A comprehensive analysis of the dynamics of a helicopter rotor blade

comprehensive and versatile analysis of the response of a helicopter rotor blade is presented in this paper. First, the full nonlinear partial differential equations that govern the motion of the blade, taking into account the geometrical nonlinearities that arise due to deformation, are presented. The equilibrium solution exhibited by the system is then determined using a relatively simple model for the aerodynamic forces, common in the rotorcraft dynamics literature. The equilibrium solution is determined by numerical integration of a nonlinear two-point boundary value problem. The bladeʹs equilibrium is then perturbed and the stability of infinitesimally small perturbations is analyzed in detail. The analysis presented here yields essentially exact results for the equilibrium solution and for the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions associated with the infinitesimally small perturbations about the equilibrium. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd