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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1988

A comparison of theory and experiment for aeroelastic stability of a hingeless rotor model in hover

Theoretical predictions of aeroelastic stability are compared with experimental, isolated, hingeless-rotor data. The six cases selected represent a torsionally soft rotor having either a stiff or soft pitch-control system in combination with zero precone and droop, 5 degree precone, or -5 degree droop. Analyses from Bell Helicopter Textron, Boeing Vertol, Hughes Helicopters, Sikorsky Aircraft, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the U.S. Army Aeromechanics Laboratory were compared with the experimental data. The correlation ranged from poor to fair.

Sharpe, David L.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Effect of stabilization on VTOL aircraft in hovering flight

A motion simulator study was conducted to determine the effects of roll and pitch stabilization on the handling qualities and control power requirements of VTOL aircraft during hover and short-distance maneuvering flight. Three levels of stabilization complexity were compared: (1) no stabilization, (2) rate stabilization, and (3) attitude stabilization. Control sensitivities and stabilization gains were optimized prior to comparison. Results are presented to show how the optimum systems were determined and how they compared with each other at different levels of control power. Comparisons were made both in calm air and in the presence of roll disturbances. Results indicate the attitude-stabilized system provides the best handling qualities for the least amount of control power.

Greif, R. K.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Control of a human-powered helicopter in hover

The study of a control system for the Da Vinci 2 human-powered helicopter in hovering flight is documented. This helicopter has two very large, slowly rotating rotor blades and is considered to be unstable in hover. The control system is designed to introduce stability in hover by maintaining level rotors through the use of rotor tip mounted control surfaces. A five degree of freedom kinematic model was developed to study this control system and is documented. Results of this study show that the unaugmented configuration is unstable due to the large Lock Number, and the augmented configuration is stable. The role of NASA in this study included the development and analysis of the kinematic model and control laws. Both analytical and numerical techniques were used.

Totah, Joseph J.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Survey of Army/NASA rotorcraft aeroelastic stability research

Theoretical and experimental developments in the aeroelastic and aeromechanical stability of helicopters and tilt-rotor aircraft are addressed. Included are the underlying nonlinear structural mechanics of slender rotating beams, necessary for accurate modeling of elastic cantilever rotor blades, and the development of dynamic inflow, an unsteady aerodynamic theory for low frequency aeroelastic stability applications. Analytical treatment of isolated rotor stability in hover and forward flight, coupled rotor-fuselage stability are considered. Results of parametric investigations of system behavior are presented, and correlations between theoretical results and experimental data from small- and large-scale wind tunnel and flight testing are discussed.

Ormiston, Robert A.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Hover test of a full-scale hingeless rotor

The performance and aeroelastic stability in hover of a 9.8-m diameter, hingeless helicopter rotor system was evaluated. Rotor performance and inplane damping data were obtained for rotor operation between 350 and 425 rpm for thrust coefficients (CT/sigma) between 0.0 and 0.12. At constant rotor thrust, a minimum in rotor inplane damping was measured at 400 rpm. Good agreement is shown between experimental performance data and predicted performance. The influence of different aerodynamic inflow models on predicting damping levels is also shown. The best correlation with experimental stability data was obtained when a dynamic inflow model was used instead of static or quasistatic inflow models. Comparison with other full scale, hingeless rotor data in hover is presented. The hingeless rotor data and data from a full scale, bearingless main rotor test performed on the same general purpose test apparatus were compared. Although the bearingless rotor was more highly damped at design tip speed and 1-g thrust operation, greater sensitivity to operating conditions is shown. At low thrust levels the bearingless main rotor is less damped than the hingeless rotor.

Warmbrodt, W.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Hover test of a full-scale hingeless rotor

The performance and aeroelastic stability in hover of a 9.8-m diameter, hingeless helicopter rotor system was evaluated. Rotor performance and inplane damping data were obtained for rotor operation beteen 350 and 425 rpm for thrust coefficients (CT/sigma) between 0.0 and 0.12. At constant rotor thrust, a minimum in rotor inplane damping was measured at 400 rpm. Good agreement is shown between experimental performance data and predicted performance. The influence of different aerodynamic inflow models on predicting damping levels is also shown. The best correlation with experimental stability data was obtained when a dynamic inflow model was used instead of static or quasistatic inflow models. Comparison with other full scale, hingeless rotor data in hover is presented. The hingeless rotor data and data from a full scale, bearingless main rotor test performed on the same general purpose test apparatus were compared. Although the bearingless rotor was more highly damped at design tip speed and 1-g thrust operation, greater sensitivity to operating conditions is shown. At low thrust levels the bearingless main rotor is less damped than the hingeless rotor.

