• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.7-12
• /
• 2008

The three-dimensional finite element modeling of a composite rotor blade is very hard and requires much computation effort. The efficient method to model a composite beam is necessary for the dynamic and aeroelastic analyses of rotor blades. In this study, the beam modeling method of a composite rotor blade is studied using VABS. The computer program, VABS (Variational Asymptotic Beam Section Analysis), uses the variational asymptotic method to split a 3-D nonlinear elasticity problem into 2-D cross-sectional analysis and 1-D nonlinear beam problem. The VABS can produce the sectional stiffness coefficients of composite rotor blades with various cross section and initial twist/curvatures, and recover the original 3-D distribution of displacement/strain/stress fields. The results of various cross section beams show that VABS gives us the accurate results comparared to commercial codes and does not need much computation effort. It can be concluded that VABS provides the efficient method to establish the FE model of a composite rotor blade.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.63-68
• /
• 2012

This paper deals with the aerodynamic analysis and structural test under estimated loading condition for small composite blade, which is utilized in dual rotor wind turbine system. Firstly, the front and rear blades of dual rotor wind turbine system were modeled using reverse engineering method. And using finite volume method, the aerodynamic forces were analyzed at the rated and cutout wind speed to identify the pressure distribution on blades. And then, the full scale structural tests were conducted according to load and strength based methodology in IEC 61400-2 to identify the structural integrity of composite blade.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.98-105
• /
• 2005

This paper presents the result of the aeroelastic stability test of the small-scaled hingeless hub system with composite paddle blades in hover and forward flight conditions. Excitation tests of hingeless hub system installed in GSRTS(General Small-scale Rotor Test System) at KARI(Korea Aerospace Research Institute) were carried out to get lead-lag damping ratio of blades with flexures as hub flexure. MBA(Moving Block Analysis) technique was used for the estimation of lead-lag damping ratio. First, blades with metal flexures, then with composite flexures of the same dynamic properties of rotor system as metal one were tested. Tests were done on the ground and in the wind tunnel according to the test conditions of hover and forward flight, respectively. Composite flexures were found to have better damping characteristics over metal ones in the non-rotating vibration test, and it was confirmed that the use of composite flexures would give observable improvement in aeroelastic stability compared to metal ones in all test conditions.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.36 no.10
• /
• pp.1275-1282
• /
• 2012

Helicopter rotor systems are dynamically loaded structures with many composite components such as the main and the tail rotor blades. The fatigue properties of composite materials are extremely important to design durable and reliable helicopter rotor blades. The safe-life methodology has generally been used in the helicopter industry to substantiate dynamically loaded composite components. However, it cannot be used to evaluate the strength reducing effects of flaws and defects that may occur during manufacturing and operational usage. The damage tolerance methodology provides a proper means to overcome this shortcoming; however, it is difficult to economically apply it to every composite component. The flaw tolerant methodology is an equivalent option to the damage tolerance methodology for civil and military rotorcraft. In this study, the flaw tolerant safe-life evaluation is described and illustrated by means of successful application to substantiate the retirement time of composite rotor blades.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.35 no.12
• /
• pp.1599-1606
• /
• 2011

It is possible to study the load characteristics of full-scale hingeless rotor with the changing of physical smallscaled configurations such as rectangular and paddle blades, and metal and composite hubs. In this study, a static test, and a ground and wind-tunnel test were carried out using small-scale rotor models. The static test was carried out to confirm structural stiffness, characteristics of inertia, natural frequency, and damping ratio of rotors, and the ground and wind-tunnel test was carried out to confirm the stability and aerodynamic characteristics under hovering and forward flight conditions. According to the test results, the vertical load in the case of a combination of a small composite hub with paddle blades was higher than that in the case of a metal hub with paddle blades at same condition. Further, it was confirmed that the restraint of the combination of composite hub can be more flexible than the metal hub for the motion of paddle blades.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
• /
• v.37 no.7
• /
• pp.634-641
• /
• 2009

