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Emerald Article: Studies of helicopter dynamic stability and control laws

Yuan Su, Yihua Cao
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Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 73 Iss: 2 pp. 132 - 138
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Studies of helicopter
dynamic stability and
control laws
Yuan Su and
Yihua Cao
1. Introduction
Stability and control are among the most
important aspects of the analysis and design
of rotary wing aircraft (Johnson, 1980). The
nonuniformity of the induced velocity
distribution of the main rotor is quite
important for the stability and controllability
of the helicopter with hingeless rotor, while a
particular extension that is often required is
the consideration of the fully coupled flap-lag
bending, rigid pitch, and elastic torsion
motion of a hingeless rotor blade. However,
in the past decades, although there are many
research papers about the stability of the
hingeless rotor helicopter, their methods were
mostly confined within the uniform (or
uniform with a linear fore-and-aft variation
superimposed) induced velocity distribution
and single flap motion model (Curtiss and
Shup, 1971; Bramwell, 1970). As for the
lateral velocity disturbance, it may be caused
by helicopter flight with sideslip angle or/and
a relative lateral gust. The article by Simons
(1984) gave the note on rotor derivatives with
respect to lateral velocity disturbance and
proposed the suggestion for future studies on
lateral velocity and induced velocity
distribution. In this paper, a new model for
analyzing the stability and controllability is
presented. First, by means of vortex theory
and wake analyses technique (Wang and Xu,
1981; Cao, 1999), the non-uniform induced
velocity distribution is taken into the
calculation. In addition to this, the effects of
the flap-pitch-torsion coupling and lateral
wind (lateral velocity disturbance) on the
stability and controllability of the hingeless
rotor helicopter are investigated. Then, in
order to improve helicopter performance, the
control laws of SAS for helicopter pitching,
rolling and yawing motions are presented.
After establishing helicopter flight control
state equations, the calculations of effective
derivatives, performance analyses and step
response simulation for helicopter SAS are
carried out.
2. Expressions
2.1 The equations of coupled
flap-pitch-torsion motion
The partial differential equation for elastic
flapping of the blade is:
The authors
Yuan Su and Yihua Cao are both based at the
Department of Flight Vechicle Design amd Applied
Mechanics, Beijing University of Aeronautics and
Astronautics, Beijing, PR China.
Keywords
Helicopters, Dynamics, Control, Control systems
Abstract
Studies of the hingeless rotor helicopter dynamic stability
and control laws are conducted. A new method is given
for the calculation of stability and controllability of a
helicopter in flight condition with lateral velocity. First,
the rotary wing dynamic model considered is the one of
flap-pitch (including the elastic deformation of control
system) torsion coupling. The induced velocity non-
uniform distribution derived from vortex theory is taken
into account. Then, according to the established motion
model of the helicopter, the effects of induced velocity
distribution, flap-pitch-torsion coupling and lateral
velocity on the stability and controllability of the
helicopter are analyzed. Based on the analyses of dynamic
stability of the helicopter, the unstable mode and the
necessity of installation of stability augmentation system
(SAS) are recognized. Finally, the control laws of SAS for
helicopter pitching, rolling and yawing motions are
presented. After establishing helicopter flight control state
equations, the performance analyses and step response
simulation for helicopter SAS are carried out.
Electronic access
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Contributed paper
132
Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology
Volume 73
.
Number 2
.
2001
.
pp. 132137
# MCB University Press
.
ISSN 0002-2667
d
2
dr
2
El
d
2
y
dr
2

d
dr
Z
R
r
m!
2
,d,
dy
dr

m`y
mx
1
`
0
d
dr

dr(r0)
dr
Z
R
r
!
2
x
1
md,

=
0F
0r
(1)
where:
y = j
1
(r)q
1
()
and:
q
1
() = a
0
a
1
cos b
1
sin .
The equations of motion for rigid pitch and
the elastic torsion deflection are respectively:
Z
R
r

l
0
`
0 I
0
0!
2
mx
1
`y mx
1
y!
2

dr
K
0
(0
01e
0
1ce
cos 0
1se
sin )
=
Z
R
0
0F
A
dr
x
2
dr
Z
R
0
0F
1
0r
x
1
dr
(2)
and:
d
dr
GJ
d0
e
dr
I
0
`
0 I
0
0!
2
mx
1
`y
r
d
dr

