Aeroelasticity : Complexities and

Challenges in Rotary–Wing
Vehicles

C. Venkatesan
IIT Kanpur
 AEROELASTICITY
Study of fluid and structure interaction

Applicable for
•Civil Structures
•Ships, Offshore Structures
•Aero Structures

More specifically used to address issues related

to flying vehicles
 CIVIL STRUCTURES
• Tall chimney/Buildings

• Bridges

• Overhead cables

• Flow through pipes

(head exchanger)
 AEROSPACE STRUCTURES

• Aircraft
(Wings, control surface)

• Rockets
(Panels, control surface)

• Helicopters
(Rotor blades, rotor/
fuselage system)

• Gas Turbines (Blades)

 BASIC INGREDIENTS
Aerodynamics
Control
A
A-E Static Aeroelasticity
C
A-I Flight Mechanics
E-I Mechanical Vibrations
/Structural Dynamics

E I

Elasticity Inertia

A-E-I Dynamic Aeroelasticity

A-E-I-C Aero-Servo-Elasticity
 AEROELASTIC PROBLEMS
• Static aeroelasticity
– Divergence
– Control effectiveness /
reversal
– Wing deformation

• Dynamic aeroelasticity
– Dynamic response
(Gust, landing)
– Flutter
 MATHEMATICAL FORM

FORM OF BASIC EQUATION

MX  CX  KX  F X , X , X , t 

LINEAR/ NONLINEAR/ TIME INVARIANT/ TIME VARIANT

COMPLEXITIES IN
- STRUCTURAL MODELING
- AERODYNAMIC MODELING
 STRUCTURAL COMPLEXITY
DISTRIBUTED PARAMETER
FUSELAGE (INFINITE DOF)

FE DISCRETISATION
(FEW THOUSAND DOF)

MODEL TRANSFORMATION WITH

TRUNCATED NUMBER OF MODES

DYNAMIC ANALYSIS
IN MODAL SPACE

GEOMETRIC NONLINEARITY: LARGE DEFORMATION

MATERIAL NONLINEARITY: ELASTOMERS
FUSELAGE STRUCTURAL DYNAMIC MODEL
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mode 2: 4.15Hz
Mode 1: 3.51Hz

Mode 4: 12.05Hz
Mode 3: 5.35Hz

HIGH MODAL DENSITY: CLOSELY PLACED MODAL FREQUENCIES

(20 MODES WITHIN 3Hz – 30Hz)
AERODYNAMIC COMPLEXITY

UNSTEADY AERODYNAMICS

- SUBSONIC, TRANSONIC, SUPERSONIC

- 3-DIMENSIONAL EFFECTS

ATTACHED FLOW/ SEPARATED FLOW

 INTRODUCTION
------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Since the First Successful Flight of Truly Operational,
Mechanically Simple and Controllable Helicopter
by Sikorsky (1939-42)

- Continued R&D Efforts to Improve Helicopter By

Incorporating New Technological Developments
As and When Matured and Available

• Composites
• Automatic Flight Control Systems
• Noise and Vibration Control
• Advances in Fundamental Understanding of
Rotor/ Fuselage Dynamics, and Aerodynamics
HELICOPTER: AEROELASTICIAN’S VIEW

AERODYNAMICS
- COMPLEX WAKE
- BVI
- ROTOR/FUSELAGE

DYNAMICS
- BLADE MODES
- FUSELAGE MODES
- STRUCTURAL COUPLING
- HIGH MODAL DENSITY
 R&D EFFORTS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• INTENSELY PURSUED BY ACADEMIA AND INDUSTRY

• CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS IN THE PAST 40 YEARS

• STILL SEVERAL DISCREPANCIES EXIST BETWEEN THEORY

AND EXPERIMENT

• MODEL TESTS AND FLIGHT MEASUREMENTS PROVIDE

DATA FOR CORRELATION

• IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PHYSICS OF THE PROBLEM

• MODIFY, DEVELOP SUITABLE MATHEMATICAL MODELS

 HELICOPTER DYNAMICS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLASSIFICATION OF PROBLEMS

- ISOLATED ROTOR BLADE AEROELASTICITY

(COUPLED FLAP-LAG-TORSION-AXIAL MODES)

- COUPLED ROTOR-FUSELAGE DYNAMICS

 ROTOR BLADE MODEL
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
LONG-SLENDER-TWISTED BEAMS UNDERGOING
IN-PLANE BENDING (LAG), OUT-OF-PLANE BENDING (FLAP),
TORSION AND AXIAL DEFORMATIONS
 ROTOR BLADE MODELING
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

zi FIRST MODEL 1958

(Houbolts&Brooks)
yi
 SUBSTANTIAL WORK
k j • AFTER 1970
w
i • v
x u
xi

FINITE DEFORMATION MODEL

 Aerodynamics in Forward Flight
 Advancing Side i.e., 0    180 deg.
V  r  V sin 
 Retreating side i.e., 180    360 deg.

