Investigation of rotor control system loads

Abstract

This paper concentrates on the aeroelasticity analysis of rotor blade and rotor control systems. A new multi-body dynamics model is established to predict both rotor pitch link loads and swashplate servo loads. Two helicopter rotors of UH-60A and SA349/2, both operating in two critical flight conditions, high-speed flight and high-thrust flight, are studied. The analysis shows good agreements with the flight test data and the calculation results using CAMRAD II. The mechanisms of rotor control loads are then analyzed in details based on the present predictions and the flight test data. In high-speed conditions, the pitch link loads are dominated by the integral of blade pitching moments, which are generated by cyclic pitch control. In high-thrust conditions, the positive pitching loads in the advancing side are caused by high collective pitch angle, and dynamic stall in the retreating side excites high-frequency responses. The swashplate servo loads are predominated by the rotor pitch link loads, and the inertia of the swashplate has significant effects on high-frequency harmonics of the servo loads.