Altair Case Studies Composite Rotor Blade Analysis using Altair HyperWorks: A Case Study

	Composite Rotor Blade Analysis using Altair HyperWorks: A Case Study Altair

Composite Rotor Blade Analysis using Altair HyperWorks: A Case Study

Altair

Technology Category	Drones - Multirotor Drones Sensors - Gyroscopes
Applicable Industries	Aerospace Education
Applicable Functions	Procurement Product Research & Development
Use Cases	Smart Campus Virtual Prototyping & Product Testing
Services	System Integration
Challenge	The case study revolves around a senior design project undertaken by Christopher Van Damme, a senior undergraduate student in the Department of Engineering Mechanics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The project involved the design and analysis of a coaxial rotor craft, specifically focusing on a composite-made helicopter rotor blade. Rotor blades are critical components of helicopters, providing thrust, lift, and enabling maneuvers. Modern helicopters use rotor blades made of composite material due to their excellent strength-to-weight ratio, damage tolerance, and fatigue life. However, composite material is challenging to compute using analytical methods or reduced order models. Therefore, Van Damme had to apply suitable Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) tools to cover the required studies, including static, modal, frequency response, and dynamic analysis of the rotor. Read More
About Customer	The customer in this case study is Christopher Van Damme, a senior undergraduate student within the Department of Engineering Mechanics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was working on a senior design project involving the design and analysis of a coaxial rotor craft. Specifically, he was tasked with analyzing a composite-made helicopter rotor blade. To accomplish this, he had to employ Computer-Aided Engineering tools to cover the required studies regarding static, modal, frequency response, and dynamic analysis of the rotor. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is known for its core strengths across engineering disciplines, reflecting its history of innovation and a tremendous opportunity. The faculty strongly supports collaboration structures across disciplinary boundaries, including departments such as healthcare, energy, advanced manufacturing, and materials innovation. Read More
Solution	To analyze the composite-made rotor blades, Van Damme used Altair's HyperWorks suite. The rotor blade was initially designed within a 3D CAD package and then imported into HyperMesh for preprocessing tasks such as geometry editing and mesh generation. HyperMesh facilitated a quick and streamlined process, enabling full 3D finite element modeling for an accurate representation of the rotor blade's response. The rotor hub and rotor blades, which critically influence the aircraft's performance, were of particular interest in the analysis. The 3D CAD model was imported into HyperMesh as separate solid parts, converted to surfaces for shell meshing, and prepared for a composite structure analysis. The rotor blade's root, where the highest stress occurs, was meshed as 3D solids representing the material properties of a continued ply layup through the thickness of the airfoil. The aerodynamic loads were applied at discrete points along the rotor's length for lift and drag. The design used an articulated or rigid connection, with the blade root constrained by two titanium lugs, acting as constraints within the model. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Drones - Multirotor Drones

Sensors - Gyroscopes

Applicable Industries

Aerospace

Education

Applicable Functions

Procurement

Product Research & Development

Use Cases

Smart Campus

Virtual Prototyping & Product Testing

Services

System Integration

Challenge

The case study revolves around a senior design project undertaken by Christopher Van Damme, a senior undergraduate student in the Department of Engineering Mechanics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The project involved the design and analysis of a coaxial rotor craft, specifically focusing on a composite-made helicopter rotor blade. Rotor blades are critical components of helicopters, providing thrust, lift, and enabling maneuvers. Modern helicopters use rotor blades made of composite material due to their excellent strength-to-weight ratio, damage tolerance, and fatigue life. However, composite material is challenging to compute using analytical methods or reduced order models. Therefore, Van Damme had to apply suitable Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) tools to cover the required studies, including static, modal, frequency response, and dynamic analysis of the rotor.

About Customer

The customer in this case study is Christopher Van Damme, a senior undergraduate student within the Department of Engineering Mechanics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was working on a senior design project involving the design and analysis of a coaxial rotor craft. Specifically, he was tasked with analyzing a composite-made helicopter rotor blade. To accomplish this, he had to employ Computer-Aided Engineering tools to cover the required studies regarding static, modal, frequency response, and dynamic analysis of the rotor. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is known for its core strengths across engineering disciplines, reflecting its history of innovation and a tremendous opportunity. The faculty strongly supports collaboration structures across disciplinary boundaries, including departments such as healthcare, energy, advanced manufacturing, and materials innovation.

Solution

To analyze the composite-made rotor blades, Van Damme used Altair's HyperWorks suite. The rotor blade was initially designed within a 3D CAD package and then imported into HyperMesh for preprocessing tasks such as geometry editing and mesh generation. HyperMesh facilitated a quick and streamlined process, enabling full 3D finite element modeling for an accurate representation of the rotor blade's response. The rotor hub and rotor blades, which critically influence the aircraft's performance, were of particular interest in the analysis. The 3D CAD model was imported into HyperMesh as separate solid parts, converted to surfaces for shell meshing, and prepared for a composite structure analysis. The rotor blade's root, where the highest stress occurs, was meshed as 3D solids representing the material properties of a continued ply layup through the thickness of the airfoil. The aerodynamic loads were applied at discrete points along the rotor's length for lift and drag. The design used an articulated or rigid connection, with the blade root constrained by two titanium lugs, acting as constraints within the model.

Impact #1	The use of Altair HyperWorks, specifically HyperMesh and OptiStruct, allowed for a streamlined geometry creation and analysis of the composite rotor blade. HyperMesh enabled a quick, high fidelity meshing of the complex rotor blade cross sections over the entire length of the rotor blade. OptiStruct was used to solve a static load case of the highest load that the rotor blade would experience in flight. This process allowed Van Damme to create an accurate high-fidelity model of the composite rotor blade, handle all involved analysis techniques, and solve the static load case of the highest load of the rotor blade in flight. This case study demonstrates the effectiveness of Altair HyperWorks in facilitating complex engineering projects, particularly those involving composite materials and intricate design and analysis processes.

Impact #1

The use of Altair HyperWorks, specifically HyperMesh and OptiStruct, allowed for a streamlined geometry creation and analysis of the composite rotor blade. HyperMesh enabled a quick, high fidelity meshing of the complex rotor blade cross sections over the entire length of the rotor blade. OptiStruct was used to solve a static load case of the highest load that the rotor blade would experience in flight. This process allowed Van Damme to create an accurate high-fidelity model of the composite rotor blade, handle all involved analysis techniques, and solve the static load case of the highest load of the rotor blade in flight. This case study demonstrates the effectiveness of Altair HyperWorks in facilitating complex engineering projects, particularly those involving composite materials and intricate design and analysis processes.

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Overview

Composite Rotor Blade Analysis using Altair HyperWorks: A Case Study

Operational Impact