In this work, the behavior of vibratory hub loads induced due to the uncertainties of composite material properties for each of the participating rotor blades is investigated. The random material properties of composites available from the existing experimental data are processed by using the Monte-Carlo simulation technique to obtain the stochastic distribution of sectional stiffnesses of composite blades. The coefficients of variation (standard deviation divided by the mean) obtained from the sectional stiffness constants are used as an input to the comprehensive aeroelastic analysis code that can evaluate the hub loads of a rotor system. It is found that the uncertainty effects of composite material properties inevitably bring a dissimilarity to the rotor system. The influence of hub vibration response with respect to the individual stiffness (flatwise bending, chordwise bending and torsion) changes is also identified.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.35 no.5
• /
• pp.340-346
• /
• 2022

In this study, an optimal structural design of composite helicopter blades is performed using the genetic algorithm-based optimizer PSGA (Particle Swarm assisted Genetic Algorithm). The blade sections consist of the skin, spar, form, and balancing weight. The sectional geometries are generated using the B-spline curves while an opensource code Gmsh is used to discretize each material domain which is then analyzed by a finite element sectional analysis program Ksec2d. The HART II blade formed based on either C- or D-spar configuration is exploited to verify the cross-sectional design framework. A numerical simulation shows that each spar model reduces the blade mass by 7.39% and 6.65%, respectively, as compared with the baseline HART II blade case, while the shear center locations being remain close (within 5% chord) to the quarter chord line for both cases. The effectiveness of the present optimal structural design framework is demonstrated, which can readily be applied for the structural design of composite helicopter blades.

• Journal of Applied Reliability
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.236-245
• /
• 2017

Purpose: There is no established inspection system for composite wind blade during the fabrication stage even though the blades are one of the most important part at wind generation system, but phased array ultrasonic testing method has been continuously studied about wind turbine blade with composite. When wind turbine blade with complex shape by phased array probe is inspected, it is necessary to study for system keeping constant pressure using pressure device. Methods: In this paper, we propose constant pressure device for inspecting wind turbine blade by phased array ultrasonic test method. Design of the device controller is based on Hunt-Crossley model. We evaluate reliability of phased array ultrasonic inspection result that applicated constant pressure device. Result: Defect indication is precise and its error is small when constant pressure mechanism based on Hunt-Crossley model was used. Conclusion: When inspection is progressed using constant pressure mechanism, the reliability of composite wind blade inspection can be improved.

• International Journal of Control, Automation, and Systems
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.24-34
• /
• 2007

Closed-loop active twist control of integral helicopter rotor blades is investigated in this paper for reducing hub vibration induced in forward flight. A four-bladed fully articulated integral twist-actuated rotor system has been designed and tested successfully in wind tunnel in open-loop actuation. The integral twist deformation of the blades is generated using active fiber composite actuators embedded in the composite blade construction. An analytical framework is developed to examine integrally twisted helicopter blades and their aeroelastic behavior during different flight conditions. This aeroelastic model stems from a three-dimensional electroelastic beam formulation with geometrical-exactness, and is coupled with finite-state dynamic inflow aerodynamics. A system identification methodology that assumes a linear periodic system is adopted to estimate the harmonic transfer function of the rotor system. A vibration minimizing controller is designed based on this result, which implements a classical disturbance rejection algorithm with some modifications. Using the established analytical framework, the closed-loop controller is numerically simulated and the hub vibratory load reduction capability is demonstrated.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.102-108
• /
• 2012

A study of terahertz waves (T-ray) was made for the nondestructive evaluation of FRP (Fiber reinforced plastics) composite materials. The to-be-used systems were time domain spectroscopy (TDS) and continuous wave (CW). The composite materials investigated include both turbine blades of wind energy (non-conducting polymeric composites) and conducting carbon fiber composites. Terahertz signals in the TDS mode resembles that of ultrasound; however, unlike ultrasound, a terahertz pulse was not able to detect a material with conductivity. This was demonstrated in CFRP (Carbon fiber reinforced plastics) laminates. Refractive index (n) was defined as one of mechanical properties; so a method was solved in order solve the "n" in the material with the cut parts of the turbine blades of wind energy. The defects and anomalies investigated by terahertz radiation were foreign material inclusions and simulated disband. Especially, it is found that the T-ray went through the turbine blade with greater thickness (about 90mm).