 Advancing side : High velocity  Low angle of attack

 Retreating side : Low velocity  High angle of attack
 Blade stall occurs in the retreating region.
 Unsteady Motion of Airfoil
 Sources of unsteadiness in Helicopter rotor blade

 A)

 B)

 C)
 Velocity Components
 Velocity distribution and effective angle of attack :

VT  r  R sin  v
Vp    R  w  R cos  w V  VT2  VP2

 VP 
  tan 1
 
 VT 

 eff      
 Unsteady motion + High angle of attack  DYNAMIC STALL
 COUPLED ROTOR-FUSELAGE DYNAMICS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• VEHICLE DYNAMICS (FLYING AND HANDLING QUALITIES)
- FUSELAGE RIGID BODY
- BLADE FLAP DYNAMICS (DOMINANT)
- FREQUENCY RANGE 0.3Hz – 1.5Hz

• AEROMECHANICAL INSTABILITIES (GROUND/ AIR RESONANCE)

- FUSELAGE RIGID BODY
- BLADE LAG DYNAMICS (DOMINANT)
- FREQUENCY RANGE 2Hz – 5Hz

• HELICOPTER VIBRATION
- FLEXIBLE FUSELAGE
- FLAP-LAG-TORSION MODES
- FREQUENCY RANGE (ABOVE 10Hz)
GROUND RESONANCE
ROTOR MODES vs BLADE MOTION
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(a) Collective (b) Cosine cyclic (c) Sine cyclic (d) Alternating

SHIFT OF ROTOR SYSTEM C.G FROM CENTRE IN CYCLIC MODES

AS THE BLADES ROTATE, MOVEMENT OF ROTOR C.G CAUSES

CHURNING MOTION TO HELICOPTER
 GROUND RESONANCE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• BLADES: FLAP, LAG

• FUSELAGE: PITCH, ROLL

• BLADE MOTION IN
ROTATING FRAME

• FUSELAGE MOTION IN
NON-ROTATING FRAME


GROUND RESONANCE STABILITY
ANALYSIS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• LINEARISED STABILITY EQUATIONS

M q Cq K q  0


INERTIA, STRUCTURAL, AERODYNAMIC
EFFECTS INCLUDED IN MASS, DAMPING
AND STIFFNESS MATRICES 
{q} – ROTOR/FUSELAGE/ INFLOW DOF

EIGENVALUES S=i

- MODAL DAMPING (NEGATIVE STABLE; POSITIVE UNSTABLE)

 - MODAL FREQUENCY
 GROUND RESONANCE STABILITY: EXPERIMENT
{BOUSMAN, US ARMY RES. & TECH. LAB (1981)}
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BLADE ATTACHMENT
TEST SETUP

SEVERAL BLADE CONFIGURATIONS TESTED

CONF-1: NON-ROTATING NATURAL FREQ: F0=3.13Hz L0=6.70Hz
CONF-4: NON-ROTATING NATURAL FREQ: F0=6.63Hz L0=6.73Hz
 MODAL FREQUENCY CORRELATION (CONF.-1)
{UNIFORM INFLOW MODEL}
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
_____ Uniform Inflow
Δ o Experiment
, Hz

ROLL

PITCH

, RPM
 MODAL FREQUENCY CORRELATION (CONF.-4)
{UNIFORM INFLOW MODEL}
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
______ Uniform Inflow
Δ o  Experiment

ROLL
, Hz

PITCH-FLAP

, RPM
 MODAL FREQUENCY CORRELATION (CONF.-4)
{TIME VARYING INFLOW MODEL}
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
______ Perturbation Inflow
- - - - - Dynamic Inflow
Δ o  Experiment
, Hz

, RPM
 REMARKS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CORRELATION STUDY TAUGHT THE LESSON:

• A GOOD (OR ADEQUATE) ANALYTICAL MODEL FOR

ONE ROTOR CONFIGURATION MAY NOT BE ADEQUATE
FOR OTHER ROTOR CONFIGURATIONS

REMINDS THE PROVERB

WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE GOOSE,

IS NOT GOOD FOR THE GANDER
 FLIGHT DATA
Freq. contents

PWR SPECTRUM Ch A
1 5.250Hz .736E+3 NM
2 4.450 .573E+3
3 5.100 .547E+3
4 4.650 .506E+3
5 4.100 .320E+3
6 4.950 .278E+3
7 0.200 .276E+3

moment 8 4.850 .270E+3

9 3.950 .210E+3
10 4.250 .164E+3

Time signal
 DYNAMIC STALL

 Lift coefficient

 Moment coefficient

 Drag coefficient

Courtesy: Principles of Helicopter Aerodynamics G.J.Leishmann

Unsteady Aerodynamic Coefficients
Reduced freq. k=0.03 k=0.05 k=0.1
 RESPONSE STUDY
 2-D Airfoil response simulating cross-section of a rotor blade

• Response of 2-D airfoil undergoing pitching and heaving in a

pulsating flow is analysed

• The pitching motion and oncoming flow velocity are taken as

   0   Sin  t 
V  V0  V Sin  t 
 0  12o ;  6o
V0  113 m / sec;V  45.2 m / sec
  22.83 rad / sec (3.63 Hz )
 HEAVE RESPONSE
C.G location 0% 3% 5%

Response

Frequency content

Phase plane plots

Effect of initial
condition

Liaponov Exponent
 TORSIONAL RESPONSE
C.G. Location 0% 3% 5%

Response

Frequency content

Phase plane plots

Effect of initial
condition

Liaponov Exponent
 CONCLUDING REMARKS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• SEVERAL ISSUES STILL NOT UNDERSTOOD FULLY

• CONTINUED RESEARCH TO IMPROVE HELICOPTER

PERFORMANCE

• VERY FERTILE FIELD FOR CHALLENGING RESEARCH

THANK YOU