dy
dr
Z
R
r
m!
2
x
1
d,

=
0F
A
0r
x
2

0F
1
0r
x
1
(3)
where:
0 = p
0
0
e
r0
tw
= 0
con
0
cse
0
e
r0
tw
(4)
0
con
= 0
01
0
1c
cos 0
1s
sin
0
cse
= 0
01e
0
1ce
cos 0
1se
sin
0
e
=
1
(r)p
1
()
P
1
() = 0
eto
0
etc
cos 0
ets
sin
.
8
>
>
>
>
<
>
>
>
>
:
(5)
2.2 Lateral velocity and induced velocity
field
By introducing a newlongitudinal plane X
+
s
HY
s
,
the transformation relation between X
s
HY
s
and
X
+
s
HY
s
for the azimuth angle of the blade is:
=
+
= c (see Figure 1).
Thus, the circulation and induced velocity can
be respectively given as:
I =
1
2
a

b(W
x2
0 W
y2
)
= I
0
I
1c
cos
+
I
1s
sin
+
(6)
i
1
= i
o
i
1c
cos
+
i
1s
sin
+
. (7)
Based on the results of vortex theory and only
the zero and first harmonic terms being
concerned, the relation between induced
velocity and circulation can be obtained.
2.3 The solution of flapping motion
coefficients, torsion motion coefficients
and control system deformation
coefficients
Taking the method of separation of variables
and the property of orthogonality of the mode
shape, the partial differential equations (1)-(3)
can be changed into the following expression:
AA
99
XX
91
= BB
91
(8)
where:
XX = (a
0
. a.
1
. b
1
. 0
01e
. 0
1ce
. 0
1se
. 0
eto
. 0
etc
. 0
ets
)
T
.
2.4 The derivatives of the rotor forces and
moments
T =
k
2
Z
2
0
d
Z
R
0
dT (9)
H =
k
2
Z
2
0
d
Z
R
0
dH (10)
S =
k
2
Z
2
0
d
Z
R
0
dS
M
H
(0. t) =
Z
R
0

m(`y x
1
`
0)
m!
2
(y x
1
0)
0F
0r

dr
(11)
M
xh
=
k
2
Z
2
0
M
H
(0. t) sin d
M
zh
=
k
2
Z
2
0
M
H
(0. t) cos d
M
yh
=
k
2
Z
2
0
Z
R
0

dx
dr

dY
dr
u
+

ma
px1

rdrd
9
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
=
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
;
. (12)
Figure 1 The schematic of lateral wind
133
Studies of helicopter dynamic stability and control laws
Yuan Su and Yihua Cao
Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology
Volume 73
.
Number 2
.
2001
.
132137
By the method of the numerical derivation,
the derivatives of the above forces and
moments can be obtained.
2.5 The perturbation equations of
motion, stability and control derivatives
of helicopter
The perturbation equations of motion can be
obtained by small perturbation assumption
and linearizing the equations of motion of
helicopters.
It can be expressed as follows:
D
99
`
X = E
99
X F
94
U (13)
where D and F are respectively stability and
control derivative matrix.
State vector X and control vector U are
respectively
X = (V
x
. V
y
. V
x
. O. . w.
.
z
. .
x
. .
y
)
T
U = (W
1s
. W
1c
. W
TRC
. W
c
)
T
2.6 State equation of flight control system
Let A = D
1
E and B = D
1
F, equation (13)
can be rewritten as the following linear state
equation of flight control system:
`
X = A
99
X B
94
U
= (A
99
B
94
K
49
)X B
94
U
j
=

A
99
X B
94
U
j
(14)
where

A
99
= A
99
B
94
K
49
;
U = U
j
K
49
X., i.e. proportional control
laws of stability augmentation system;
U
j
= (W
1s(j)
. W
1c(j)
. W
TR(j)
W
C(j)
)
T
;
K
49
=
0 0 0 K
O
0 0 K
.z
0 0
0 0 0 0 K

