Journal of Aeronautical Engineering

Journal of Aeronautical Engineering

Performance optimization of helicopter main rotor in maneuver using inverse simulation

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Hamid Reza Jafari 1
Farid Shahmiri 2
yousef Abbasi 3
1 Aerospace department, Ph.D student, Malek Ashtar University of Technology
2 Aerospace, Faculty member, Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
3 Aerospace dept. Faculty member, Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/joae.2022.316515.1076
Abstract
An investigation has been conducted to determine the optimum blade planform required to minimize the rotor power, maximize the lift-to-drag ratio, and maximize roll attitude quickness of the helicopter using numerical optimization techniques. The optimization process is based on response surface method, I-optimal design expriment, and helicopter inverse simulation program (HISP), developing mathematical model of performance, and Turning a multi-objective optimization problem into a one-objective problem using Desirability approach that the optimal numerical solution will eventually be calculated. The effects of helicopter weight and blade planform parameters (i.e., root chord, taper ratio, the taper starting point on the blade, and blade twist) on the performance and handling quality of the helicopter are therefore investigated. Responses of helicopter were obtained through a HISP developed for rotors with quasi-steady aerodynamic formulations. The resulting system provides a systematic evaluation to examine the rotor blade design variables and their interactions, thus reducing the time and cost of designing rotor blades. The results also confirm that the optimum tapered blade lowers the power required by about 7% and enhances the lift-to-drag ratio and roll attitude quickness up to 10% and 36% with a satisfactory improvement relative to the helicopter with rectangular planform a NACA 0012 cross-section in slalom maneuver, which is a good improvement for rotor blade design.
Keywords
Helicopter
Experimental design
Inverse simulation
Optimization
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Journal of Aeronautical Engineering
Volume 24, Issue 2
April 2022
Pages 37-51

  • Receive Date 25 November 2021
  • Revise Date 10 April 2022
  • Accept Date 10 April 2022