The European Tilt Rotor-Status of ERICA Design and Test Activities Alessandro Stabellini NICETRIP Project Manager
TILTROTOR RESEARCH IN EUROPE
Handling Qualities requirements background Flight Control System Level 1 Control Laws Rotor Hub Design Proprotor Gearbox, Interconnecting Shaft, Nacelle & Wing Actuators Loads & Dynamics NICETRIP Rotor Dynamics, Performance & Noise Low Speed Aerodynamic Interactions
ERICA DESIGN CONCEPT Small Rotor Diameter Tiltable Wing Structural Continuity of Tilting Mechanism TILT WING TILTROTOR TOW 11 tons Pax 19/22 Vmax cr 330 Kts
Novel Innovative Competitive Effective Tilt Rotor Integrated Project (NICETRIP) Purpose The NICETRIP Integrated Project is proposed as part of a continuing European TILTROTOR programme aimed at the acquisition, validation and integration of tiltrotor technology by the European Aerospace and associated supplier industries The main objectives are: to study the general architecture of the aircraft to integrate some of the critical components of a tilt rotor aircraft on full-scale dedicated rigs to develop and test a full-span powered model to study the introduction of the T/R in the ATM
NICETRIP PURPOSE GENERAL ARCHITECTURE DETAIL DESIGN OF THE CRITICAL COMPONENTS FULL SCALE TESTING WIND TUNNEL SCALED TESTS T/R IN ATM
NICETRIP CONSORTIUM CONTRACT COORDINATOR VERTAIR B HELICOPTER INDUSTRIES AGUSTAWESTLAND I-UK EUROCOPTER F-D INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATIONS CASTILLA, AERNNOVA, SENER E PAULSTRA F LLI, ZFL D GALILEO AVIONICA, MECAER I SECONDO MONA, SD, SICTA I SAMTECH B RESEARCH AND TEST CENTRES ONERA, DLR, NLR, CIRA F, D, NL, I CTA, CENAERO, AVIATEST E, B, LATVIA UNIVERSITIES POLIMI, UOL I, UK LIEGE, WUT, STUTTGARD B, POLAND, D SUB-CONTRACTORS DNW, TSAGI NL, RUSSIA
Nm Nm N Nm NICETRIP ACTIVITIES Validation of flight mechanics tools Validation of CFD tools Validation of the aeroelastic tools Tool validation 300 200 100 Blade Flapping Moment (1/rev amplitude) 0 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 Blade spanwise location (r/r) Blade Flapping Moment (2/rev amplitude) 300 200 FLIGHTLAB: uniform inflow FLIGHTLAB: 3 state inflow FLIGHTLAB: 6 state inflow FLIGHTLAB: finite state inflow CAMRAD Wind tunnel blue blade Wind tunnel red blade 350 300 250 200 Hub loads (Non Rotating Frame) from balance - 4/rev Experimental CAMRAD 100 0 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 Blade spanwise location (r/r) 150 100 60 Blade Flapping Moment (4/rev amplitude) 50 40 20 0 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 Blade spanwise location (r/r) 0 H Y T Blade flapping moment Pressure distribution on the wing Hub loads
Pressure altitude [m] NICETRIP ACTIVITIES Overall characteristics Weight estimate Aircraft performance General loads Handling qualities Noise Maximum Speed sensitivity analysis 8000 7000 6000 5000 4000 Design Gross Weight (VTO) @eta = 0.85, escresc=0% Maximum Gross Weight (STO) @eta = 0.85, escresc=0% Design Gross Weight (VTO)@eta = 0.85, escresc=0% Maximum Gross Weight (STO) @eta = 0.85, escresc=0% ISA+20 C ISA 3000 2000 1000 Hub loads 0 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360 TAS [kts]
NICETRIP ACTIVITIES Aerodynamics Rotor blade and cuff optimisation Wing and tail plane airfoils optimisation Nacelle/wing fairings optimisation Fuselage/wing fairings optimisation Hub loads
Rotor aeroelasticity Drive train and engine stability Whirl flutter stability Vibratory level/comfort NICETRIP ACTIVITIES Dynamics Z X Y
NICETRIP ACTIVITIES General architecture Aircraft general layout Systems integration Electronic mock up definition
NICETRIP ACTIVITIES Airframe Wing structural preliminary design Fuselage structural design
Nacelles structural design Drive system design NICETRIP ACTIVITIES Power plant
Rotor hub design Rotor blade design NICETRIP ACTIVITIES Power plant Cross section at 390 mm Radius Cross section at 650mm Radius Cross section at 1573 mm Radius
NICETRIP ACTIVITIES Hydraulics Hydraulic system requirements definition General architecture of the Hydraulic system Preliminary sizing of the hydraulic system components Wing flaperon actuator
NICETRIP ACTIVITIES Fuel system Fuel system requirements definition Fuel system layout and functional specification Fuel system components preliminary specification Fuel system design baseline
NICETRIP ACTIVITIES Whirl tower full scale test Assess the dynamic behaviour Functional tests for rotor and transmission Performance tests Rotor hub Gear Box (PRGB) Interface Gear Box (SPGB) Interconnecting Shaft (ICS)
NICETRIP ACTIVITIES Drive system functional test Lubrication test Endurance and functional test in the Universal Transmission Test Facility
NICETRIP ACTIVITIES Powered model wind tunnel test Powered model scale 1:5 design and manufacturing Tests at DNW-LLF wind tunnel Tests at ONERA-S1MA
NICETRIP ACTIVITIES Force model wind tunnel test Modular model scale 1:8 design and manufacturing Tests completed at the wind tunnel of Politecnico di Milano
NICETRIP ACTIVITIES Air intake model wind tunnel test Air intake model scale 1:5 design and manufacturing Test completed at the wind tunnel of University of Liège Air intake model scale 1:2.5 design and manufacturing Preliminary test completed at the wind tunnel of POLIMI Final test at the wind tunnel of University of Liège
NICETRIP ACTIVITIES Real time simulation Several Standalone Real Time Simulation sessions performed at partners site to assess flyability of the procedures under investigation Distributed Real Time Simulation based connecting ATC simulation platform with 3 tilt-rotor simulators to evaluate the impact of tilt-rotor operations with conventional traffic on a complex operational airport scenario (Milan Malpensa) Actors involved : Pilots, ATCOs, Pseudo-pilots, Technical experts