Evolutionary Shape Optimization of Flexbeam Sections of a Bearingless Helicopter Rotor

The shape optimization of composite flexbeam sections of a bearingless helicopter rotor is studied using a finite element (FE) sectional analysis integrated with an efficient evolutionary optimization algorithm called particle swarm assisted genetic algorithm (PSGA). The sectional optimization framework is developed by automating the processes for geometry and mesh generation, and the sectional analysis to compute the elastic and inertial properties. Several section shapes are explored, modeled using quadratic B-splines with control points as design variables, through a multiobjective design optimization aiming minimum torsional stiffness, lag bending stiffness, and sectional mass while maximizing the critical strength ratio. The constraints are imposed on the mass, stiffnesses, and critical strength ratio corresponding to multiple design load cases. The optimal results reveal a simpler and better feasible section with double-H shape compared to the triple-H shape of the baseline where reductions of 9.46%, 67.44% and 30% each are reported in torsional stiffness, lag bending stiffness, and sectional mass, respectively, with critical strength ratio greater than 1.5.