3D surface modeling of rotating helicopter blade through optimized NURBS using image data

Purpose This paper aims to introduce a novel approach for modeling the deformed rotor blades in helicopters. The blades are critical and nonredundant components susceptible to deformation and damage from aeroelastic forces and harsh environmental conditions, requiring effective methods for their analysis and maintenance. Design/methodology/approach The proposed methodology combines three techniques: photogrammetry, non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS) and particle swarm optimization (PSO). Photogrammetry is used to capture 3D points of the deformed blade, NURBS is used to create a precise mathematical representation of the blade surface and PSO is used to optimize the accuracy of the surface model. Detailed consideration is given to applying photogrammetry on large rotating structures like rotor blades. In addition, the key parameter values of the PSO algorithm are adjusted to improve the NURBS model. Findings The integration of these methods leads to the development of an accurate NURBS model of the blade surface, achieving a mean square error of 0.0001. This result confirms the effectiveness of the approach in accurately modeling the deformation of large rotor blades. The method is potentially applicable to other large, flexible structures in various industries. Originality/value This study introduces a novel combination of photogrammetry, NURBS and PSO for 3D surface modeling in large, flexible rotor blades.