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Article
Publication date: 18 December 2019

Firat Sal

The purpose of this paper presents the effects of actively morphing root chord and taper on the energy of the flight control system (i.e. FCS).

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper presents the effects of actively morphing root chord and taper on the energy of the flight control system (i.e. FCS).

Design/methodology/approach

Via regarding previously mentioned purposes, sophisticated and realistic helicopter models are benefitted to examine the energy of the FCS.

Findings

Helicopters having actively morphing blade root chord length and blade taper consume less control energy than the ones having one of or any of passively morphing blade root chord length and blade taper.

Practical implications

Actively morphing blade root chord length and blade taper can be used for cheaper helicopter operations.

Originality/value

The main originality of this paper is applying active morphing strategy on helicopter blade root chord and blade taper. In this paper, it is also found that using active morphing strategy on helicopter blade root chord and blade taper reasons less energy consumption than using either passively morphing blade root chord length plus blade taper or not any. This causes also less fuel consumption and green environment.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 92 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 November 2019

Firat Sal

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of passive and active morphing of blade root chord length and blade taper on the control effort of the flight control system…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of passive and active morphing of blade root chord length and blade taper on the control effort of the flight control system (FCS) of a helicopter.

Design/methodology/approach

Physics-based helicopter models, which are functions of passive and active morphing, are created and applied in helicopter FCS design to determine the control effort.

Findings

Helicopters, having both passively and actively morphing blade root chord length and blade taper, experience less control effort than the ones having either only passively morphing blade root chord length or only blade taper or only actively morphing blade root chord length and blade taper.

Practical implications

Both passively and actively morphing blade root chord length and blade taper can be implemented for more economical autonomous helicopter flights.

Originality/value

Main novelty of our article is simultaneous application of passive and active morphing ideas on helicopter root chord length and blade taper. It is also proved in this study that using both passive and active morphing ideas on helicopter blade root chord and blade taper causes much less energy consumption than using either only passive morphing idea on helicopter blade root chord and blade taper or only active morphing idea on helicopter blade root chord and blade taper. This also reduces fuel consumption and also makes environment cleaner.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 92 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 June 2019

Farid Shahmiri, Maryam Sargolzehi and Mohammad Ali Shahi Ashtiani

The effects of rotor blade design variables and their mutual interactions on aerodynamic efficiency of helicopters are investigated. The aerodynamic efficiency is defined based on…

Abstract

Purpose

The effects of rotor blade design variables and their mutual interactions on aerodynamic efficiency of helicopters are investigated. The aerodynamic efficiency is defined based on figure of merit (FM) and lift-to-drag responses developed for hover and forward flight, respectively.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is to couple a general flight dynamic simulation code, previously validated in the time domain, with design of experiment (DOE) required for the response surface development. DOE includes I-optimality criteria to preselect the data and improve data acquisition process. Desirability approach is also implemented for a better understanding of the optimum rotor blade planform in both hover and forward flight.

Findings

The resulting system provides a systematic manner to examine the rotor blade design variables and their interactions, thus reducing the time and cost of designing rotor blades. The obtained results show that the blade taper ratio of 0.3, the point of taper initiation of about 0.64 R within a SC1095R8 airfoil satisfy the maximum FM of 0.73 and the maximum lift-to-drag ratio of about 5.5 in hover and forward flight.

Practical implications

The work shows the practical possibility to implement the proposed optimization process that can be used for the advanced rotor blade design.

Originality/value

The work presents the rapid and reliable optimization process efficiently used for designing advanced rotor blades in hover and forward flight.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 91 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 May 2011

Ngoc Anh Vu, Than Lin, Abdulaziz Azamatov, Tun Lwin and Jae‐Woo Lee

The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated rotorcraft design and virtual manufacturing framework. The framework consists of two major sub‐frameworks which are e‐design…

1021

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated rotorcraft design and virtual manufacturing framework. The framework consists of two major sub‐frameworks which are e‐design and virtual manufacturing frameworks. This paper aims to describe the process of generating a specific framework for helicopter design and manufacturing in general, and a method for main rotor blade design.

Design/methodology/approach

The e‐design process integrates a pre‐conceptual, conceptual and preliminary design phases and includes many high accuracy physics‐based analysis tools and in‐house codes. The development of analysis programs and integration of flow data are discussed under the e‐design process. The virtual manufacturing process discusses physical three‐dimensional (3D) prototypes using rapid prototyping, virtual process simulation model development using Delmia Quest, virtual machine tool simulation and process‐based cost model. Vehicle geometry is modelled parametrically in computer‐aided 3D interactive application (CATIA) V5 to enable integration between the e‐design and virtual manufacturing processes, and then saved in Enovia SmartTeam which is commercial software for product data management (PDM). Data saved in Enovia SmartTeam are used as a database for the virtual manufacturing process.

Findings

The integration framework was constructed by using Model Center software. A multi‐disciplinary design optimization loop for rotor blade considering manufacturing factors is discussed to demonstrate the robustness and efficiency of the framework.

Practical implications

The manufacturing (practical factors) could be considered at an early stage of the rotor blades design.

Originality/value

The gap between theoretical (engineering design: aerodynamic, structural, dynamic, design, etc.) and practical aspects (manufacturing) is bridged through integrated product/process development framework. The modern concurrent engineering approach is addressed for helicopter rotor blade design throughout the case study.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 83 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0002-2667

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 1938

Under this heading are published regularly abstracts of all Reports and Memoranda of the Aeronautical Research Committee, Reports and Technical Notes of the U.S. National Advisory…

Abstract

Under this heading are published regularly abstracts of all Reports and Memoranda of the Aeronautical Research Committee, Reports and Technical Notes of the U.S. National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and publications of other similar research bodies as issued

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 10 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0002-2667

Article
Publication date: 13 June 2022

Firat Sal

This paper aims to offer a simultaneous design approach for helicopter having swept anhedral blade tip shape and helicopter flight control system (HFCS) to minimize controller…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to offer a simultaneous design approach for helicopter having swept anhedral blade tip shape and helicopter flight control system (HFCS) to minimize controller cost.

Design/methodology/approach

By considering previously stated offer, control-oriented models and a stochastic optimization method are applied to minimize controller cost of the HFCS.

Findings

Using simultaneous design approach for helicopters having blade tip swept and blade tip anhedral causes considerably less control effort than the helicopters not benefiting this related design approach.

Practical implications

Simultaneous design approach for helicopters having blade tip swept and blade tip anhedral is applicable to consider fuel economy.

Originality/value

One important novelty of this paper is using simultaneous approach for determining optimum shape of blade tip swept and anhedral. Another considerable novelty of this paper is also using a stochastic optimization method called simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation for previously mentioned purpose. In this paper, it is also reached that using simultaneous design approach for swept anhedral helicopter blade tip shape and HFCS causes less control effort than the helicopters not using this approach. This leads to less fuel consumption and green environment.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 95 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 January 2024

Inamul Hasan, Mukesh R., Radha Krishnan P., Srinath R. and Boomadevi P.

This study aims to find the characteristics of supercritical airfoil in helicopter rotor blades for hovering phase using numerical analysis and the validation using experimental…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to find the characteristics of supercritical airfoil in helicopter rotor blades for hovering phase using numerical analysis and the validation using experimental results.

Design/methodology/approach

Using numerical analysis in the forward phase of the helicopter, supercritical airfoil is compared with the conventional airfoil for the aerodynamic performance. The multiple reference frame method is used to produce the results for rotational analysis. A grid independence test was carried out, and validation was obtained using benchmark values from NASA data.

