• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2014.10a
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• pp.916-921
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• 2014

In this paper, an improved small-scaled blade prototype was designed with the flap-driving mechanism classified as an active vibration reduction method, in order to reduce vibratory load in the helicopter. In detail, the previous Active Trailing-Edge Flap based on piezoelectric actuator, called SNUF(Seoul National University Flap), failed to achieve the target value (${\pm}4^{\circ}$) of the flap deflection angle. Therefore, the flap-driving mechanism design was improved, and a new piezoactuator was selected to accomplish the target value of the flap deflection angle in both static and rotating situations.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2011.10a
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• pp.236-241
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• 2011

An active trailing-edge flap blade named as Seoul National University Flap (SNUF) blade is designed for reducing helicopter vibratory loads and the relevant aeroacoustic noise. Unlike the conventional rotor control, which is restricted to 1/rev frequency, an active control device like the present trailing-edge flap is capable of actuating each individual blade at higher harmonic frequencies i.e., higher harmonic control (HHC) of rotor. The proposed blade is a small scale blade and rotates at higher RPM. The flap actuation components are located inside the blade and additional structures are included for reinforcement. Initially, the blade cross-section design is determined. The aerodynamic loads are predicted using a comprehensive rotorcraft analysis code. The structural integrity of the active blade is verified using a stress-strain recovery analysis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.326-331
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• 2007

This paper conducts a vibratory loads reduction analysis of an Advanced Active Trailing-edge Flap (AATF) blade utilizing single crystal piezoelectric actuators. For an AATF blade, a new L-L piezostack actuator using single crystal PMN-PT materials is designed. The AATF blade is designed to have similar characteristics to the Advanced Active Twist Rotor (AATR) blade. The active trailingedge flap is assumed to be 20% of the blade span and 15% of the chord, located at 75% of the blade radius. In order to conduct the vibratory loads reduction analysis of the AATF blade in forward flight, DYMORE, a multi-body dynamics analysis code, is used. The simulation result shows that the hub vibratory loads may be reduced by approximately 89% even with a much lower input-voltage when comparing with the other active rotor systems.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2013.04a
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• pp.347-352
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• 2013

Seoul National University Flap (SNUF) blade is a small-scaled rotor blade incorporating a small trailing-edge flap control surface driven by piezoelectric actuators at higher harmonics for vibration attenuation. Initially, the blade was designed using two-dimensional cross-section analysis and a geometrically exact one-dimensional beam analysis, and material configuration was finalized. Flap deflection angle of ${\pm}45^{\circ}$ was established as the criterion for better vibration reduction performance based on an earlier simulation. Flap linkage mechanism design is carried out and static bench tests are conducted to verify the flap actuation mechanism performance. Different versions of test beds are developed and tested with the flap and chosen APA 200M piezoelectric actuators. Through significant improvements, a maximum deflection of ${\pm}3.7^{\circ}$ was achieved. High frequency experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance and transfer function of the test bed is determined experimentally. As the static tests are almost completed, rotor power required for testing the blade in whirl tower (centrifugal environment) is calculated and further preparations are under way.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2011.04a
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• pp.492-497
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• 2011

Helicopter uses a rotor system to generate lift, thrust and forces, and its aerodynamic environment is generally complex. Unsteady aerodynamic environment arises such as blade vortex interaction. This unsteady aerodynamic environment induces vibratory aerodynamic loads and high aeroacoustic noise. Those are at N times the rotor blade revolutions (N/rev). But conventional rotor control system composed of pitch links and swash plate is not capable of adjusting such vibratory loads because its control is restricted to 1/rev. Many active control methodologies have been examined to alleviate the problem. The blade using active control device manipulates the blade pitch angle at arbitrary frequencies. In this paper, Active Trailing-edge Flap blade, which is one of the active control methods, is designed to modify the unsteady aerodynamic loads. Active Trailing-edge Flap blade uses a trailing edge flap manipulated by an actuator to change camber of the airfoil. Piezoelectric actuators are installed inside the blade to manipulate the trailing edge flap.

• Transactions of the KSME C: Technology and Education
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.183-191
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• 2015

In this study, the finite element analysis was carried out to investigate dynamic characteristics of the AGF(Active Gurney Flap) which is under development for reducing vibration and noise of the helicopter rotor system. The Gurney flap is a kind of small flat plate, mounted normal to the lower surface of the airfoil near to the trailing edge. An electric motor, L-shaped linkages and flap parts were integrated into a rotor bade, and 3~5/rev control was given to the AGF to reduce the vibration in the fixed frame. Thus, an explicit time integration method was adopted to investigate the dynamic response of the AGF with considering both centrifugal force due to the rotor rotation and active control input, and it can be seen that the vertical displacement of the AGF was satisfied to meet the design requirement.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.46 no.7
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• pp.542-550
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• 2018

This paper presents design of a bearingless main rotor of SNUF (Seoul National University Flap) blade equipped with active trailing-edge flap to reduce the hub vibratory loads during helicopter forward flight. For that purpose, sectional design of the flexbeam is carried out using the thin-walled composite material rotating beam vibration analysis program (CORBA77_MEMB) in EDISON. Using the multi-body dynamics analysis program, DYMORE, blade dynamic characteristics and those of the loads control are examined using the active trailing-edge flap in terms of the flexbeam sectional design.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.667-676
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• 2015

Working displacement variation by elastic deformation of active Gurney flap which was operated on high frequency was observed. Flap-wise natural frequency was lower than mode analysis result and hinge boundary condition was identified to be the cause through the simple modal test. Design modification for increasing natural frequency was conducted for minimizing the elastic deformation at maximum 35 Hz operating condition which was design requirement condition. Brass bushing was applied instead of rotating bearing for gap minimization and Gurney flap design modification was conducted to increase of the flap-wise natural frequency. Design modification effect was validated by natural frequency comparison with mode analysis result and modal test result of design modification model.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.69-91
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• 2014

Numerical investigations are presented, which show that a back-flow flap can improve the dynamic stall characteristics of oscillating airfoils. The flap was able to weaken the stall vortex and therefore to reduce the peak in the pitching moment. This paper gives a brief insight into the method of function of a back-flow flap. Initial wind tunnel experiments were performed to define the structural requirements for a detailed experimental wind tunnel characterization. A structural integration concept and two different actuation mechanisms of a back-flow flap for a helicopter rotor blade are presented. First a piezoelectric actuation system was investigated, but the analytical model to estimate the performance showed that the displacement generated is too low to enable reliable operation. The seond actuation mechanism is based on magnetic forces to generate an impulse that initiates the opening of the flap. A concept based on two permanent magnets is further detailed and characterized, and this mechanism is shown to generate sufficient impulse for reliable operation in the wind tunnel.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.499-505
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• 2012

Vibratory loads imposed by the rotating blade upon the fuselage has been one of major obstacles in rotorcrafts. A new concept of rotor blade is currently developed to adopt an Active Trailing-edge Flap (ATF) to alleviate such obstacles. The flap is mounted at 65~85% spanwise location from the rotor hub. The nominal rotational speed of the blade is as high as 1,528 RPM, to match the required tip Mach number. Structural integrity is one of the important design aspects to be maintained and monitored in this special type of rotor. This is due to that many detailed components, which drive the flap, are inserted inside the rotating blade. To conduct its structural design and analysis, CAMRAD-II and the one-dimensional beam analysis are used. At the same time, three-dimensional finite element analysis are also used, such as MSC. PATRAN/NASTRAN, in order to analyze the details of the present active blade. As a result, comparable characteristics for the present rotor are predicted by both approaches.