In a rotor system, the term for the vertical air flow through the rotor disk produced by lift is what?

In a rotor system, the term for the vertical air flow through the rotor disk produced by lift is what?

• A. Induced Flow
• B. Downwash
• C. Wake Turbulence
• D. Boundary Layer

Answer: (A)

Induced flow is the downward movement of air through the rotor disk that results from the rotor producing lift. As the blades generate lift, they impart momentum to the air, causing air to move downward through the disk—to conserve mass this flow passes from top to bottom. This downward flow through the disk is what we call induced flow (induced velocity). Downwash describes the downward air that continues below the rotor and in the wake, while boundary layer and wake turbulence refer to other related air-flow phenomena; the term for the flow through the disk itself is induced flow.

Induced flow is the downward movement of air through the rotor disk that results from the rotor producing lift. As the blades generate lift, they impart momentum to the air, causing air to move downward through the disk—to conserve mass this flow passes from top to bottom. This downward flow through the disk is what we call induced flow (induced velocity). Downwash describes the downward air that continues below the rotor and in the wake, while boundary layer and wake turbulence refer to other related air-flow phenomena; the term for the flow through the disk itself is induced flow.