0 0 K
.x
0
0 0 0 0 0 K

0 0 K
.y
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2
6
6
6
4
3
7
7
7
5
3. A sample calculation
Our example helicopter is the BO-105
helicopter with hingeless rotor. The trim data
are obtained from Reichert and Oelker (1968)
and Biggers et al. (1962).
3.1 The calculating results of the stability
of the helicopter
The derivatives of the sample helicopter are
basically coincident with those of the article
by Rix et al. (1977). The comparison of the
calculating results of this work with
characteristic root results from flight test data
for different reduced models (Rix et al., 1977)
is shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3. It can be
seen from Figures 2 and 3 that a good
agreement is obtained.
The characteristic root results of the
helicopter are presented in Table I, where:
H = 1 stands for considering the
nonuniformity of the induced velocity;
H = 0 stands for not considering the
nonuniformity of the induced velocity;
Q = 1 stands for considering torsion;
Q = 0 stands for not considering torsion.
It can be seen from Table I that the induced
velocity has the greater effect on the
characteristic root than torsion of the blade.
The effect of lateral wind on the
characteristic root is listed in Table II. It is
Figure 2 Comparison of characteristic root results
Figure 3 The calculating results of this work
134
Studies of helicopter dynamic stability and control laws
Yuan Su and Yihua Cao
Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology
Volume 73
.
Number 2
.
2001
.
132137
apparently found that the lateral wind has the
greater influence on lateral motion than
longitudinal motion of the helicopter.
3.2 The calculating results of the
controllability of the helicopter
The controllability of the sample helicopter in
hover and forward flight satisfies the
requirements of MIL-F-83300 specifications.
Finally, the effects of induced velocity and
torsion on the rolling and pitching response of
the helicopter are investigated (see Table III
and Table IV).
In order to investigate the influence of
lateral wind on the controllability of the
helicopter, the rolling response of the
helicopter to collective control (0
c
= 1

) is
shown in Figure 5. Also Figure 4 and Figure 6
show respectively the vertical velocity and
rolling response of the helicopter to lateral
control (0
1c
= 1

).
It can be seen from the calculating results
that lateral wind has the greater effect on
helicopter lateral motion, and it connects the
helicopter vertical velocity response with
rolling response (V
y
.
s
) to the lateral control
and collective control of the rotor.
The helicopter with hingeless rotor has the
strong control coupling. Its cause is partially
due to the effect of lateral wind (u
s
,= 0).
Table II The influence of lateral wind on characteristic roots (j = 0.2,
H = 1, Q = 1)
u
s
08 58 108
`
1
= 6.35 `
1
= 6.36 `
1
= 6.34
Longitudinal `
2
= 0.57 `
2
= 0.55 `
2
= 0.53
motion `
3,4
= 0.05 `
3,4
= 0.052 `
3,4
= 0.05
0.31357i 0.30865i 0.29859i
`
1
= 10.54 `
1
= 10.55 `
1
= 10.6
Lateral `
2,3
= 0.674 `
2,3
= 0.673 `
2,3
= 0.672
motion 1.9577i 1.95278i 1.9407i
`
4
= 0.056 `
4
= 0.051 `
4
= 0.05
`
5
= 0 `
5
= 0 `
5
= 0
Figure 5 The rolling response to the collective control
(0
c
= 18)
Figure 4 The response of the vertical velocity V
y
to the
lateral control (0
1c
= 18)
Table I Comparison of characteristic root results (j = 0.2. u
s
= 0

)
H = 1,
Q = 0
H = 0,
Q = 1
H = 1,
Q = 1
`
1
= 6.55 `
1
= 4.74 `
1
= 6.04
Longitudinal `
2
= 0.61 `
2
= 0.78 `
2
= 0.58
motion `
3,4
= 0.043 `
3,4
= 0.048 `
3,4
= 0.059
0.3118i 0.3646i 0.33187i
`
1
= 11.45 `
1
= 10.8 `
1
= 10.77
Lateral `
2,3
= 0.66 `
2,3
= 0.67 `
2,3
= =0.67
motion 1.9755i 1.95i 1.975i
`
4
= 0.059 `
4
= 0.063 `
4
= 0.065
`
5
= 0 `
5
= 0 `
5
= 0
Table III The rolling response of the helicopter to 0
1c
= 18 (j = 0.2,
u
s
= 08
t(s) 0.6 1.0 2.0 4.0
H = 1
Q = 0
0.116 0.207 0.427 0.852

(rad.)
H = 0
Q = 1
0.125 0.224 0.456 0.876
H = 1
Q = 1
0.123 0.224 0.485 1.054
Table IV The pitching response of the helicopter to 0
1s
= 18 (j = 0.2,
u
s
= 08
t(s) 0.4 0.8 1.4 2.0
H = 1
Q = 0
0.04 0.1 0.21 0.316