Warmbrodt, W.↗
NASA NTRS2009

An Investigation of Rotorcraft Stability-Phase Margin Requirements in Hover

A cooperative study was performed to investigate the handling quality effects from reduced flight control system stability margins, and the trade-offs with higher disturbance rejection bandwidth (DRB). The piloted simulation study, perform on the NASA-Ames Vertical Motion Simulator, included three classes of rotorcraft in four configurations: a utility-class helicopter; a medium-lift helicopter evaluated with and without an external slung load; and a large (heavy-lift) civil tiltrotor aircraft. This large aircraft also allowed an initial assessment of ADS-33 handling quality requirements for an aircraft of this size. Ten experimental test pilots representing the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, NASA, rotorcraft industry, and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), evaluated the four aircraft configurations, for a range of flight control stability-margins and turbulence levels, while primarily performing the ADS-33 Hover and Lateral Reposition MTEs. Pilot comments and aircraft-task performance data were analyzed. The preliminary stability margin results suggest higher DRB and less phase margin cases are preferred as the aircraft increases in size. Extra care will need to be taken to assess the influence of variability when nominal flight control gains start with reduced margins. Phase margins as low as 20-23 degrees resulted in low disturbance-response damping ratios, objectionable oscillations, PIO tendencies, and a perception of an incipient handling qualities cliff. Pilot comments on the disturbance response of the aircraft correlated well to the DRB guidelines provided in the ADS-33 Test Guide. The A D-3S3 mid-term response-to-control damping ratio metrics can be measured and applied to the disturbance-response damping ratio. An initial assessment of LCTR yaw bandwidth shows the current Level 1 boundary needs to be relaxed to help account for a large pilot off-set from the c.g. Future efforts should continue to investigate the applicability/refinement of the current ADS-33 requirements to large vehicles, like an LCTR.

Blanken, Chris L.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Flap-lag-torsion aeroelastic stability of circulation-controlled rotors in hover

The results of a theoretical investigation of the flap-lag-torsion stability of circulation controlled rotors in hover are presented. Stability boundaries are presented as a function of thrust and lag frequency, at several levels of blowing coefficient, for flap frequencies of 1.1/rev and 1.8/ rev. The effects of several parameters on the blade flap-lag stability are examined, including structural damping, structural coupling, pitch-lag and pitch-flap coupling, and the blade feathering motion. The trailing edge blowing can have a major impact on the blade aeroelastic stability, which should be considered in the rotor design. The implications of these results for the current CCR and X-Wing rotorcraft designs are considered.

Chopra, I.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Flap/Lag/Torsion Dynamics of a Uniform, Cantilever Rotor Blade in Hover

The dynamic stability of the flap/lag/torsion motion of a uniform, cantilever rotor blade in hover is calculated. The influence of blade collective pitch, lag frequency, torsional flexibility, structural coupling, and precone angle on the stability is examined. Good agreement is found with the results of an independent analytical investigation.

Johnson, W.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Some conclusions regarding the aeroelastic stability of hingeless helicopter blades in hover and in forward flight

In this paper results and conclusions obtained from the study of the aeroelastic instability of hingeless helicopter blades are presented. First, the large amplitude coupled flap-lag equations of motion of a hingeless elastic helicopter blade are solved using an asymptotic expansion procedure in multiple time scales. Both hover and forward flight cases are considered. Stability boundaries and amplitudes of nonlinear response are obtained. From these, the importance of the nonlinear coupling and the effect of the periodic coefficients is determined. Next, using a system of linearized coupled flap-lag-pitch equations in hover, various divergence mechanisms for hingeless blades are shown. Finally, the flutter boundaries for coupled flap-lag-pitch are obtained. The effect of the torsional degree of freedom on the flap-lag type of instability is investigated. Similarly the effect of lag on the flap-pitch type of instability is considered. In addition, the effect of various blade parameters on the stability boundaries is shown.

