Active Prop Rotor Stability System

• US 20130105637A1
• Filed: 11/01/2011
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Stamps, Frank B., Popelka, David A., Covington, Charles Eric, Parham, Thomas C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,662,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/76.R
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/605 including swash plate, spider or cam mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0033 the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage

Abstract

A system and method for adjusting a rotor blade upon detection of a harmful force exerted on an aircraft wing includes a sensor attached to the wing and a subsystem operably associated with the sensor. The method includes sensing the force exerted on the wing with the sensor and determining whether the sensed force is potentially harmful to the structural integrity of the wing. The method further includes counteracting the harmful force by adjusting the rotor blade movement.

Claims

1. A rotary aircraft comprising:

a fuselage;

a wing rigidly attached to the fuselage;

a rotary system pivotally attached to the wing, the rotary system having;

a plurality of rotor blades; and

a control system operably associated with the rotor assembly, the control system having;

a sensor configured to sense a force exerted on the wing by the rotary system;

a subsystem configured to receive the sensed force and determine whether the sensed force is potentially harmful to the wing;

wherein the control system adjusts the movement of the plurality of blades if the force is potentially harmful to the wing.

2. The rotary aircraft of claim 1, the rotary system further comprising:

a swashplate operably associated with the plurality of rotor blades, the swashplate being configured to adjust movement of the plurality of rotor blades.

3. The rotary aircraft of claim 2, the rotary system further comprising:

an actuator operably associated with the swashplate, the actuator being configured to adjust movement of the swashplate.

4. The rotary aircraft of claim 1, wherein the control system adjusts the movement of the plurality of blades individually upon detection of a potentially harmful force.

5. The rotary aircraft of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to measure an external air force exerted on the wing.

6. The rotary aircraft of claim 1, wherein the senor is configured to measure forces exerted by an external air force exerted on the fuselage of the aircarft.

7. The rotary aircraft of claim 1, the rotary system further comprising:

a mast; and

a yoke coupled to mast, the yoke being coupled to the plurality of rotor blades.

8. The rotary aircraft of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of rotor blades are coupled to the yoke with a delta-3 hinge having a delta-3 angle of about −

45 degrees.

9. The rotary aircraft of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of rotor blades are coupled to the yoke with a delta-3 hinge having a delta-3 angle of greater than −

15 degrees.

10. The rotary aircraft of claim 1, wherein the plurality of rotor blades is at least four rotor blades.

11. A control system for a rotary aircraft having a plurality of rotor blades and an aircraft wing, the control system comprising:

a sensor attached to the aircraft wing, the sensor being configured to sense a force exerted on the aircraft wing by the rotational movement of the plurality of rotor blades; and

a subsystem operably associated with the sensor, the subsystem being configured to receive the sensed force from the sensor and configured to determine whether the sensed force is potentially harmful to the wing;

wherein the control system adjusts the pitch of the plurality of blades to counteract the force exerted on the aircraft wing.

12. The control system of claim 11, further comprising:

a swashplate operably associated with the plurality of rotor blades, the swashplate being configured to adjust movement of the plurality of rotor blades.

13. The control system of claim 12, further comprising:

an actuator operably associated with the swashplate, the actuator being configured to adjust movement of the swashplate.

14. The control system of claim 13, wherein the actuator is an electrically controllable actuator.

15. The control system of claim 13, wherein the actuator is a hydraulic actuator.

16. The control system of claim 11, wherein the sensor is a bending gauge sensor.

17. A method to counteract forces exerted on an aircraft wing by a rotary system pivotally attached thereto, the method comprising:

attaching a sensor to the aircraft wing;

sensing a force exerted on the aircraft wing with the sensor;

relaying the sensed force to a subsystem;

determining whether the sensed force is potentially harmful to the wing; and

adjusting a rotary system to counteract a harmful force exerted on the aircraft wing.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

adjusting the pitch of a rotary blade of the rotary system to counteract the harmful force exerted on the aircraft wing.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

pivoting the rotary system relative to the aircraft wing to counteract the harmful force exerted on the aircraft wing.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

adjusting the tilting of a swashplate of the rotary system to counteract the harmful force exerted on the wing.