Engineering topics

Peters, David A.

Publications and source records attributed to Peters, David A..

31 records · Page 2

NASA NTRS1989

Use of an optimized controller and a finite-state stall model to find trimmed helicopter flight controls

An auto-pilot is applied to helicopter rotor flap-lag-torsion equations in order to obtain the control settings for a trimmed flight condition. The rotor aerodynamic description includes a state-space dynamic stall model for lift and for pitching moments. Thus, an attempt is made to trim the rotor for flight conditions in which significant stall and torsional deformations are present. The auto-pilot is extended to Q-bladed rotors by a series of time-delay terms. As a result, the optimum gains and time constants depend upon the number of blades as well as upon the torsional stiffness.

Peters, David A.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Optimization of rotor blades for combined structural, performance, and aeroelastic characteristics

The strategies whereby helicopter rotor blades can be optimized for combined structural, inertial, dynamic, aeroelastic, and aerodynamic performance characteristics are outlined. There are three key ingredients in the successful execution of such an interdisciplinary optimization. The first is the definition of a satisfactory performance index that combines all aspects of the problem without too many constraints. The second element is the judicious choice of computationally efficient analysis tools for the various quantitative components in both the cost functional and constraints. The third element is an effective strategy for combining the various disciplines either in parallel or sequential optimizations.

Peters, David A.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Comparison of measured induced velocities with results from a closed-form finite state wake model in forward flight

An unsteady, three-dimensional induced-flow model is applied to compute the induced-flow distribution of a rotor in forward flight, and numerical results are compared against LDV measurements for both time-averaged and unsteady induced flow at the disk. The former flow shows good agreement with measured data, except just behind the pylon at the lowest advanced ratio and near the blade tips for rectangular blades at high advance ratios. The method performs as well or better than other codes that have been applied to these data, takes less computing time, and is better suited to aeroelastic analysis. Results with only four harmonics and 15 state variables converge to all fundamental characteristics of the time-averaged flow.

Peters, David A.↗

NASA NTRS1989

The effect of an unsteady three-dimensional wake on elastic blade-flapping eigenvalues in hover

This paper describes the formulation of a finite-state inflow model based on an acceleration potential and a helical wake geometry. The states of the model are coefficients of an inflow expansion in terms of a Fourier series (azimuthally) and of special polynomials (radially). The integrals over the wake are done in closed-form to obtain a set of ordinary differential equations for the inflow coefficients. The forcing functions for these equations are generalized forces which are integrals of the blade loading exactly as in structural dynamics. This model implicitly includes (for the hover case) Prandtl-Goldstein tip losses, dynamic inflow, and Theodorsen/Loewy lift deficiency. Thus, it is a fully three-dimensional unsteady wake model. Here, this model is coupled with elastic-blade equations in hover and eigenvalues are found. The results show that the three-dimensional wake has a large effect on the flap damping of all modes.

Peters, David A.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Survey of Army/NASA rotorcraft aeroelastic stability research

Theoretical and experimental developments in the aeroelastic and aeromechanical stability of helicopters and tilt-rotor aircraft are addressed. Included are the underlying nonlinear structural mechanics of slender rotating beams, necessary for accurate modeling of elastic cantilever rotor blades, and the development of dynamic inflow, an unsteady aerodynamic theory for low frequency aeroelastic stability applications. Analytical treatment of isolated rotor stability in hover and forward flight, coupled rotor-fuselage stability are considered. Results of parametric investigations of system behavior are presented, and correlations between theoretical results and experimental data from small- and large-scale wind tunnel and flight testing are discussed.

Ormiston, Robert A.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Dynamic inflow for practical applications

A derivation is presented which gives both the nonlinear dynamic inflow model and the perturbation dynamic inflow model in a general coordinate system. The perturbation model includes perturbations in hub motions, in skew angle, and in yaw angle. The governing equations may be switched to their dimensional forms prior to application.

Peters, David A.↗

NASA NTRS1988

The importance of steady and dynamic inflow on the stability of rotor-body systems

The induced flow field of a rotor responds in a dynamic fashion to oscillations in rotor lift. This was long known to affect the stability and control derivatives of the rotor. More recently, however, it was also shown that this dynamic inflow also affects rotor and rotor-body aeroelastic stability. Thus, both the steady and unsteady inflow have pronounced effects on air resonance. Recent theoretical developments were made in the modeling of dynamic inflow, and these were verified experimentally. Thus, there is now a simple, verified dynamic inflow model for use in dynamic analyses.

