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Determination of Vibrational Loads for the HH-60G Pave Hawk Helicopter

MERC developed a method of incorporating vibratory components of flight loads into quasi-static load signatures to provide a complete picture of the structural vibrations experienced by the HH-60G helicopter during flight. The work incorporated modal analyses and Fourier transforms, followed by multivariable statistical regressions applied to complex-valued data. The analyses permit the determination of magnitude and phase, at each vibration frequency, of the driving forces throughout the aircraft on a second-by-second basis. The derived force data can be recombined with FE modal analyses to predict load and stress oscillations for any point in the structure, thus supporting damage tolerance analyses. This work makes it possible to better support service life extension efforts for the helicopters in their new configurations and flight usage regimes as opposed to the original design specifications developed in the 1970s.

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