High-Fidelity Aeroelastic Solutions of Advanced Configuration Rotors using a Novel Rotorcraft Aeromechanics Analysis System

In this study, a novel rotorcraft comprehensive analysis (CA) framework is constructed for the aeromechanics analysis of various rotorcraft configurations such as single main/tail rotors, coaxial rotors, and tilt rotors. The framework incorporates numerous solution procedures that include trim, blade response, loads, and vibration with external interfaces to computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. The structural module is characterized by a displacement-based geometrically exact beam (GEB) model and multibody formulations while the internal aerodynamics module is developed using a lifting-line representation of blades with simple inflow models. A series of validation on static benchmark examples showed excellent correlations with published records, particularly in the context of large deformation behavior of heavily loaded beams. The rotorcraft aeromechanics analyses of various configuration rotors such as single main rotor and lift-offset coaxial rotor types are performed next to evaluate airloads, blade motions, and structural loads. Numerical results indicate good to excellent agreements with their respective test data accurately capturing unsteady aerodynamics effects due to blade-vortex interaction or blade-to-blade cross-over events, which demonstrate the reliability and versatility of the present rotorcraft CA system.