Friedmann, P.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Stability of nonuniform rotor blades in hover using a mixed formulation

A mixed formulation for calculating static equilibrium and stability eigenvalues of nonuniform rotor blades in hover is presented. The static equilibrium equations are nonlinear and are solved by an accurate and efficient collocation method. The linearized perturbation equations are solved by a one step, second order integration scheme. The numerical results correlate very well with published results from a nearly identical stability analysis based on a displacement formulation. Slight differences in the results are traced to terms in the equations that relate moments to derivatives of rotations. With the present ordering scheme, in which terms of the order of squares of rotations are neglected with respect to unity, it is not possible to achieve completely equivalent models based on mixed and displacement formulations. The one step methods reveal that a second order Taylor expansion is necessary to achieve good convergence for nonuniform rotating blades. Numerical results for a hypothetical nonuniform blade, including the nonlinear static equilibrium solution, were obtained with no more effort or computer time than that required for a uniform blade.

Stephens, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS1972

A flight evaluation of VTOL jet transport under visual and simulated instrument conditions

A flight investigation was performed with the Dornier DO-31 VTOL to evaluate the performance, handling qualities, and operating characteristics that are considered to be important in the operation of a commerical VTOL transport in the terminal area. The DO-31, a 20,000 kilogram transport, has a mixed jet propulsion system; main engines with nozzles deflect from a cruise to a hover position, and vertical lift engines operated below 170 knots. This VTOL mode incorporates pitch and roll attitude and yaw rate stabilization. The tests concentrated on the transition, approach, and vertical landing. The mixed jet propulsion system provided a large usable performance envelope that enabled simulated IFR approaches to be made on 7 deg and 12 deg glide slopes. In these approaches management of thrust magnitude and direction was a primary problem, and some form of integrating the controls will be necessary. The handling qualities evaluation pointed out the need for additional research of define flight path criteria. The aircraft had satisfactory control and stability in hover out of ground effect. The recirculation effects in vertical landing were large below 15 meters.

Holzhauser, C. A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

An experimental investigation of the aeromechanical stability of a hingeless rotor in hover and forward flight

Analysis and testing were conducted in the Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel to investigate the aeromechanical stability of a soft inplane hingeless rotor model. Rotor stability data were obtained in hover and in forward flight up to an advance ratio of 0.35. Model rotor parameters evaluated were blade sweep and droop, pre-cone of the blade feathering axis, and blade pitch-flap coupling. Data obtained during these tests are presented without analysis.

Yeager, William T., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A study of aeroelastic and structural dynamic effects in multi-rotor systems with application to hybrid heavy lift vehicles

An aeroelastic model suitable for the study of aeroelastic and structural dynamic effects in multirotor vehicles simulating a hybrid heavy lift vehicle was developed and applied to the study of a number of diverse problems. The analytical model developed proved capable of modeling a number of aeroelastic problems, namely: (1) isolated blade aeroelastic stability in hover and forward flight, (2) coupled rotor/fuselage aeromechanical problem in air or ground resonance, (3) tandem rotor coupled rotor/fuselage problems, and (4) the aeromechanical stability of a multirotor vehicle model representing a hybrid heavy lift airship (HHLA). The model was used to simulate the ground resonance boundaries of a three bladed hingeless rotor model, including the effect of aerodynamic loads, and the theoretical predictions compared well with experimental results. Subsequently the model was used to study the aeromechanical stability of a vehicle representing a hybrid heavy lift airship, and potential instabilities which could occur for this type of vehicle were identified. The coupling between various blade, supporting structure and rigid body modes was identified.

Friedmann, P. P.↗
NASA NTRS1988

A comparison of theory and experiment for coupled rotor-body stability of a hingeless rotor model in hover

Three cases were selected for correlation from an experiment that examined the aeromechanical stability of a small-scale model of a hingeless rotor and fuselage in hover. The first case examined the stability of a configuration with 0 degree blade pitch so that coupling between dynamic modes was minimized. The second case was identical to the first except the blade pitch was set to 9 degrees which provides flap-lag coupling of the rotor modes. The third case had 9 degrees of blade pitch and also included negative pitch-lag coupling, and therefore was the most highly coupled configuration. Analytical calculations were made by Bell Helicopter Textron, Boeing Vertol, Hughes Helicopters, Sikorsky Aircraft, the U.S. Army Aeromechanics Laboratory, and NASA Ames Research Center and compared to some or all of the experimental cases. Overall, the correlation ranged from very poor-to-poor to good.

Bousman, William G.↗