YoungJung Kee

Structural Analysis of a Bearingless Rotor Using an Improved Flexible Multibody Model

This paper presents an improved structural analysis for a bearingless helicopter rotor. The bearingless rotor usually features a significantly large elastic twist in the flexbeam and additional unique structural characteristics. Thus, it will require sophisticated structural analysis and relevant numerical validation procedures due to its multiple load paths, as induced by the single or multiple flexbeams and the torque tube. In this paper, an extended finite element formulation was derived to consider the multiple components as individual beam elements. A geometrically exact beam formulation was adopted to describe the nonlinear behavior of these major components in the rotor precisely. To implement the interconnecting kinematic relationship with the major components, Lagrange multipliers were used. The present static analysis was validated through comparisons with the existing multi-body dynamics analysis DYMORE. Additional results were obtained for rotating conditions in both a vacuum and a set atmosph...

Hub Parametric Investigation of Main Rotor Stability of Bearingless Helicopter

This paper describes a stability and dynamic characteristics of bearingless helicopter main rotor in hover. Baseline rotor configuration is defined and modal analysis for the configuration is taken to verify the dynamic characteristics. The kinematic pitch-lag couplings through ways of pitch link installation are analyzed to know effects on loads, frequencies and stability. The effects of pitch link attachments in spanwise direction and chordwise direction as well as pitch link inclination on thrust, power, flpa-lag-pitch mode frequencies and inplane damping are examined. Pitch link at trailing edge location in chordwise direction has influence on aeroelastic stability of the rotor. Also, the pitch link with negative inclination angle makes inplane damping increase.

Manufacturing Process and Basic Property Tests of Composite Helicopter Rotor Hub System

를 통해 복합재료로 제작된 플렉스빔과 토크튜브가 구조적인 강성 요구도를 만족함을 확인할 수 있었다. Abstract: This paper describes the manufacturing processes for a flexbeam and torque tube made of composite materials, along with the procedures for testing their basic properties. A flexbeam and torque tube can be considered to be key structural components of a bearingless rotor hub system. A hinge offset effect can be realized by a large elastic deformation and twist of the flexbeam, and the blade pitch control forces are transferred by the rotation of the torque tube. The basic property tests included bending and twist tests to determine the flap stiffness, lag stiffness, and torsion stiffness of the flexbeam, torque tube, and blade, and these tests were performed prior to starting the whirl tower test. In addition, the estimated results were compared with experimental data, and the calculations were found to be a good match for the analysis results and had a similar tendency. Through these results, we could confirm that a flexbeam and torque tube made of composite materials satisfied the structural stiffness requirements.

Predictions on the Internal Loads and Structural Deflection in a Full-scale Experimental Bearingless Rotor

In this paper, the unsteady aerodynamics and blade structural dynamics of an experimental bearingless rotor were analyzed. Due to the multiple load path and nonlinear behavior of a bearingless rotor, sophisticated structural modeling and structural-aerodynamic coupled analysis is required. To predict the internal load and deformation of an experimental bearingless rotor, trim analysis was implemented. The results showed good agreement when compared with those predicted by CAMRAD II the rotorcraft comprehensive analysis. It is possible to extend the present structural-aerodynamic combined analysis to further advanced configurations of the bearingless rotor in the future.

High Cycle Fatigue Life Evaluation of Damaged Composite Rotor Blades

전수명 개념을 이용하여 피로시험을 수행하는 방법과 시험데이터를 이용한 피로수명 평가 절차를 제시하였다. Abstract: Helicopter rotor systems are dynamically loaded structures with many composite components such as the main and the tail rotor blades. The fatigue properties of composite materials are extremely important to design durable and reliable helicopter rotor blades. The safe-life methodology has generally been used in the helicopter industry to substantiate dynamically loaded composite components. However, it cannot be used to evaluate the strength reducing effects of flaws and defects that may occur during manufacturing and operational usage. The damage tolerance methodology provides a proper means to overcome this shortcoming; however, it is difficult to economically apply it to every composite component. The flaw tolerant methodology is an equivalent option to the damage tolerance methodology for civil and military rotorcraft. In this study, the flaw tolerant safe-life evaluation is described and illustrated by means of successful application to substantiate the retirement time of composite rotor blades.

Ground Resonance Instabilities Analysis of a Bearingless Helicopter Main Rotor

The ground resonance instability of a helicopter with bearingless main rotor hub were investigated. The ground resonance instability is caused by an interaction between the blade lag motion and hub inplane motion. This instability occurs when the helicopter is on the ground and is important for soft-inplane rotors where the rotating lag mode frequency is less than the rotor rotational speed. For the analysis, the bearingless rotor was composed of blades, flexbeam, torque tube, damper, shear restrainer, and pitch links. The fuselage was modeled as a mass-damper-spring system having natural frequencies in roll and pitch motions. The rotor-fuselage coupling equations are derived in non-rotating frame to consider the rotor and fuselage equations in the same frame. The ground resonance instabilities for three cases where are without lead-lag damper and fuselage damping, with lead-lag damper and without fuselage damping, and finally with lead-lag damper and fuselage damping. There is no ground resonance instability in the only rotor-fuselage configuration with lead-lag damper and fuselage damping.