A study of helicopter rotor dynamics and modeling methods

• Main Author: Hiatt, Daniel S.
• Other Authors: E.R. Wood
• Language: en_US
• Published: Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School 2013
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10945/35142

The rotor system is the primary source of vibratory forces on a helicopter. Vibratory forces result from the rotor system response to dynamic and aerodynamic loading. This thesis discusses sources of excitation, and investigates rotor system modeling methods. Computer models based on finite element and Mykiestad methods are developed and compared for the free and forced vibration cases of a nniform rotor blade. The modeling assumptions and the effects of non-iniform physical parameters are discussed. The Myklestad based computer model is expanded to include coupling effects isherent in modern rotor blades. This rotor modeling program is incorporated into the Dynamics section of the Joint Army/Navy Rotorcraft Analysis and Design (JANRAD) program currenfly used by the Naval Postgraduate School?s helicopter design course (AA43O6) for preliminary helicopter design and analysis. Computer programs are developed as tools to investigate the stabffity of a rotor system for the specfflc cases of rotor flapping and ground/air resonance. A rotor flapping stability model, based upon Floquet theory, provides a means of analyzing the effect of increasing advance ratio on the flapping stability of a rotor system. The ground/air resonance model uses a constant coefficient approximation of the rotor system to allow analysis of the effects of coupling between rotor lag motion and airframe motion.