The results of this analytical feasibility study suggest that active blade twist technology is a viable means to reduce blade-vortex interaction (BVI) noise in rotorcraft systems. A linearized unsteady aerodynamics analysis was formulated and successfully validated with computation fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. A simple control scheme with three control points was found to be effective for active BVI noise reduction. Based on current-day actuation technology where one to two degrees of twist per blade activation span is expected, measurable noise reductions of 2-4 dB were predicted for the relatively strong, close vortex interactions. For weaker vortex interactions, reductions of 7-10 dB were predicted. The required twist actuation per blade span for complete unsteady loading cancellation, however, may be infeasible because of the large stroke and high-frequency activation requirements.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.