Performance optimization for rotors in hover is a topic of continuing importance to rotorcraft designers. The aim of this research was to demonstrate that a free wake hover performance prediction code could be coupled...
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Performance optimization for rotors in hover is a topic of continuing importance to rotorcraft designers. The aim of this research was to demonstrate that a free wake hover performance prediction code could be coupled to a numerical optimization algorithm. The hover code, dubbed EHPIC (evaluation of hover performance using influence coefficients), uses a quasilinear wake relaxation to solve for the rotor performance and is well suited to optimization applications. The coupling was accomplished by expanding the matrix of influence coefficients in EHPIC to accommodate design variables and by deriving new coefficients for linearized equations governing perturbations in power and thrust. These coefficients formed the input to a numerical optimization analysis, which used the flow tangency conditions on the blade and in the wake along with specified inequality constraints to constrain the design. It was found that this linearized analysis could be invoked to predict a design change that would produce significant reductions in power required at constant thrust. Thus, improved versions of the baseline design can be found efficiently while retaining the accuracy inherent in a free wake performance analysis. Sample problems were undertaken to demonstrate the success of this approach in reducing the power required at a specified thrust for several representative rotor configurations.
A design approach that combines iterative structural analysis with a traditional iterative optimization algorithm is applied to the optimum design of the shape of a hole in a plate in tension. The plate is modeled by ...
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A design approach that combines iterative structural analysis with a traditional iterative optimization algorithm is applied to the optimum design of the shape of a hole in a plate in tension. The plate is modeled by three-dimensional finite elements, and an element-by-element preconditioned conjugate gradient iterative algorithm is used for solving the equations of equilibrium. Several parameterizations of the optimum shape are considered, and it is shown that a sine series can describe the optimum shape with only three design variables, whereas other series require seven variables for similar results. The optimum shape compares well with an experimental optimum obtained by A. J. Durelli. An investigation is performed to determine the best way of obtaining finite-difference derivatives of the stresses with respect to design variables. It is shown that a method based on modifying the equations of equilibrium for the perturbed problem performs best. The benefit of the integrated approach is determined by comparing convergence with different initial iterates for the displacement field. It is shown that using the final iterate of the previous solution can reduce the number of analysis iterations by about 40% compared to starting with a zero initial iterate.
The effects of microburst characteristics on the optimal penetration performance of jet transport and general aviation aircraft are presented. The purpose is to determine the best possible performance that can be achi...
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The effects of microburst characteristics on the optimal penetration performance of jet transport and general aviation aircraft are presented. The purpose is to determine the best possible performance that can be achieved in a broad range of microbursts. A secondary goal is to illustrate good strategies for dealing with a range of microbursts during takeoff and landing. Over 1100 optimal trajectories were computed for two aircraft types flying through idealized microbursts using a Successive Quadratic Programs trajectory optimization algorithm. Contours of safety metrics are plotted as functions of the length scales, magnitudes, and locations of horizontal wind shears and vertical downdrafts. These performance contours show three length-scale regimes for optimal microburst penetration. At short length scales, hazards usually associated with gustiness predominate (e.g., high normal load factor, rotational upset). At intermediate length scales, a degraded ability to maintain flight path and/or vertical velocity poses the most serious threat. At very long microburst length scales, excessive touch-down velocities may result. The ability to transit a microburst successfully also varies strongly with microburst location. The results show that both aircraft types could penetrate some very severe microbursts if optimal control histories were followed. Nevertheless, these control strategies assume perfect prior knowledge of the wind, and practical limits to successful encounter with real-time control capabilities would, be lower. The optimally controlled jet transport can successfully penetrate higher intensity microbursts than can the general aviation aircraft.
A ring damper partially filled with mercury for removing the wobble motion of a freely precessing body is analyzed. Coupled equations of motion of the rotor and mercury are derived in terms of Euler parameters and qua...
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A ring damper partially filled with mercury for removing the wobble motion of a freely precessing body is analyzed. Coupled equations of motion of the rotor and mercury are derived in terms of Euler parameters and quasicoordinates for the purposes of computational efficiency and singularity-free solution when the nutation angle approaches zero. An experiment is made to verify the theoretical solution of the nutation angle obtained by numerical integration of the equations of motion. The best choice of parameters of the damper is obtained by solving a minimum-time optimization problem that minimizes the time elapsed in the nutation-synchronous mode as well as the residual nutation angle in the spin-synchronous mode. The results show that the decay of the nutation angle can be accelerated to a great extent if the damper is properly designed.
Several methods can be used to generate conservative designs when using structural optimization techniques. A method is introduced which adds a padding term to each constraint that is proportional to the gradient of t...
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A graphic tool is developed and validated for the verification and updating of large structure finite element models (FEM) for better correlation with modal test data. The elaborated Linear Quadratic optimization (LQO...
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A reanalysis technique is presented for obtaining changes in response variables due to changes in design parameters with the boundary-element method. The approach is considered for static response analysis and design ...
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Improvement of structural models by incorporating measured structural modal parameters is approached from a controls aspect. The approach is developed for linear structures that exhibit nonproportional damping. Residu...
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For a sampled data feedback system, the compensator consists of a prefilter F(s), a sampler with a sample period T, a digital computer D(z), and a hold device H(s). The objective of a feedback controller design is to ...
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For a sampled data feedback system, the compensator consists of a prefilter F(s), a sampler with a sample period T, a digital computer D(z), and a hold device H(s). The objective of a feedback controller design is to choose these elements to stabilize the plant G(s) and to meet various performance specifications. In this paper, an improvement to other methods is given by guaranteeing closed-loop stability, approximating a performance cost function, and improving the numerical condition of the problem. The general formulation will be stated. The work describes a solution that is suboptimal but computationally less expensive than the general approach stated. Examples for both approaches are presented,
Gliding descent in autorotation is used by helicopter pilots in case of engine failure. A successful landing following an autorotation descent requires considerable skill, and since it is seldom practiced, it is consi...
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Gliding descent in autorotation is used by helicopter pilots in case of engine failure. A successful landing following an autorotation descent requires considerable skill, and since it is seldom practiced, it is considered quite dangerous. Methods and devices have been proposed to improve helicopter autorotational landing characteristics. In this paper a point-mass model of an OH-58A helicopter is used to determine its autorotation profiles that minimize the impact velocity of the helicopter while staying within bounds on the rotor's collective pitch and angular speed. The optimal control strategies obtained are similar to those used by pilots in autorotational landings. The study indicates that there is a potential for reducing the H-V restriction zone of OH-58A helicopters using optimal energy management techniques.
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