VSPAERO Actuator Disk and Propeller Functions

The following group of functions provide API capability for setting up actuator disks (Disk tab of VSPAERO GUI) and propellers (Propeller tab of VSPAERO GUI) for VSPAERO analysis. If a propeller geometry is used to model the actuator disk, the "PropMode" must be set to PROP_DISK or PROP_BOTH. Alternatively, the "PropMode" but be set to PROP_BLADE or PROP_BOTH for unsteady analysis. must be set to PROP_DISK or PROP_BOTH. Click here to return to the main page. More...

Functions
std::string	vsp::FindActuatorDisk (int disk_index)
int	vsp::GetNumActuatorDisks ()
std::string	vsp::FindUnsteadyGroup (int group_index)
std::string	vsp::GetUnsteadyGroupName (int group_index)
std::vector< std::string >	vsp::GetUnsteadyGroupCompIDs (int group_index)
std::vector< int >	vsp::GetUnsteadyGroupSurfIndexes (int group_index)
int	vsp::GetNumUnsteadyGroups ()
int	vsp::GetNumUnsteadyRotorGroups ()

Detailed Description

Function Documentation

FindActuatorDisk()

std::string vsp::FindActuatorDisk ( int disk_index )

extern

Get the ID of a VSPAERO actuator disk at the specified index. An empty string is returned if the index is out of range.

// Add a propeller
string prop_id = AddGeom( "PROP", "" );
SetParmVal( prop_id, "PropMode", "Design", PROP_DISK );
SetParmVal( prop_id, "Diameter", "Design", 6.0 );
 
Update();
 
// Setup the actuator disk VSPAERO parms
string disk_id = FindActuatorDisk( 0 );
if ( disk_id.length() == 0 )
{
    Print( "ERROR: FindActuatorDisk found nothing" );
    __failure++;
}
 
SetParmVal( FindParm( disk_id, "RotorRPM", "Rotor" ), 1234.0 );
SetParmVal( FindParm( disk_id, "RotorCT", "Rotor" ), 0.35 );
SetParmVal( FindParm( disk_id, "RotorCP", "Rotor" ), 0.55 );
SetParmVal( FindParm( disk_id, "RotorHubDiameter", "Rotor" ), 1.0 );

See also

PROP_MODE

Parameters

[in]

disk_index

int Actuator disk index for the current VSPAERO set

Returns

string Actuator disk ID

FindUnsteadyGroup()

std::string vsp::FindUnsteadyGroup ( int group_index )

extern

Get the ID of the VSPAERO unsteady group at the specified index. An empty string is returned if the index is out of range.

string wing_id = AddGeom( "WING" );
string pod_id = AddGeom( "POD" );
 
// Create an actuator disk
string prop_id = AddGeom( "PROP", "" );
SetParmVal( prop_id, "PropMode", "Design", PROP_BLADES );
 
Update();
 
// Setup the unsteady group VSPAERO parms
string disk_id = FindUnsteadyGroup( 1 ); // fixed components are in group 0 (wing & pod)
if ( disk_id.length() == 0 )
{
    Print( "ERROR: FindUnsteadyGroup found nothing" );
    __failure++;
}
 
SetParmVal( FindParm( disk_id, "RPM", "UnsteadyGroup" ), 1234.0 );

See also

PROP_MODE

Parameters

[in]

group_index

int Unsteady group index for the current VSPAERO set

Returns

string Unsteady group ID

GetNumActuatorDisks()

int vsp::GetNumActuatorDisks ( )

extern

Get the number of actuator disks in the current VSPAERO set. This is equivalent to the number of disk surfaces in the VSPAERO set.

