The static aeroelastic analysis of hingeless rotor blades in hover is investigated using Euler equations. Finite elements based on a large deflection beam theory are used for the structural analysis. Although the strain components in the beam element are assumed to be small compared to unity, no kinematic limitations are imposed on the magnitude of displacements and rotations in the strain-displacement relations. A Three-dimensional flow field of a helicopter rotor in hover is calculated by using Euler equations described in a body-fixed rotating coordinate frame. No wake modeling is included but the wake is calculated as a part of the solution of the overall flow field. Comparisons of the numerical results in the subsonic and transonic region show good agreements with the experimental data.
Numerical results of the steady-state deflections for the rotor blade are presented and compared with those based on the panel method. The difference between two results increases as the collective pitch angle increases. It is found that the three-dimensional aerodynamic tip-relief and wake dynamics effects play an important role in steady-state deflections (the tip lead-lag, flap, and torsion deflections) for the hingeless rotor blades in hover.
