Investigating the Coupling of Helicopter Aerodynamics with SIMPACK for Articulated and Hingeless Rotors

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Abstract

In this paper the results of a tight coupling of rotor aerodynamics with a rotor model built up in the multibody software SIMPACK are presented. The aerodynamics are calculated by S4, which is a simulation tool developed at the Institute of Flight Systems of the German Aerospace Center. In a first step, the coupling approach was verified via cross code comparison for simple load cases such as hover flight for a hingeless blade with a straight elastic axis. The conclusions drawn for the verification methodology will be pointed out in the beginning of this paper. Investigations of a four bladed rotor in trimmed forward flight condition were conducted, leading to the discovery of a drawback in the representation of flexible beam-like structures in SIMPACK for helicopter applications. Additionally, a model of the articulated 7A rotor has been created. With this rotor a high speed flight condition test case was performed in the S1 wind tunnel and the results of the simulations are compared to the test results. In an attempt to eliminate the modeling deficiencies of the one-dimensional beam, a three-dimensional finite element model of the 7A rotor blade has been built at the Institute of Aeroelasticity as well. A comparison of the eigenmodes and eigenfrequencies of the one- and three-dimensional model will be shown.

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• Investigating the Coupling of Helicopter Aerodynamics with SIMPACK for Articulated and Hingeless Rotors. (deposited 18 Oct 2016 14:39) [Currently Displayed]