// Set VSPAERO set index to SET_ALL
SetParmVal( FindParm( FindContainer( "VSPAEROSettings", 0 ), "GeomSet", "VSPAERO" ), SET_ALL );
 
// Add a propeller
string prop_id = AddGeom( "PROP", "" );
SetParmValUpdate( prop_id, "PropMode", "Design", PROP_BLADES );
 
int num_disk = GetNumActuatorDisks(); // Should be 0
 
if ( num_disk != 0 )
{
    Print( "ERROR: a bladed propeller counts as an actuator disk" );
    __failure++;
}
 
SetParmValUpdate( prop_id, "PropMode", "Design", PROP_DISK );
 
num_disk = GetNumActuatorDisks(); // Should be 1
 
if ( num_disk != 1 )
{
    Print( "ERROR: GetNumActuatorDisks did not count the disk" );
    __failure++;
}
 
// The disk has to be findable at every index it claims.
for ( int i = 0; i < num_disk; i++ )
{
    if ( FindActuatorDisk( i ).length() == 0 )
    {
        Print( "ERROR: GetNumActuatorDisks counted a disk that cannot be found" );
        __failure++;
    }
}

See also

PROP_MODE

Returns

int Number of actuator disks in the current VSPAERO set

GetNumUnsteadyGroups()

int vsp::GetNumUnsteadyGroups ( )

extern

Get the number of unsteady groups in the current VSPAERO set. Each propeller is placed in its own unsteady group. All symmetric copies of propellers are also placed in an unsteady group. All other component types are placed in a single fixed component unsteady group.

// Set VSPAERO set index to SET_ALL
SetParmVal( FindParm( FindContainer( "VSPAEROSettings", 0 ), "GeomSet", "VSPAERO" ), SET_ALL );
 
// Add a propeller
string prop_id = AddGeom( "PROP" );
SetParmValUpdate( prop_id, "PropMode", "Design", PROP_DISK );
 
int num_group = GetNumUnsteadyGroups(); // Should be 0
 
if ( num_group != 0 )
{
    Print( "ERROR: an actuator disk counts as an unsteady group" );
    __failure++;
}
 
SetParmValUpdate( prop_id, "PropMode", "Design", PROP_BLADES );
 
num_group = GetNumUnsteadyGroups(); // Should be 1
 
if ( num_group != 1 )
{
    Print( "ERROR: the bladed propeller was not counted" );
    __failure++;
}
 
string wing_id = AddGeom( "WING" );
 
num_group = GetNumUnsteadyGroups(); // Should be 2 (includes fixed component group)
 
if ( num_group != 2 )
{
    Print( "ERROR: the fixed component group was not counted" );
    __failure++;
}
 
// Only the propeller is a rotor group; the wing shares the fixed group.
if ( GetNumUnsteadyRotorGroups() != 1 )
{
    Print( "ERROR: GetNumUnsteadyGroups disagrees with GetNumUnsteadyRotorGroups" );
    __failure++;
}

See also

PROP_MODE, GetNumUnsteadyRotorGroups

Returns

int Number of unsteady groups in the current VSPAERO set

GetNumUnsteadyRotorGroups()

int vsp::GetNumUnsteadyRotorGroups ( )

extern

Get the number of unsteady rotor groups in the current VSPAERO set. This is equivalent to the total number of propeller Geoms, including each symmetric copy, in the current VSPAERO set. While all fixed components (wings, fuseleage, etc.) are placed in their own unsteady group, this function does not consider them.

// Set VSPAERO set index to SET_ALL
SetParmVal( FindParm( FindContainer( "VSPAEROSettings", 0 ), "GeomSet", "VSPAERO" ), SET_ALL );
 
// Add a propeller
string prop_id = AddGeom( "PROP" );
SetParmValUpdate( prop_id, "PropMode", "Design", PROP_DISK );
 
int num_group = GetNumUnsteadyRotorGroups(); // Should be 0
 
if ( num_group != 0 )
{
    Print( "ERROR: an actuator disk counts as a rotor group" );
    __failure++;
}
 
SetParmValUpdate( prop_id, "PropMode", "Design", PROP_BLADES );
 
num_group = GetNumUnsteadyRotorGroups(); // Should be 1
 
if ( num_group != 1 )
{
    Print( "ERROR: the bladed propeller was not counted" );
    __failure++;
}
 
string wing_id = AddGeom( "WING" );
 
num_group = GetNumUnsteadyRotorGroups(); // Should be 1 still (fixed group not included)
 
if ( num_group != 1 )
{
    Print( "ERROR: the wing was counted as a rotor group" );
    __failure++;
}
 
