Local blade incoming velocity in forward flight.
Static rotor blades, despite their dynamic pitching capabilities, are designed in a compromise configuration relative to the needs to high-speed cruise, hover, maximum range, and other mission flight phases. This research effort focuses on adapting the twist schedule or localized camber of a rotor blade as flight phases change (e.g., during transition from hover to long-range cruise) during a mission. This research uses new topological tools to develop structural designs and a new multi-objective fixed variable/reconfigurable variable mathematic framework to design and evaluate mission-driven rotorcraft performance metrics.
Mission-adaptive aerostructural design considers the alteration of structural geometries to improve multiobjective performance across multiple aerodynamic environments associated with flight conditions derived from specific mission profiles. To accomplish this, adaptive structures design requires evaluating the aerostructural responses for each possible geometry to determine the optimal configuration for each mission stage. This work develops a mission-driven design framework combining aerodynamic, structural, mission, and optimization computational tools to design and optimize adaptive vertical lift aerostructures. Given a mission, the ultimate goal is to relate feasible changes in rotor blade geometries with performance improvements over competing objectives, such as increased range.
An example rotorcraft mission
Related Publications:
Allen Davis, Bochan Lee, Moble Benedict, Darren Hartl, “Biomimetic Adaptive Airframe Technology (BAAT) for Rotorcraft Design and Optimization,” VFS 78, May 2022