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The Cutting Edge in Tiltrotor Technology Flying Further, Higher, Faster

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The Cutting Edge in Tiltrotor Technology Flying Further, Higher, Faster The Cutting Edge in Tiltrotor Technology Flying Further, Higher, Faster Alfred Gessow Rotorcraft Center Department of Aerospace Engineering University of Maryland, College Park Maryland, 20742 Acknowledgements The Excalibur design team would like to thank those who took the time to assist us in the 2011 Design Competition. Professors: Dr. Vengalattore T. Nagaraj – Senior Research Scientist, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Inderjit Chopra – Gessow Professor, Director of Gessow Rotorcraft Center (AGRC) Professor, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. J. Gordon Leishman – Minta Martin Professor of Engineering, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Omri Rand – Shirley and Burt Harris Academic Chair, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa, Israel. Industry Professionals: Charley Kilmain – Director, Rotor and Drive System Design, Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Kenneth Rosen – Aero-Science Technology Associates LLC, Guilford, Connecticut. Dr. Wayne Johnson – Alexander A. Nikolsky Honorary Lecturer, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California. Mr. Matthew Tarascio – Advanced Concepts, Sikorsky Innovation Lead, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Stratford, Connecticut. Dr. Gaurav Gopalan – Assistant Research Scientist, University of Maryland. Mr. Cyrus Abdolah – Flight Simulation and Controls Engineer, Emerald Sky Technologies, LLC. Mr. Tony Lambregts – FAA Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor, Flight Guidance and Control. Mr. Nizar Bechara, ATP – Chief Pilot/Instructor, Royal Air Flight LLC, Columbia, Maryland. Fellow Graduate Students: A special thanks goes to Conor Stahlhut for his expertise in propeller aerodynamics Bharath Govindarajan, Moble Benedict, Ananth Sridharan, Benjamin Berry, Graham Bowen- Davies, and Joeseph Schmaus. I Table of Contents TABLE OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................... VI LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................... VIII RFP REQUIREMENTS AND COMPLIANCE ...................................................................... IX PROPOSAL SUMMARY ............................................................................................................. 1 CONCEPT DESIGN ..................................................................................................................... 1 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 9 2 VEHICLE CONFIGURATION AND SELECTION ......................................................... 9 2.1 MISSION REQUIREMENTS ....................................................................................................... 9 2.2 EXAMINATION OF DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS................................................................. 10 2.2.1 Conventional Helicopters ............................................................................................. 10 2.2.2 Compound Helicopters ................................................................................................. 11 2.2.3 Tandem Rotor Helicopters ........................................................................................... 11 2.2.4 Convertible Rotor Aircraft ........................................................................................... 12 2.3 ANALYTICAL HIERARCHY PROCESS AND HOUSE OF QUALITY ............................................ 13 3 PRELIMINARY TILTROTOR SIZING .......................................................................... 16 3.1 DESCRIPTION OF THE ALGORITHM ....................................................................................... 16 3.2 IDENTIFICATION OF THE SIZING MISSION ............................................................................. 18 3.3 PARAMETRIC STUDIES .......................................................................................................... 19 3.3.1 Selection of Disk Loading (Hover) ............................................................................... 19 3.3.2 Selection of Blade Aspect Ratio (Hover) ...................................................................... 20 3.3.3 Selection of Number of Blades...................................................................................... 21 3.3.4 Selection of Tip Speed (Hover) ..................................................................................... 22 3.3.5 Selection of Blade Loading (BL), CT/ ......................................................................... 22 3.3.6 Selection of Wing Parameters ...................................................................................... 23 3.3.8 High Lift Devices and Download Control .................................................................... 24 3.3.9 Empennage Sizing (Horizontal and Vertical Tail Sizing) ............................................. 24 3.3.10 Engine Sizing ................................................................................................................ 25 4 EXCALIBUR DESIGN FEATURES/ PERFORMANCE SUMMARY ........................ 27 5 PROPROTOR AND HUB DESIGN .................................................................................. 28 5.1 VARIABLE DIAMETER ROTOR .............................................................................................. 28 5.1.1 Diameter ....................................................................................................................... 28 5.1.2 Tip Speed ...................................................................................................................... 28 5.1.3 Solidity .......................................................................................................................... 29 5.1.4 Blade Twist and Taper .................................................................................................. 30 5.1.5 Blade Design ................................................................................................................ 32 II 5.1.6 Airfoil Sections ............................................................................................................. 32 5.2 BLADE STRUCTURAL DESIGN ............................................................................................... 33 5.2.1 Overview ....................................................................................................................... 33 5.2.2 Inner Segment and Strap .............................................................................................. 34 5.2.3 Outer Segment .............................................................................................................. 34 5.2.4 Blade Overlap and Locking .......................................................................................... 35 5.2.5 Load Path ..................................................................................................................... 35 5.2.6 Methods of Retraction and Extension ........................................................................... 36 5.2.7 Electric Motor Requirements........................................................................................ 37 5.2.8 Strap Sizing ................................................................................................................... 38 5.3 HUB DESIGN ......................................................................................................................... 39 5.3.1 Spool Drum ................................................................................................................... 39 5.3.2 Flexbeam ...................................................................................................................... 40 5.3.3 Bearing Assembly ......................................................................................................... 40 5.3.4 Solenoid Assembly ........................................................................................................ 40 5.3.5 Gimbaled Hub .............................................................................................................. 41 5.3.6 Aeroelastic Analysis ..................................................................................................... 42 6 DRIVETRAIN ..................................................................................................................... 43 6.1 EXISTING DRIVETRAIN DESIGNS .......................................................................................... 43 6.2 TRADE STUDIES .................................................................................................................... 44 6.3 EXCALIBUR DRIVETRAIN OVERVIEW .................................................................................... 46 6.4 DRIVETRAIN DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................... 46 6.4.1 UMD Turboshaft Engines ............................................................................................. 46 6.4.2 Auxiliary Power Unit .................................................................................................... 47 6.4.3 OEM Engine Gearboxes ............................................................................................... 47 6.4.4 Overrunning Clutch .....................................................................................................
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