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The Art of the Helicopter John Watkinson - Karatunov.net

The Art of the Helicopter John Watkinson - Karatunov.net

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Rotors in practice 151<br />

concerned are positive. It was seen above that <strong>the</strong> dragging resonant frequency is<br />

proportional to rotor frequency. Thus as rotor frequency increases, <strong>the</strong> upper and<br />

lower whirling frequencies will be found symmetrically above and below rotor frequency.<br />

<strong>The</strong> horizontal line in <strong>the</strong> figure is <strong>the</strong> rocking resonant frequency <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hull.<br />

As such a rotor is started from rest, <strong>the</strong>re will first be random padding due to <strong>the</strong> initial<br />

blade orientation. At a rotor frequency corresponding to point A, <strong>the</strong> upper whirling<br />

frequency coincides with <strong>the</strong> hull frequency. As <strong>the</strong> upper whirling coincidences are<br />

always stable, <strong>the</strong> hull acts as a vibration absorber and this will be noted as a lull in <strong>the</strong><br />

padding. If <strong>the</strong> padding motion is noted, it will be seen to reverse phase after point A<br />

because <strong>the</strong> system has passed through a resonance.<br />

Fur<strong>the</strong>r increase in speed makes <strong>the</strong> rotor frequency coincide with <strong>the</strong> hull frequency<br />

at B. Only if <strong>the</strong>re is any mechanical imbalance in <strong>the</strong> rotor (a defect) will<br />

<strong>the</strong>re be any response. Fur<strong>the</strong>r increase in rotor speed results in coincidence between<br />

<strong>the</strong> hull frequency and <strong>the</strong> lower (backwards) whirling frequency. This is <strong>the</strong> coincidence<br />

responsible for ground resonance and <strong>the</strong> dampers will be working to prevent<br />

it. <strong>The</strong> padding may be worse at this rotor speed. Flight RRPM will be above C where<br />

rotation should be smooth.<br />

A ‘s<strong>of</strong>t-in-plane’ rotor has no dragging hinges, but a relatively compliant blade root<br />

or hub so that <strong>the</strong>re is a small restoring force even when <strong>the</strong> rotor is stationary. Consequently<br />

<strong>the</strong> dragging resonant frequency starts at a minimum value and increases<br />

with RRPM. Figure 4.31shows that when this characteristic is added to <strong>the</strong> rotor frequency,<br />

<strong>the</strong> forward whirling is always progressive and <strong>the</strong> frequency increases from<br />

<strong>the</strong> static value to become asymptotic to <strong>the</strong> value determined by centrifugal stiffening.<br />

Points A and B are stable as for <strong>the</strong> articulated rotor. However, <strong>the</strong> backwards whirling<br />

frequency is initially higher than <strong>the</strong> rotor frequency. <strong>The</strong> whirling is actually in <strong>the</strong><br />

opposite direction to <strong>the</strong> rotor and so is regressive. If this regressive whirling coincides<br />

with a hull frequency, <strong>the</strong> result is stable because <strong>the</strong> criterion for ground resonance is<br />

not met. In regressive backwards whirling <strong>the</strong> whirling is backwards in both rotating<br />

and stationary co-ordinates and <strong>the</strong> phase reversal needed for instability is absent.<br />

However, when <strong>the</strong> rotor frequency in Figure 4.31becomes equal to <strong>the</strong> backwards<br />

whirling frequency at C, <strong>the</strong> whirling frequency becomes zero. At any higher rotor frequency<br />

<strong>the</strong> rotor frequency exceeds <strong>the</strong> whirling frequency and <strong>the</strong> backwards whirling<br />

Fig. 4.31 A s<strong>of</strong>t-in-plane rotor has a regressive dragging region as far as point C at low RRPM, but this is not<br />

unstable.

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