| A comprehensive analysis is developed to evaluate main rotor blade trailing edge flap systems for helicopter vibration reduction. The analysis incorporates a nonlinear aeroelastic rotor model, response calculations via finite element in time method, coupled wind tunnel trim to prescribed operating conditions, unsteady compressible aerodynamics of the flap, and a multicyclic flap controller.;An extensive validation study was performed using experimental wind tunnel data. Correlation between predicted and measured blade natural frequencies was generally fair. Results for hover thrust and power agreed well with the experimental data. Some discrepancy was observed near the low thrust conditions. In forward flight, fair correlation was observed for the power required and trim controls. For the rotor with no trailing edge flap motion, overall correlation of blade loads was fair good, although significant descrepancies were observed in individual cases.;A parametric study was conducted for a four-bladed Sikorsky S-76 main rotor. The combination of trailing edge flap and multicyclic controller is predicted to provide significant reductions in fixed system 4/rev hub loads. The flap motions could be optimized to reduce either hub shears or hub moments through variation of a single scalar weighting parameter in the control algorithm. The effects of parametric variations of design parameters such as flap length, span-wise location, and chord could largely be offset by compensating adjustments to the flap motions as determined by the multicyclic algorithm, provided the flap motions did not become too large. The results suggest that a flap with the smallest possible chord and largest possible deflections is preferred. |
