Study of the dynamic response of flexible rotor blades in forward flight
In recent years, the necessity for accurate and efficient analysis tools in rotorcraft design has become increasingly important, particularly when experimental testing is costly and time-consuming. Finite Element Method-based analysis is a powerful alternative to the traditional approaches, offering...
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| Tipo de recurso: | tesis de maestría |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Repositorio: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/457543 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/457543 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Rotors--Dynamics Aeroelasticity Aerodynamics Rotor blades Beam theory Theodorsen's model Blade element momentum theory Rotors--Dinàmica Aeroelasticitat Aerodinàmica Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Aeronàutica i espai::Aerodinàmica::Aeroelasticitat |
| Sumario: | In recent years, the necessity for accurate and efficient analysis tools in rotorcraft design has become increasingly important, particularly when experimental testing is costly and time-consuming. Finite Element Method-based analysis is a powerful alternative to the traditional approaches, offering quick and precise results for complex aeroelastic problems. Therefore, this thesis aims to study the dynamic response of flexible rotor blades in forward flight, using the geometry of the MBB BO105 as a case study. The main objective is to understand the interaction between inertial and aerodynamic forces to study the conditions that lead to instabilities such as divergence and flutter. Moreover, a secondary goal is to determine the optimal configuration of the collective and cyclic pitch angles for a certain flight condition. To achieve these goals, a computational model has been developed that couples the Euler-Bernoulli beam model, which represents the structural behaviour, with Theodorsen’s unsteady aerodynamic model. Also, the Blade Element Momentum Theory is used to consider additional loads that are present in forward flight. This approach enables the simulation of a rotor blade’s dynamic and aeroelastic behaviour. Additionally, the results regarding the influence of the control inputs on the behaviour of the rotor blade show that the collective pitch has the most impact on the thrust generation. On the other hand, the lateral and longitudinal cyclic pitch inputs exhibit smaller effects. Overall, this thesis presents a modular, reliable and efficient computational tool for aeroelastic studies of rotor blades. It has the ultimate objective to allow a faster design process for rotor blade optimisation. |
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