Measurement of the deformation of an extremely flexible rotor blade using digital image correlation

This paper describes the measurement of the deformation of an extremely flexible rotor blade in hover using a novel application of three-dimensional digital image correlation (3D DIC). In this optical method, images of the rotor blade painted with a high-contrast, random speckle pattern are captured using two digital cameras and a strobe light. Photogrammetry is used to calculate a whole-field, three-dimensional map of the rotor blade. Cross-correlation between images captured under two load conditions is used to calculate deformation. The technique was first validated in the rotating frame by correlating DIC measurements on a stiff rotor blade of known geometry with measurements made by two other laser sensors. The technique was then used to measure the deformation of extremely flexible blades on a 46 cm diameter rotor, rotating at 1200 RPM. The blades of this rotor are so flexible that they can be rolled up into a compact volume. The spanwise variation of extension, lead-lag and flap bending, as well as pitch angle, were extracted from DIC measurements. The technique yielded surface heights with a spatial resolution of 0.15 mm and three-dimensional deformation vectors with a spatial resolution of 2.37 mm (1.04% of the rotor radius), at a calculated accuracy of 15 mu m. Tip displacement of up to 7.59 mm (3.3% of the rotor radius) and a tip twist of up to 10.8. were measured. Based on DIC measurements, it is concluded that an accurate aeroelastic model of the rotor blade must include flap and lead-lag bending as well as twist degrees of freedom. In addition, the elastic twist must be considered of the same order of magnitude as the blade root pitch. Finally, the scalability of this technique to the measurement of full-scale rotor blade deformation is discussed.