Determination of the principal directions of composite helicopter rotor blades with arbitrary cross sections

Modern helicopter rotor blades with non-homogeneous cross sections, composed of anisotropic material, require highly sophisticated structural analysis because of various cross sectional geometry and material properties. They may be subjected by the combined axial, bending, and torsional loading, and the dynamic and static behaviors of rotor blades are seriously influenced by the structural coupling under rotating condition. To simplify the analysis procedure using one dimensional beam model, it is necessary to determine the principal coordinate of the rotor blade. In this study, a method for the determination of the principal coordinate including elastic and shear centers is presented, based upon continuum mechanics. The scheme is verified by comparing the results with confirmed experimental results.