ROTORCRAFT DYNAMICS

Penn State University State College, PA August, 2013

RICHARD L. BENNETT, Ph.D. 1705 Deauville Ct Fort Worth, TX 76112 rlbennett@sbcglobal.net

LECTURE OBJECTIVES
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Overview of Rotorcraft Technology Configurations, Dynamics, Aerodynamic Dispel Some Myths Calibration Signals Inspect Hardware Expose Mathematical Foundations

VEHICLE COSTS

Manufacturer Sikorsky Boeing Robinson Cessna Honda

Model S76 787 R22 400 Accord

Cost $13,000,000 $150,000,000 $200,000 $620,000 $25,000

Weight 11700 400000 920 3600 3500

Cost/lb $1,111 $375 $217 $172 $7

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COMPLEXITY COMPARISON
Boeing 747 circa 1967
11 Months between First Test Flight
And First Commercial Flight

Bell Model 222 Helicopter circa 1980

42 Months between First Test Flight
And Type Certificate

ROTORCRAFT SALES
1972 Bell Helicopter Produced 230 helicopters/month (Viet Nam war)
2007 Bell Produced <200 helicopters/year

2007 Frank Robinson Delivered ~850

Models R22, R44, R66

HELICOPTER MYTHS
1. 4 Bladed helicopters fly faster than 3 bladed helicopters.
2. Helicopter rotors increase the thrust by increasing the rotation speed.

3. Changing the blades airfoil will make a significant change in the rotors aerodynamic performance in hover. 4. The fuselage vibrations are independent of the type of rotor.

MYTHS
5. Random airloads are an important consideration in the design of helicopters. 6. All helicopters are subject to ground resonance 7. Only aerodynamic forces acting on the rotor influence the rotors dynamic behavior. 8. Component lifes are determined by the number of take off/landings. 9. Tilt rotor aircraft are not subject to helicopter type fuselage vibrations in in airplane mode flight
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MYTHS
9. The HP rating of the transmission must exceed the HP rating of the engine. 10. The operating aerodynamic environment (mach, angle of attack) of the helicopter rotor blade is similar to that of a fixed wing aircraft

11. Increasing the number of blades will increase the maximum hover thrust.
12. The rigid body simulation of a helicopter uses only the same rigid body equations as used for a fixed wing aircraft
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HELICOPTER ENGINEERING 101

LIFTING AIRFOIL

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HOVERING ROTOR BALANCING ACT

LIFT (L)

CF 20 * Lift
CENTRIFUGAL

m
B

FORCE (CF)

MOMENT DUE TO CENTRIFUGAL FORCE BALANCES MOMENT DUE TO AERODYNAMIC LIFT

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DRAG ON MAIN ROTOR PRODUCES

MAIN ROTOR TORQUE

DRAG

Blade Rotation

Main Rotor Torque

DRAG DRAG

DRAG

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TAIL ROTOR THRUST OPPOSES MAIN ROTOR TORQUE

Main Rotor Torque Blade Rotation Tail Rotor

Thrust

TAIL ROTOR NOT REQUIRED AT HIGH FORWARD SPEED

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IN HOVER: WIND VELOCITY IS CONSTANT AROUND AZIMUTH

HTP Blade Rotation

HTP

HTP

HTP

Hover Tip Speed (HTP) ~ 500 miles/hr ~700 ft/sec Blade Rotation (RPM) ~300 rev/min = 5 rev/sec
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IN FORWARD FLIGHT: WIND VELOCITY DEPENDS ON AZIMUTH

Advancing Blade: HTP +V = 500 +140= 640 mph= 0.86 Mach

Blade Rotation

HTP Hover Tip Speed = 500 mph

Helicopter Forward Speed: V ~ 140 mph

HTP Reversed Flow Area

Retreating Blade HTP-V =500-140 =360 mph = 0.48 Mach

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AERODYNAMIC CONSTRAINTS LIMIT FORWARD SPEED

Advancing Tip Mach # (Drag Divergence)

Helicopter Forward Speed: V ~ 140 mph

HTP

Reversed Flow Area

Retreating Blade Stall

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HELICOPTER PROBLEM Aerodynamic Box

