Research progess in active twist rotor

Active twist rotors, which utilize smart materials or structures to actively drive blade twisting and dynamically optimize spanwise and azimuthal twist distribution, have emerged as a critical technological pathway for enhancing the overall performance of helicopter rotors. This paper systematically reviews the technological evolution and research progress of active twist rotors, with a particular focus on their potential in aerodynamic performance improvement, vibration suppression, and noise control. Compared to indirect actuation methods, direct piezoelectric composite-driven blade twisting offers a more compact structure and higher reliability. Theoretical and experimental studies demonstrate that active twist technology can effectively improve rotor efficiency by optimizing aerodynamic load distribution while significantly reducing hub vibration loads and blade-vortex interaction noise through higher harmonic control strategies. Current technological bottlenecks lie in the development of high-efficiency smart materials, multiphysics-coupled modeling, and multi-objective optimization design. Future efforts must address challenges in reliability, environmental adaptability, and intelligent control for engineering applications, as well as expand cross-domain applications in next-generation rotorcraft. This technology provides theoretical support for the paradigm shift in helicopter rotor design from passive adaptation to active control, demonstrating significant engineering potential.