft." NASA TP 2015-218751, April 2015.
- 2. Johnson W. "NDARC - NASA Design and Analysis of Rotorcraft. Theoretical Basis and Architecture." AHS Aeromechanics Specialists' Conference, San Francisco, CA, January 20-22, 2010.
- 3. Johnson W. "NDARC - NASA Design and Analysis of Rotorcraft. Validation and Demonstration." AHS Aeromechanics Specialists' Conference, San Francisco, CA, January 20-22, 2010.
- 4. Johnson W. "Propulsion System Models for Rotorcraft Conceptual Design." Fifth Decennial AHS Aeromechanics Specialists' Conference, San Francisco, CA, January 22-24, 2014.
POINT OF CONTACT
Christopher Silva
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field CA 94035-1000
Related Publications
- 1. Johnson, W., "Propulsion System Models for Rotorcraft Conceptual Design," AHS Fifth Decennial Aeromechanics Specialists' Conference, San Francisco, California, January 2014
- 2. Johnson, W. and Silva, C., "Observations from Exploration of VTOL Urban Air Mobility Designs," 7th Asian/Australian Rotorcraft Forum, Jeju Island, Korea, Oct 2018.
- 3. Silva, C., Johnson, W., Solis, E., "Concept Vehicles for VTOL Air Taxi Operations," AHS Technical Meeting on Aeromechanics Design for Vertical Lift, Holiday Inn at Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, CA, January 2018
- 4. Silva, C., Johnson, W., Antcliff, K.R., and Patterson, M.D., "VTOL Urban Air Mobility Concept Vehicles for Technology Development," 2018 Aviation Technology, Integration, and Operations Conference, AIAA Aviation Forum, AIAA 2018-3847, Dallas, TX, June 2018.