Modelling visibility and surface deformation in particle-fluid flow fields generated by helicopter rotors

Abstract

As a helicopter descends towards a bed of sand, a high velocity particle laden cloud can form around the helicopter body, a phenomenon known as "brownout", and a consequence of which can potentially be a significant deterioration in visibility for the helicopter pilot. Here we consider a recently developed physically based rational mathematical model for the generation of wind-driven particle flow fields from otherwise static particle beds, one application of which is the scenario considered here. We introduce a directional opacity measure, defined for each observation angle from the helicopter cockpit, and show how visibility may vary in the model as certain parameters are varied. In particular, we demonstrate a counterintuitive result suggesting that, with specific yet potentially realistic parameter choices, pilot visibility may be improved in some viewing directions if the helicopter were hovering at a lower altitude. We also calculate the associated deformation of the upper surface of the particle bed, and show how certain surface deformation features may be sensitive to variation of key parameters.