Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer
Flight Adaptive Blade for Optimum Rotor Response (FABFORR), Phase I
Project Description
While past research has demonstrated the utility and benefits to be gained with the application of advanced rotor system control concepts, none have been implemented to date on a production military or commercial rotorcraft. A key contributor to this fact is the inherent cost associated with installation and maintenance of these control systems, since many system designs require the replacement of a helicopter's rotor blades, rotor hub components, or both. The proposed work addresses this deficiency through the development of an on-blade full-span camber control system that reaps many of the known benefits of advanced rotor control, in a retrofit design approach that has the potential to achieve production status due to its lower risks and costs compared to previous system concepts. The design leverages past work in the use of smart-material actuated bistable tabs for rotor blade tracking, with a newer integral actuation concept that will lead toward a more robust and flightworthy design.
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Anticipated Benefits
Retrofit blade controls may enhance the performance, and reduce both acoustic emissions and blade-induced vibrations of suitably equipped rotorcraft over baseline vehicles. Since this capability could be achieved using technology that does not require the re-blading of an existing helicopter, a significant commercial product improvement program for a variety of aircraft would be possible. Military operators would also realize improved mission capability and reduced aircraft downtime with these anticipated improvements. Having the capability to alter the spanwise camber of rotor blades could be used to investigate aeromechanics issues of rotorcraft that could lead to the development of optimal operational profiles to maximize the utility and cost-effectiveness of existing and future helicopter designs incorporating these control features.
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Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continuum Dynamics, Inc. | Lead Organization | Industry | Ewing, New Jersey |
Ames Research Center
(ARC)
|
Supporting Organization | NASA Center | Moffett Field, California |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
California
-
New Jersey
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This is a historic project that was completed before the creation of TechPort on October 1, 2012. Available data has been included. This record may contain less data than currently active projects.