(rad.)
H = 0
Q = 1
0.03 0.13 0.278 0.423
H = 1
Q = 1
0.044 0.12 0.269 0.443
135
Studies of helicopter dynamic stability and control laws
Yuan Su and Yihua Cao
Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology
Volume 73
.
Number 2
.
2001
.
132137
Therefore, the lateral control may produce
the vertical velocity response of the
helicopter, and the collective control may
cause rolling response of the helicopter. With
the increase of sideslip angle u
s
of the
helicopter, the V
y
response to 0
1c
= 1

and
the
s
response to 0
c
= 1

decrease and
have the greater variation.
3.3 The performance analyses and step
response simulation for helicopter SAS
It can be seen from Table V that when a
stability augmentation system (SAS) is closed,
the characteristic root results of the helicopter
vary, and an original longitudinal unstable
mode (without SAS) has been changed into a
stable mode.
Figures 7 and 8 show respectively the
responses of the helicopter to longitudinal and
Table V Helicopter longitudinal motion features (j = 0.2, u
s
= 08, H = 1
Q = 1)
The results based on the
coupled longitudinal-lateral
motion equation of helicopter
Parameters With SAS Without SAS Unit
`
1,2
4.4901 0.0465
2.8190I 0.3423i
.
n
5.3017 0.3454 1/s
.
n
4.4901 0.0465 1/s
0.8469 0.1346
P 2.2289 18.3558 s
T
1/2
0.1543 s
T
2
14.9032 s
`
3
1.0464 7.092
(T
1/2
)
`3
0.6623 0.0977 s
`
4
0.0331 0.6983
(T
1/2
)
`4
20.9366 0.9924 s
Figure 7 The response of the helicopter to longitudinal step control Figure 6 The rolling response to the lateral control
(0
1c
= 18)
Figure 8 The response of the helicopter to lateral step control
136
Studies of helicopter dynamic stability and control laws
Yuan Su and Yihua Cao
Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology
Volume 73
.
Number 2
.
2001
.
132137
lateral step controls. It is found that the
helicopter motion can be commanded with
SAS.
4. Conclusions
.
The nonuniformity of the induced
velocity has the greater influence on rotor
derivatives stability and control response
of the helicopter than torsion factor.
Whether to consider the latter or not
should be determined according to the
requirement of the calculating accuracy.
.
The lateral wind (0

< u
s
< 10

) has the
greater effect on characteristic root of
lateral motion of the helicopter than that
of longitudinal motion.
.
The lateral wind (0

< u
s
< 10

) has a
certain effect on control responses. In
particular, it has the greater influence on
the V
y
response to lateral control and
the
s
response to collective control.
.
The handling qualities of the sample
helicopter satisfy the requirements of
MIL-F-83300 specification and have a
good agreement with the flight test data.
.
When a SAS is closed, the characteristic
root results of the sample helicopter vary,
and an original longitudinal unstable
mode (without SAS) has been changed
into a stable mode. The helicopter
motion can be commanded with SAS,
and the handling qualities as well as
dynamic stability can also be improved.
References
Biggers, J.C., Mccloud, J.L. and Patterakis, P. (1962), Wind
Tunnel Test of Two Full Scale Helicopter Fuselages,
NASA TND-1548.
Bramwell, A.R.S. (1970), A Method for Calculating the
Stability and Control Derivatives of Helicopter with
Hingeless Rotor, RM, AERO 69/4, The City Univ.
London.
Cao, Y. (1999), ``A new method for predicting rotor
wake geometries and downwash velocity field'',
Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology:
An International Journal, Vol. 71 No. 2,
pp. 129-35.
Curtiss, H.C. and Shup, N.K. (1971), ``A stability and
control theory for hingeless rotor helicopter'',
Proceedings of the 27th Annual Forum of the
American Helicopter Society, No. 541.
Johnson, W. (1980), Helicopter Theory, Princeton
University Press, Princeton, NJ.
Reichert, G. and Oelker, P. (1968), ``Handling qualities
with the Bolkow rigid rotor system'', Proceeding of
the 24th Annual National Forum of the AHS,
No. 218.
Rix, O., Huber, H. and Kaleka, J. (1977), ``Parameter
identification of a hingeless rotor helicopter'',
Proceeding of the 33th Annual National Forum of
the AHS.
Simons, I.A. (1984), ``A note on rotor derivatives with
respect to lateral velocity disturbance'', Westland.
Wang, S. and Xu, Z. (1981), ``A simplified method for
predicting rortor blade airloads'', Seventh European
Rotorcraft and Power Lift Aircraft Forum, Paper
No. 6.
137
Studies of helicopter dynamic stability and control laws
Yuan Su and Yihua Cao
Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology
Volume 73
.
Number 2
.
2001
.
132137