Peters, David A.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Rotorcraft aeroelastic stability

Theoretical and experimental developments in the aeroelastic and aeromechanical stability of helicopters and tilt-rotor aircraft are addressed. Included are the underlying nonlinear structural mechanics of slender rotating beams, necessary for accurate modeling of elastic cantilever rotor blades, and the development of dynamic inflow, an unsteady aerodynamic theory for low-frequency aeroelastic stability applications. Analytical treatment of isolated rotor stability in hover and forward flight, coupled rotor-fuselage stability in hover and forward flight, and analysis of tilt-rotor dynamic stability are considered. Results of parametric investigations of system behavior are presented, and correlation between theoretical results and experimental data from small and large scale wind tunnel and flight testing are discussed.

Ormiston, Robert A.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Development of an unsteady wake theory appropriate for aeroelastic analyses of rotors in hover and forward flight

The purpose of this research is the development of an unsteady aerodynamic model for rotors such that it can be used in conventional aeroelastic analysis (e.g., eigenvalue determination and control system design). For this to happen, the model must be in a state-space formulation such that the states of the flow can be defined, calculated and identified as part of the analysis. The fluid mechanics of the problem is given by a closed-form inversion of an acceleration potential. The result is a set of first-order differential equations in time for the unknown flow coefficients. These equations are hierarchical in the sense that they may be truncated at any number of radial or azimuthal terms.

Peters, David A.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Efficient assembly of finite-element subsystems with large relative rotations

A finite element approach is presented for the modeling of rotorcraft undergoing elastic deformation in addition to large rigid body motion with respect to inertial space, with particular attention given to the coupling of the rotor and fuselage subsystems subject to large relative rotations. The component synthesis technique used here allows the coupling of rotors to the fuselage for different rotorcraft configurations. The formulation is general and applicable to any rotorcraft vibration, aeroelasticity, and dynamics problem.

Fuh, Jon-Shen↗

NASA NTRS1987

Integration of dynamic, aerodynamic and structural optimization of helicopter rotor blades

The purpose of the research is to study the integration of structural, dynamic, and aerodynamic considerations in the design-optimization process for helicopter rotorblades. This is to be done in three phases. Task 1 is to bring on-line computer codes that could perform the finite-element frequency analyses of rotor blades. The major features of this program are summarized. The second task was to bring on-line an optimization code for the work. Several were tried and it was decided to use CONMIN. Explicit volume constraints on the thicknesses and lumped masses used in the optimization were added. The specific aeroelastic constraint that the center of mass must be forward of the quarter chord in order to prevent flutter was applied. The bending-torsion coupling due to cg-ea offset within the blade cross section was included. Also included were some very simple stress constraints. The first three constraints are completed, and the fourth constraint is being completed.

Peters, David A.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Rotor-body coupling revisited

Two analytical procedures are discussed that are currently used to couple rotor and body equations. The first approach, a 'rotor-body iteration' procedure, is often used in flight dynamics simulations. In this approach, acceleration response at the hub interface between the rotor and body are calculated from the body set of equations. These hub acceleration responses are substituted into the rotor set of equations and the remaining rotor acceleration responses are calculated. These rotor responses are used to calculate the rotor hub loads which are transferred back to the body equations to initiate the next iteration. The second method is a 'fully coupled' equations approach that is used in finite element-based analyses. The body and rotor sets of equations are coupled using a kinematic constraint relation at the hub interface. This paper compares the advantages of the two approaches and shows where convergence problems occur in the rotor-body iteration procedure.

Stephens, Wendell B.↗

NASA NTRS1987

The importance of aerodynamics on dynamics

The effects of aerodynamic phenomena on helicopter structural dynamics are examined, reviewing the results of recent theoretical and experimental investigations. A schematic diagram of a dynamic analysis is presented and discussed, noting the numerous aerodynamic inputs, and numerical data are presented in graphs. Consideration is given to forcing functions, aerodynamic damping, aeroelastic coupling, negative damping, apparent coriolis coupling, periodic coefficients, inverse damping, additional degrees of freedom, flap-lag stability, and dynamic inflow. The need for theoretical models which account for the dynamic loop between blade lift and induced flow (permitting blade motion to dynamically alter the flowfield during transients) is indicated.

Peters, David A.↗