Experimental vibration analysis of a rotorcraft active gurney flap system

Abstract

In this paper, the vibrational aspects of an active Gurney flap system with application on a rotorcraft blade are investigated through wind tunnel tests. The test set-up consisted of a representation of a carbon fiber/composite material helicopter main rotor blade section with full size chord and 0.9 m span, and the active Gurney flap mechanism was located near the trailing edge of the blade, while the actuator was placed on the trailing edge part of the blade. The tests were carried out in multiple attack angles, with different deployment schedules for the Gurney flap. In total, four miniature size accelerometers were used to measure the vibration near the trailing edge. Important aspects regarding the active Gurney flap system were analyzed by measuring the vibration and acceleration.