In helicopter flight, it is possible for the rotors to descend into their own downwash, a cone of turbulent air previously forced downward in the generation of lift. As turbulent air does not have the same physical properties as still or clean air, the rotors produce less lift and the aircraft may descend further into the turbulent air. Settling with power describes such a helicopter's descent, or settling, even with adequate engine power to continue flight.
The hazard condition is also known as a vortex ring state because the flow around the rotor is a vortex ring.[1][2] Vortex ring state, the aerodynamic condition that causes the settling, occurs when a helicopter develops excessive descent rates at low speeds and high power settings, depending also on gross weight, winds, etc. This issue also affects tiltrotors, and was responsible for an accident involving a V-22 Osprey.
Contents |
A helicopter normally encounters settling with power when attempting to hover out of ground effect above the hovering ceiling for the aircraft, hovering out of ground effect without maintaining precise altitude control, and while making downwind or steep, powered approaches when the airspeed drops to nearly zero. The signs of settling with power are a vibration in the main rotor system followed by an increasing sink rate and possibly a decrease of cyclic authority.[2] The failure of a helicopter pilot to recognize and react to the condition can lead to high descent rates and impact with terrain, a frequently fatal event.
In forward flight, there is no upward flow (upflow) of air in the hub area. As forward airspeed decreases and vertical descent rates increase, an upflow begins because there are no airfoil surfaces in the mast and blade grip area. As volume of upflow increases, the induced flow (air pulled or "induced" down through the rotor system) of the inner blade sections is overcome and the blades begin to stall near the hub. As the inner blade sections stall, a second set of vortices, similar to the rotor tip vortices, form in the center of the rotor system. The inner set of vortices decreases the amount of lift being produced and causes an increase in sink rate. In an accelerated condition, the inner and outer vortices begin to feed each other to the point where any increase in rotor blade pitch angle increases the interaction between the vortices and increases the rate of descent.
Helicopter pilots are most commonly taught to avoid settling with power by monitoring their rates of descent at lower airspeeds. When encountering settling with power, pilots are taught to apply forward cyclic to fly out of the condition or lowering collective pitch.[2] While transitioning to forward or lateral flight will alleviate the condition by itself, lowering the collective to reduce the power demand decreases the size of the vortices and reduces the amount of time required to be free of the condition. However, since the condition often occurs near the ground, lowering the collective may not be an option; a loss of altitude will occur proportional to the rate of descent developed before beginning the recovery. In some cases, vortex ring state is encountered and allowed to advance to the point that the pilot may lose cyclic authority due to the disrupted airflow. In these cases, the pilot's only recourse may be to enter an autorotation to break the rotor system free of its vortex ring state.
In a tandem rotor helicopter, forward cyclic will not arrest the rate of descent caused by settling with power. In such a helicopter, which utilizes differential collective pitch in order to gain airspeed, lateral cyclic inputs must be made accompanied by pedal inputs in order to slide horizontally out of the vortex ring state's disturbed air.