Findings

From the analysis results, a supercritical airfoil in hovering flight analysis proved that the NASA SC rotor produces 25% at 5°, 26% at 12° and 32% better thrust at 8° of collective pitch than the HH02 rotor. Helicopter performance parameters are also calculated based on momentum theory. Theoretical calculations prove that the NASA SC rotor is better than the HH02 rotor. The results of helicopter performance prove that the NASA SC rotor provides better aerodynamic efficiency than the HH02 rotor.

Originality/value

The novelty of the paper is it proved the aerodynamic performance of supercritical airfoil is performing better than the HH02 airfoil. The results are validated with the experimental values and theoretical calculations from the momentum theory.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2024

Zeyang Zhou and Jun Huang

This study aims to learn the dynamic radar cross-section (RCS) of a deflection air brake.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to learn the dynamic radar cross-section (RCS) of a deflection air brake.

Design/methodology/approach

The aircraft model with delta wing, V-shaped tail and blended wing body is designed, and high-precision unstructured grid technology is used to deal with the surface of air brake and fuselage. The calculation method based on multiple tracking and dynamic scattering is presented to calculate RCS.

Findings

The fuselage has a low scattering level, and the opening air brake will bring obvious dynamic RCS effects to itself and the whole machine. The average indicator of air brake RCS can be lower than –0.6 dBm2 under the tail azimuth, while that of forward and lateral direction is lower. The mean RCS of fuselage is obviously higher than that of air brake, while the deflected air brake and its cabin can still provide strong scattering sources at some azimuths. When the air brake is opening, the change amplitude of the aircraft forward RCS can exceed 19.81 dBm2.

Practical implications

This research has practical significance for the dynamic electromagnetic scattering analysis and stealth design of the air brake.

Originality/value

The calculation method for aircraft RCS considering air brake dynamic deflection has been established.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 96 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 July 1959

A gas turbine engine compressor blade, the blade being formed of synthetic, resin‐impregnated, cloth laminations bonded together and having an outwardly divergent root portion…

Abstract

A gas turbine engine compressor blade, the blade being formed of synthetic, resin‐impregnated, cloth laminations bonded together and having an outwardly divergent root portion extending chord‐wise of the blade, said root portion having the outer divergent faces thereof forming angles of approximately 60 deg. with the base face thereof, the root portion having only six imperforate wedge‐shaped metal inserts of small wedge angle extending chord‐wise of the blade inter‐leaved with groups of said laminations and diverging away from the blade for the sum of their wedge angles to provide the root portion divergence, and means bonding on both sides, in the interior of the root portion, the inserts to adjacent laminations, at least some of the laminations extending spanwise of the blade and forming a part of the air impelling portion of the blade, the angle subtended by each insert being approximately 10 deg.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 31 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0002-2667

Article
Publication date: 1 September 1953

D.G. Ainley

A comprehensive series of tests have been made on an experimental single‐stage turbine to determine the cooling characteristics and the overall stage performance of a set of…

Abstract

A comprehensive series of tests have been made on an experimental single‐stage turbine to determine the cooling characteristics and the overall stage performance of a set of air‐cooled turbine blades. These blades, which arc described fully in Part I of this paper had, internally, a multiplicity of passages of small diameter along which cool air was passed through the whole length of the blade. Analysis of the test data indicated that, when a quantity of cooling air amounting to 2 per cent, by weight, of the total gas‐flow through the turbine is fed to the row of rotor blades, an increase in gas temperature of about 270 dcg. C. (518 deg. F.) should be permissible above the maximum allowable value for a row of uncoolcd blades made from the same material. The degree of cooling achieved throughout each blade was far from uniform and large thermal stresses must result. It appears, however, that the consequences of this are not highly detrimental to the performance of the present type of blading, it being demonstrated that the main effect of the induced thermal stress isapparently to transfer the major tensile stresses to the cooler (and hence stronger) regions of the blade. The results obtained from the present investigations do not represent a limit to the potentialities of internal air‐cooling, but form merely a first exploratory step. At the same time the practical feasibility of air cooling is made apparent, and advances up to the present arc undoubtedly encouraging.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 25 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0002-2667

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