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Modeling and Design of a Full-Scale Rotor Blade with Embedded Piezocomposite Actuators

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Mechanics of Composite Materials Aims and scope

An optimization methodology for the design of a full-scale rotor blade with an active twist in order to enhance its ability to reduce vibrations and noise is presented. It is based on a 3D finite-element model, the planning of experiments, and the response surface technique to obtain high piezoelectric actuation forces and displacements with a minimum actuator weight and energy applied. To investigate an active twist of the helicopter rotor blade, a structural static analysis using a 3D finite-element model was carried out. Optimum results were obtained at two possible applications of macrofiber composite actuators. The torsion angle found from the finite-element simulation of helicopter rotor blades was successfully validated by its experimental values, which confirmed the modeling accuracy.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the Riga Technical University through the Scientific Research Project Competition for Young Researchers No. ZP-2016/17.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Riga Technical University, Institute of Materials and Structures, Riga, Latvia

    A. Kovalovs, E. Barkanov & S. Ruchevskis

  2. Koszalin University of Technology, Department of Structural Mechanics, Koszalin, Poland

    M. Wesolowski

Authors
  1. A. Kovalovs
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  2. E. Barkanov
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  3. S. Ruchevskis
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  4. M. Wesolowski
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Kovalovs.

Additional information

Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 53, No. 2, pp. 259-278 , March-April, 2017.

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Kovalovs, A., Barkanov, E., Ruchevskis, S. et al. Modeling and Design of a Full-Scale Rotor Blade with Embedded Piezocomposite Actuators. Mech Compos Mater 53, 179–192 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11029-017-9652-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11029-017-9652-1

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