Vacuum and hover test of a double anhedral tip composite rotor

Chi, Lex; Datta, Anubhav; Panda, Brahmananda

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental investigation of a double anhedral tip composite rotor. The goal is to describe
the development of the blades and document the test data for future validation. The research geometry was designed
based on guidance from the Boeing company. A set of Mach-scale blades was fabricated and instrumented in-house.
Three-dimensional (3-D) finite element structural models were developed for the design and assessment of test data.
The models were analyzed using X3D—a 3-D structural dynamic solver for rotor aeroelasticity. Vacuum chamber
tests were carried out to measure blade frequency and surface strain. A satisfactory agreement between test data and
the prediction validated the blade structural model. Structural dynamics analysis shows that the tip geometry mainly
influences the higher rotor frequencies. Next, hover tests were performed to acquire performance and blade structural
loads and strains under steady and cyclic loading conditions.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (published)
• Conference Name: VFS Aeromechanics for Advanced Vertical Flight Technical Meeting
• Start Date: Jan 25, 2022
• Acceptance Date: Aug 26, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Jan 25, 2022
• Deposit Date: Dec 19, 2024
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Book Title: Forum Proceedings
• ISBN: 9781713859253
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/13537710