Helicopter track and balance theory

Helicopter Track and Balance Theory

By Mike Robinson
February 1999
I've heard it said on many occasions that a helicopter is several thousand rotating
components trying desperately to shake themselves ree o one another! In my e"perience#
this is oten a true statement# but a correctable one! $ helicopter is a comple" collection
o rotating assemblies that allo% light characteristics unavailable to i"ed %ing aircrat!
&remature %ear and ailures in rotating helicopter components can be attributed to e"cess
vibration levels! Reducing these vibration levels in the airrame to a minimum is
absolutely essential in order to ensure the saety and longevity o the helicopter!
Rotor track and balance is the process o smoothing vibrations in the airrame# %hich are
caused by the main rotor! The main rotor is not the only rotating assembly o concern in a
helicopter' there are others such as the tail rotor assembly# drive shat assemblies# and oil
cooler ans! Ho%ever# this article %ill address only the main rotor!
First# it is important to reali(e e"actly %hat type o vibrations you are trying to reduce or
eliminate! $ helicopter main rotor is capable o producing vibrations in both the vertical
and lateral planes!
$ vertical vibration is a result o une)ual lit produced by the main rotor blades! This
une)ual lit can be a result o blade chord proile variances rom one blade to the ne"t or
improper ad*ustment o pitch change links and trim tabs! These constitute the most
common causes o vertical vibration!
$ lateral vibration is the result o an une)ual distribution o mass in the main rotor +disk!+
This une)ual distribution can be a result o the manuacturing process# %hich allo%s
blade or component %eight dierences! &oor assembly techni)ues# improper alignment o
a main rotor trunion# erosion# and a host o other possibilities also contribute to the
situation! $ lateral vibration may also be elt as a result o an aircrat that is out o
+track#+ or vertical balance! This vibration is a result o the airrame rolling %ith the mass
eect caused by the une)ual vertical lit component!
The term +rotor track and balance+ is some%hat misleading# in that +track+ or +tracking+
reers to ad*usting the blade tip paths to make them ly in the same rotational plane! This
does not al%ays result in the smoothest ride! ,ome airrame and blade combinations %ill
ride smoother %ith a +track split!+ The desired end result o the track and balance *ob
should be the smoothest possible ride!
It is important to note that balancing is perormed in the primary rotational re)uency o
the main rotor! There are other main rotor vibrations present# such as the blade pass
re)uency o the main rotor! This is reerred to as the n-per-rev .n / number o blades0
re)uency o the main rotor! I the mechanical condition o the helicopter is suspect# these
vibrations can be )uite noticeable once the main rotor 1-per-rev vibrations are reduced!
$s I %ill note throughout this article# all airrame types are not the same# and this
discussion is not intended to educate the reader on the intricacies o a speciic airrame!
The applications discussed %ill be general in scope and %ill ocus more on the general
principles o helicopter rotor balancing!
$ 1ittle History
The irst method employed by helicopter manuacturers and maintenance personnel to
accomplish a rotor track and balance %as limited to the use o static balance e)uipment
and tracking lags! $ static balance device utili(es a +bubble+ type level and balance arbor
assembly suspended rom a i"ture to ad*ust the main rotor span- and chord-%ise mass
distribution! $ tracking lag is a long light%eight pole held vertically# %ith t%o hori(ontal
arms e"tending rom it! Multiple strands o tape %ere attached bet%een the hori(ontal
arms# making a ribbon-like connection rom one to the other! The individual main rotor
blade tips %ere coated %ith dierent colored grease pencil or chalk! 2ith the helicopter
running on the ground# the lag %as moved in to%ard the rotor disk! $s the individually
colored blade tips made contact %ith the tape# each let a mark corresponding to its
assigned color! I the marks %ere vertically separated# a pitch change ad*ustment %as
needed to move the blades tips closer together! I the marks overlapped one another# no
ad*ustment %as needed! The dra%backs to this method are obvious! It %as dangerous#
restricted to ground only# and did not allo% or track measurements in light! The use o
static rotor balancing devices is not applicable to some aircrat!
The ne"t solution to the tracking dilemma %as to attach tip targets to the main rotor
blades and visually +ree(e+ their light path by use o a strobe light! This measurement
could be perormed or all light speeds o interest# and is still in use today! $long %ith
this ne% technology# the use o vibration sensors mounted to the airrame at speciic
locations %as introduced! This acilitated the measurement and recording o the various
vibration amplitudes in both the vertical and lateral planes! This amplitude .e"pressed in
inches per second - I&,0# combined %ith the phase angle .or clock angle0 o the vibration#
allo%ed the technician to manually plot corrections on a paper polar chart! The polar
chart %as or speciic airrame use! 2hen maintaining multiple airrame models or sub-
models# each re)uired the use o a chart relative to the speciic model!
