ROTOR BLADE SHAPE AND LOADS RECONSTRUCTION FROM DISTRIBUTED CONFORMAL FIBER BRAGG GRATING SENSORS: THE BESAME PROJECT

Rotor-blade deformation and load measurements are essential for structural health monitoring, aeroelastic model validation, and rotorcraft performance assessment, yet their direct acquisition in rotating conditions remains challenging. This paper presents the current status of the BeSaME project, which aims to develop a real-time virtual sensing framework for reconstructing blade deformation and distributed loads by combining embedded fiber Bragg grating sensors with a physics-based digital twin. The project integrates the redesign of an aeroelastically scaled composite blade, the development of a detailed finite element and multibody aeroelastic model, the optimization of the sensor layout, and the implementation of modal-based shape and load reconstruction algorithms. Numerical analyses are used to verify the structural and aeroelastic behaviour of the blade, optimize the sensing strategy, and assess the expected reconstruction accuracy prior to experimental validation. A dedicated rotating test rig and manufacturing process have been developed to enable the forthcoming experimental campaign. Numerical results indicate sub-percent blade-shape reconstruction errors and accurate estimation of the dominant sectional loads, supporting the feasibility of the proposed methodology and laying the groundwork for its experimental validation.