Rotating Camera System for Propeller and Rotor Blade Deformation Measurements

Abstract

Within the EU project AIM² project a rotating stereoscopic camera system was designed, build and successfully flight tested in order to apply the non-intrusive Image Pattern Correlation Technique (IPCT) to 360° propeller deformation measurements. The complete system was affixed to the axis of the aircraft engine rotating together with the propeller at its full rotational speed. It enabled the direct measurement of the propeller blades shape as well as its local pitch angle under real operating conditions. Although the system was exposed to extreme vibration and centrifugal forces it delivered good images and demonstrated the applicability of the method to flight testing. During the paper presentation, this highly sophisticated rotary camera system and the measurement technique IPCT will be described. Some results of the first flight tests will be given and the next steps for the future applications will be introduced.