Current helicopter flight and propulsion controls are typically designed with the assumption that rotor speed will be held to a constant setpoint. A new flight and propulsion control system using a continuously variable rotor speed command is proposed to improve the maneuverability and agility of helicopter systems. In this new approach, the flight control system generates an optimal variable rotor speed command in addition to conventional control commands in a framework of integrated flight/propulsion control. The benefits (i.e. improved maneuverability and agility) of varying rotor speed during transient maneuvers are demonstrated using a bob-up maneuver as an example. In particular, two types of benefits are identified in different maneuver conditions. One comes from a thrust augmentation, while the other comes from an exchange of rotational and translational energy. In the example, a simple linear dynamic hover model is used with an optimal control design method to generate the optimal rotor speed command.
Benefits of variable rotor speed in integrated helicopter/engine control
1993-01-01
Conference paper
No indication
English
93-3851 Benefits of Variable Rotor Speed in Integrated Helicopter/Engine Control
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1993
|Variable rotor speed control for an integrated helicopter/engine system
SAGE Publications | 2014
|Variable rotor speed control for an integrated helicopter/engine system
Online Contents | 2014
|Variable rotor speed control for an integrated helicopter/engine system
Tema Archive | 2014
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