Photogrammetric Detection Technique for Rotor Blades Structural Characterization

This paper describes an innovative use of photogrammetric detection techniques to experimentally estimate structural/inertial properties of helicopter rotor blades. The identification algorithms for the evaluation of mass and flexural stiffness distributions are an extension of the ones proposed by Larsen, whereas the procedure for torsional properties determination (stiffness and shear center position) is based on the Euler-Prandtl beam theory. These algorithms rely on measurements performed through photogrammetric detection, which requires the collection of digital photos allowing the identification of 3D coordinates of labeled points (markers) on the structure through the correlation of 2D pictures. The displacements are evaluated by comparing the positions of markers in loaded and reference configuration. Being the applied loads known, the structural characteristics can be directly obtained from the measured displacements. The accuracy of the proposed identification algorithms has been firstly verified by comparison with numerical and experimental data, and then applied to the structural characterization of two main rotor blades, designed for ultra-light helicopter applications.