Experimental and Analytical Validation of Rotor Components Static Substantiation Process

This paper reports an overview of the experimental and analytical activities carried out in relation to the identification of the more severe limit load conditions for the AW169 Main Rotor components, with particular attention to the Main Rotor Tension Link. The entire interdisciplinary process involving the set up as well as the validation of the aeroelastic software used, the setup of the validated FE Model of the Tension Link related to both the helicopter installation and the Test Rig, the definition of the criterion used to select the more severe limit conditions will be extensively described. Particularly, the definition of a simple criterion able to restrict the number and the typologies of conditions to be simulated proved to be very useful in reducing the computational time involved in the simulation of several dozen conditions. The approach described here, although related to a specific part with specific characteristics, can be generalized to any other complex part loaded by multiple forces and tested in a Test Rig which, due to implementation constraints, cannot fully represent the real helicopter installation.