Deformation Analysis of Composite Rotor Blades for a Helicopter

作者：Hou Weiguo^*; Zhang Weifang; Wang Xiaoliang; Xing Jun

来源：Journal of Aircraft, 2012, 49(6): 2018-2022.

DOI：10.2514/1.C031835

In the periodic inspection of a helicopter flown from 350 to 650 hours, several composite rotor blades were deformed in the body section (between 0.6-0.8 relative radius). The results of blade dissection and damage morphology observation showed that the foam core had been cracked and fragmented. Cracks initiated in the areas near the interface between the foam core and the adhesive film and propagated along the blade body. In the uncrushed foam, some longitudinal cracks were present which penetrated the whole foam core. In addition to dissection analysis, deformation causes were obtained through analyses of the structural design, processing, foam core material properties test, and pull-out test. It was concluded that the immediate cause of rotor blade deformation was foam cracking near the interface induced by its lower overall properties and poor processing stability, unrelated to structural design and processing. Instead, isocyanate, a component of foam core manufacturing, absorbs moisture, inducing foam properties that are the root cause of rotor blade deformation.

• 出版日期2012-12
• 单位中国航发北京航空材料研究院; 北京航空航天大学