// The wing does add a fixed component group, which the total counts.
if ( GetNumUnsteadyGroups() != num_group + 1 )
{
    Print( "ERROR: the fixed component group was not counted" );
    __failure++;
}

See also

PROP_MODE, GetNumUnsteadyGroups

Returns

int Number of unsteady rotor groups in the current VSPAERO set

GetUnsteadyGroupCompIDs()

std::vector< std::string > vsp::GetUnsteadyGroupCompIDs ( int group_index )

extern

Get an array of IDs for all components in the unsteady group at the specified index.

// Add a pod and wing
string pod_id = AddGeom( "POD", "" );
string wing_id = AddGeom( "WING", pod_id ); // Default with symmetry on -> 2 surfaces
 
SetParmVal( wing_id, "X_Rel_Location", "XForm", 2.5 );
Update();
 
array < string > comp_ids = GetUnsteadyGroupCompIDs( 0 );
 
if ( comp_ids.size() != 3 )
{
    Print( "ERROR: GetUnsteadyGroupCompIDs" );
    __failure++;
}

See also

GetUnsteadyGroupSurfIndexes

Parameters

[in]

group_index

int Unsteady group index for the current VSPAERO set

Returns

vector <string> Array of component IDs

GetUnsteadyGroupName()

std::string vsp::GetUnsteadyGroupName ( int group_index )

extern

Get the name of the unsteady group at the specified index. The name is derived from the group contents – a rotor group takes the name of its propeller and every other group is the fixed component group – so there is no matching setter.

// Add a pod and wing
string pod_id = AddGeom( "POD", "" );
string wing_id = AddGeom( "WING", pod_id );
 
SetParmVal( wing_id, "X_Rel_Location", "XForm", 2.5 );
Update();
 
Print( GetUnsteadyGroupName( 0 ) );
 
// The pod and wing are fixed components, so they share the one fixed group.
if ( GetUnsteadyGroupName( 0 ) != "Fixed_Group" )
{
    Print( "ERROR: GetUnsteadyGroupName did not name the fixed component group" );
    __failure++;
}
 
// That group holds the pod and both wing surfaces.
if ( GetUnsteadyGroupCompIDs( 0 ).size() != 3 )
{
    Print( "ERROR: the fixed group does not hold the components" );
    __failure++;
}
 
// A group index past the end has to be rejected.
GetUnsteadyGroupName( GetNumUnsteadyGroups() );
 
if ( GetNumTotalErrors() == 0 )
{
    Print( "ERROR: GetUnsteadyGroupName accepted an index past the end" );
    __failure++;
}
 
// That error was raised deliberately, so take it back off the queue.
while ( GetNumTotalErrors() > 0 )
{
    ErrorObj err = PopLastError();
}

Parameters

[in]

group_index

int Unsteady group index for the current VSPAERO set

Returns

string Unsteady group name

GetUnsteadyGroupSurfIndexes()

std::vector< int > vsp::GetUnsteadyGroupSurfIndexes ( int group_index )

extern

Get an array of surface indexes for all components in the unsteady group at the specified index.

// Add a pod and wing
string pod_id = AddGeom( "POD", "" );
string wing_id = AddGeom( "WING", pod_id ); // Default with symmetry on -> 2 surfaces
 
SetParmVal( wing_id, "X_Rel_Location", "XForm", 2.5 );
Update();
 
array < int > surf_indexes = GetUnsteadyGroupSurfIndexes( 0 );
 
if ( surf_indexes.size() != 3 )
{
    Print( "ERROR: GetUnsteadyGroupSurfIndexes" );
    __failure++;
}

See also

GetUnsteadyGroupCompIDs

Parameters

[in]

group_index

int Unsteady group index for the current VSPAERO set

Returns

vector <int> Array of surface indexes