V R 0.85 * (Speed of Sound) 0.85 * 1117 ft/sec V/R Advance ratio 0.35 R 700 ft/sec V 245 ft/sec 145 kn

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HELICOPTER PROBLEM Harmonic External Aerodynamic HELICOPTER PROBLEM #2 Forces

: Rotor Speed V : Fwd Speed U T r VSin(t)

r
dD

dD U 2 T (r VSin(t)) 2 (r) 2 2r * VSin(t) V 2Sin 2 (t) (r) 2 V 2 / 2 : Steady 2r * VSin(t) :1/Rev - (V 2 / 2) * Cos(2t) : 2/Rev

Blade aerodynamic forces are harmonic functions of rotor speed

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THE DYNAMICS PROBLEM

OSCILLATORY AERODYNAMIC FORCES

AT FREQUENCIES AT OR NEAR THE NATURAL FREQUENCIES OF THE ROTOR AND/OR FUSLEAGE

CAN PRODUCE
FATIQUE LOADS ON THE ROTOR FUSELAGE VIBRATIONS NOISE REDUCED COMPONENT LIFE

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HELICOPTER PROBLEM
Rotor F Harmonic Forces Transmitted x Fx to Fuselage

Fy Fz

Fy

Fx
Fx Fy Fz

Fz

Fx Fy
Fx Fy Fz

Fy Fz

Fz Fx Fy F

Frequencies of the Steady State Rotor Harmonic Forces are Integer Multiples of Rotor RPM 1/Rev 2/Rev 3/Rev etc z

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THE HELICOPTER PROBLEM

SHAKE, RATTLE, AND ROLL

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EARLY ATTEMPTS

AIRPLANE PROPELLORS ARE UNSTABLE IN EDGEWISE FLOW DUE TO DISSIMILAR AERODYNAMIC ENVIRORNMENT ON ADVANCING AND RETREATING BLADE

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HELICOPTER vs. AIRPLANES

Airplanes are subject to

Steady Air loads Random Air loads

Helicopters are subject to

Steady Air load Harmonic Air loads Periodic but Not Harmonic Random Air loads
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FIXED WING BASICS (P-51)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Propeller Blades are cantilevered to drive shaft Propeller Tip Path Plane (TPP) always perpendicular to shaft Propeller thrust always along shaft Propeller thrust ~ Aircraft drag Orientation of propeller shaft controlled by Aileron, rudder, etc Blade pitch is independent of blade azimuth Propeller thrust controlled by RPM and blade pitch Aerodynamic forces acting on blades are: Steady State or Random (Gust) 9. Propeller transmits steady forces to fuselage Aerodynamic Gyroscopic
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FIXED WING BASICS (P-51)

Rigid body airplane has 6 rigid body degrees of freedom Fore/aft translation Vertical translation Lateral translation Yaw Pitch Roll

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HELICOPTER BASICS
1. Blades are attached to shaft via flapping hinge to permit rigid body blade motion parallel to mast 2. Blade tips form a Tip Path Plane (TPP) 3. Rotors resultant aerodynamic force is perpendicular to TPP 4. TPP is free to tilt relative to mast Fore/Aft tilt Lateral tilt 5. Rotors resultant aerodynamic force is controlled by blade pitch (RPM is held constant)

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HELICOPTER BASICS
6. Rotor force must: Overcome gravity and fuselage drag Provide maneuverability Provide helicopter stability 7. TPP location controlled totally by aerodynamic forces acting on blade 8. Blades geometric pitch is function of blade azimuth 9. Aerodynamic forces on blades are: Steady Harmonic Periodic but not harmonic

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HELICOPTER BASICS
10. Harmonic aerodynamic forces on blades transmit harmonic forces to fuselage causing fuselage vibrations. 11. Rigid body helicopter has 10 rigid body degrees of freedom: Fore/aft translation Lateral translation Vertical translation Yaw Pitch Roll Main Rotor Fore/aft tilt Lateral tilt Tail Rotor Fore/aft tilt Lateral tilt
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REQUIREMENTS FOR HELICOPTER FLIGHT

Configuration for Anti-torque Moveable and Controllable Tip Path Planes Rotor Control System Structure able to withstand large oscillatory forces Flight mode controllability/stability Efficient Power Source

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