The ne"t %ave to arrive on the market sa% the introduction o microprocessor-based
analy(ers that %ere capable o perorming all o the balance calculations or the
mechanic! ,ot%are programs developed or a speciic airrame application drive these
products! $long %ith these advances came various optical methods o ac)uiring track
data! This allo%ed the user to collect track data %ithout having to attach tip targets to the
blade tips or visually interpret the position o the main rotor blades at a distance! The
main dra%back to the later systems is the act that inluence coeicients used in the
sot%are programs are not the same rom one aircrat to the ne"t o the same make and
model!
Tools
There are many tools critical to the success o a main rotor track and balance *ob# the
most important o %hich is reliable vibration analysis e)uipment! In today's high-
technology maintenance acility# digital technology has largely replaced older analog
e)uipment! Repair costs or aging analog analy(ers is at an all-time high! $ repair and
recalibration can oten reach hal the original purchase price o the e)uipment! 1ead-time
or repairs and recalibrations can be %eeks rather than days! To put it simply# ne% digital
data ac)uisition systems are more economical# aster# and much more accurate! The
leading digital e)uipment eliminates the need or strobe lights and charts# and even stores
the complete *ob measurements or later revie% and printing!
3)uipment Installation
&rior to ac)uiring data# you must irst install the various vibration sensors# tachometer
signal sources# tracking devices# and associated connecting cables and mounts! The
sensor types# installation locations# and material or these components have been
perormance-optimi(ed by manuacturer testing and are speciied in the helicopter's
maintenance manual!
There are numerous types o vibration sensors available or use today! Those most
commonly ound in aviation applications are the accelerometer and velometer! The
manuacture o the vibration e)uipment you are using %ill dictate the type o sensor
re)uired! ,ome systems are designed to use only one type o sensor# %hich limits their
range o application! Modern# state-o-the-art vibration and balancing e)uipment allo%s
you to conigure the analysis e)uipment to provide po%er to the sensor# convert the
engineering units o measure i necessary# and automatically set the amplitude scale
necessary or best vie%ing o the sensor's output on the vibration e)uipment!
4enerally# a vibration sensor used to perorm balancing needs to be located on the
supporting structure as close to the rotating component as possible! The most common
location used to mount a lateral vibration sensor is the upper portion o the main
transmission# %here the s%ashplate guide base is mounted! The connector o the sensor is
positioned perpendicular to the let or right o the ship's centerline! The vertical vibration
sensor is normally mounted as ar or%ard in the cabin as possible# %ith the connector
pointed up or do%n# depending on the airrame! This position allo%s the highest
sensitivity or measuring the symmetry o lit orces developed by the main rotor as
blades pass over the nose o the aircrat!
The once-per-revolution .one-per-rev0 source is typically a magnetic pickup mounted on
the non-rotating ring o the s%ashplate! $ errous metal interrupter passing in close
pro"imity to the magnetic core produces an electrical pulse# %hich triggers the pickup! $
photo-optical device reerred to as a phototach can also produce the one-per-rev signal!
The &hototach is normally located in a position that allo%s a beam o light to be radiated
onto a small piece o relective tape on the mast or other rotating component o the main
rotor system! The light is then relected back to an optical receiver in the &hototach lens#
%hich triggers the electrical pulse to the analysis e)uipment!
Tracking devices vary in technology and limitations rom one manuacture to the ne"t! I
utili(ing a strobe light# it is necessary to install targets at the tips o the blades!
$dditionally# the strobe re)uires a 56 po%er supply or operation! This po%er is usually
tapped rom the ship's po%er source because it cannot be supplied by portable e)uipment!
$irrame-mounted optical trackers re)uire the use o a mounting bracket or a solid#
stable mounted position! The last and most practical option is the portable# hand-held
optical tracker! This e)uipment re)uires no installation! 7ou merely place the tracker into
the cabin %ith the vibration analysis e)uipment! The tracker is hand held and operated#
re)uires no tip targets# and operates completely rom the analy(er's integrated po%er
source!
,tarting &oints
&rior to starting the *ob# do a detailed inspection o the main rotor system and associated
controls to ensure proper condition and operation! Fe% things are more rustrating than
attempting to compensate or poor mechanical condition %hen perorming a balance *ob!
I perorming a periodic balance check# you need do nothing to the rotor system
ad*ustments prior to starting! Ho%ever# ater ma*or repair or overhaul %ork is perormed
on one or more o the main rotor system components# it may be beneicial to return main
rotor system ad*ustments to nominal prior to starting the *ob!
$c)uiring 5ata
$ter your e)uipment is set up# it is time to start ac)uiring measurements! $s a general
rule# the maintenance manual %ill outline the light conditions or making measurements
and %hich measurements are re)uired at each o these conditions! $c)uiring as many data
as possible %ill enable you to better trend and troubleshoot the vibrations at hand! $s you
prepare to ac)uire data# one important consideration is the %ind conditions! 8o %ind is
the preerred condition# but i there are %inds present# you should ensure that the nose o
the aircrat is pointed into the %ind during data ac)uisition! Failure to do so may result in
erroneous measurements being ac)uired# %hich complicates the balance *ob!
The typical irst step in perorming a balance *ob is to veriy the idle ground track! This is
accomplished %ith the aircrat at idle R&M %ith the blades at lat pitch! The goal here is
to veriy that the blade paths are relatively close to one another prior to bringing the
engine to ull throttle! 5o not attempt to eliminate small blade splits at ground idle# as this
may lead to read*usting the same blade ater R&M and load are increased! I the idle track
is satisactory# move to the ne"t condition!
9nce the rotor R&M is advanced# check the lateral vibration reading and the blade track
again! 5on't place much emphasis on the lateral balance o the aircrat at this time! I the
lateral vibration is e"cessive# make a correction' other%ise leave this until the vertical
balancing .tracking0 is completed! $s noted earlier in this article# changes in blade track
%ill aect the lateral balance! $gain# veriy the blade track to ensure the blade paths are
relatively close! I track and balance are satisactory# move to the ne"t condition!
Bring the aircrat to a hover into the %ind! Measure both the vertical and lateral vibration
levels# as %ell as the blade track! $t this point you may place more emphasis on the
vertical vibration! 2ith the aircrat in a hover# contact %ith the ground %ill no longer
inluence the vertical vibration reading! Record both the lateral and vertical
measurements! I the vibrations levels allo%# transition to or%ard light! Measure the
vertical and lateral vibration levels and the tracking! 2hen all measurements or the run
have been completed# land the aircrat and determine %hat ad*ustments are needed!
Making 6orrections
2hen inished ac)uiring data# %hat do you do %ith all o the inormation: 2e have
already established the t%o planes o main rotor vibrations ound in the airrame;
vertical and lateral! 8e"t# %e %ill discuss ho% these vibrations are corrected and ho% to
interpret the data collected!
1ateral 6orrections
$s described earlier in this article# a lateral vibration is the une)ual distribution o mass
in the rotor +disk+! Manuactures have provided several methods to correct or this! The
most common corrections are to place %eight on the main rotor hub at speciic locations#
and to +s%eep+ the main rotor blades! ,%eeping the blades can be deined as moving the
blade or%ard or at o its angular position! 2hen s%eeping the blades# it is saer to
s%eep a blade at# as s%eeping a blade or%ard may cause the blade to be unstable! There
are airrame types that utili(e only main rotor %eights# only blade s%eeps# or a
combination o both to correct or a lateral imbalance! This correction is based on the
lateral vibration measurement# either on the ground or at hover!
<ertical 6orrections
$s described earlier in this article# a vertical vibration is a result o une)ual lit produced
by the main rotor blades! There are t%o primary ad*ustments utili(ed to correct or a
vertical vibration! The irst is the main rotor pitch change links .&610! The &61 controls
the angle o each main rotor blade individually! To move a blade up or do%n# lengthen or
shorten the &61 or that blade! This ad*ustment is typically used to correct or the vertical
blade separation on the ground and the vertical vibration at hover! The second ad*ustment
available is the main rotor trim tab! To make a blade ly higher or lo%er# move the trim
tab up or do%n! The ad*ustment o trim tabs is primarily used or in-light corrections!
Trim tabs are very sensitive# and it is important to use care and caution %hen making
ad*ustments! 9ne point to consider %hen making track ad*ustments is that as you change
a blade path# you %ill either increase or decrease the amount o that blade's drag! This
change in drag has the tendency to move the blade or%ard .lead0 or at .lag0 o its
original position! $s the blade pitch is increased# drag is increased# causing the blade to
lag! I the blade pitch is decreased# drag is decreased# causing the blade to lead! This
lead=lag eect results in a change in the lateral balance o the rotor disk! Thus the adage#
+track aects balance+ is reali(ed!
I using the polar chart method o making corrections# you must irst plot the amplitude
and phase angle o the measured vibrations on the chart! Be sure you have the correct
chart# as there are dierent charts or the lateral and vertical planes! To plot inormation#
ind the phase angle .clock0 line on the chart that represents the angle o the vibration
recorded# then move out%ard to the amplitude +ring+ o the vibration and make a plot!
8e"t# move rom this plot to the correction scale at the side o the chart! This scale %ill
determine the amount o correction re)uired to reduce the vibration! This same plotting
method applies to both vertical and lateral polar charts!
1et's look at an e"ample o these charts! The chart above represents the vertical vibration
levels measured during a run or hover .plot >10# or%ard light at ?@ knots .plot >A0# B@
knots .plot >C0# 1@@ knots .plot >D0# and 1A@ knots .plot >E0! $s you can see# the vibration
levels or hover and light at ?@ knots are relatively close together! But or%ard light at
B@# 1@@# and 1A@ knots are )uite a bit higher! The irst correction to make in this case is a
target blade pitch change link ad*ustment o appro"imately one lat up%ard! The second
correction is to make a trim tab ad*ustment or the dierence bet%een hover and our
astest or%ard light speed o 1A@ knots! This correction turns out to be appro"imately
si" degrees# target blade up! $ note to remember %hen implementing tab corrections is
that as the airspeed increases# the inluence a trim tab has on the blade increases also! $
blade sho%ing an increase in track split and vibration as airspeed increases %ill re)uire a
trim tab movement! I the vibration plots had all been in relatively the same location# only
the pitch change link %ould have been necessary!
$n important point to remember %hen making multiple ad*ustments %ithin the same run
is the act that the inluence or each o the ad*ustments made %ill be aected by the
other! This is true o both vertical and lateral ad*ustments and can make it diicult to
accurately predict the aircrat's response to a speciic correction! It is easier to track the
aircrat's response one correction at a time!
The last step to accomplish %hen inished balancing is to veriy# and correct i necessary#
the autorotation R&M o the helicopter!
2hen ,hould a Rotor Track and Balance be &erormed:
Most aircrat manuactures have speciied intervals or rotor balance checks! Ho%ever# it
is generally recommended that the rotor system be checked and# i necessary# balanced
any time a component o the system;such as pitch links# cyclic or collective control rod
ends# or s%ashplate;is changed or ad*usted! $ track and balance should also be
conducted any time the pilot reports a marked change in the vibration condition o the
aircrat!
Tips and Hints $bout Track and Balance
Rotor smoothness should be achievable in all light regimes! Manuacturers attempt to
design and certiy aircrat that are smooth in all conditions! I this is not achievable# an
inluencing orce present in the airrame may be causing the problem! $s aircrat get
older# parts begin to %ear resulting in higher vibration levels! 2hen it is not possible to
smooth the aircrat through all light conditions# you may be orced to compromise and
sacriice the smoothness o one light condition in avor o another! In this case# the light
condition %here your aircrat spends the most time# or the most critical condition# should
take precedence!
There are certain lags that may be noticed during the rotor smoothing process that %ill
certainly save you the time and rustration o attempting to correct or a mechanical
problem present in the rotor system! For every ad*ustment on the rotor system# there is an
associated inluence! For e"ample# the Bell A@? main rotor head balance utili(es
appro"imately AA@ grams to correct or a span-%ise imbalance o 1!@@ I&,! 1et's say that
in the course o an other%ise normal balance *ob# you make a very small %eight addition
o A@ grams and the vibration level changes by @!E I&,! The +lag+ in this case %ould be
the resulting change in vibration o @!E I&,! This much change %ould# under normal
circumstances# re)uire the addition o 11@ grams o %eight! This should indicate that
other actors are involved %hich may not be correctable by a normal track and balance
procedure! $dditionally# anytime the ma"imum corrections or combinations o
corrections are applied %ithout acceptable results# the mechanical condition o the
systems must be suspect! The outcome is al%ays the same! $n aircrat# %hich is not
mechanically sound# %ill not balance! Track and balance is not a substitute or proper
maintenance or a cure-all or mechanical ailures!
Finally# don't orget the human actor! I everything seems correct# but you still can't
achieve the desired results# consider that you may have made a miscalculation or
misad*ustment in the process! It is easy enough to return the aircrat to its initial
coniguration and start over! 7our e)uipment should have recorded the conditions o each
run or revie% and veriication! I values are not similar to the original data taken# a
mechanical condition may e"ist %hich %ill prevent an acceptable result!