Device for reducing line noise inside a rotary-wing aircraft, especially a helicopter

• US 6,224,014 B1
• Filed: 10/01/1998
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eurocopter
• Original Assignee: Eurocopter
• Inventors: Dussac, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Palo, Francis T.
• Application Number:
  US09/164,931
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 244/17.27, 310/328, 381/71.1, 381/71.4, 381/71.14, 702/195
• US Class Current: 244/17.27
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2027/002 mounted between the rotor drive and the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2027/004 using actuators, e.g. active systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/001 Vibration damping devices
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/1785 Methods, e.g. algorithms; Devices G10K11/1781, G10K11/1783 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17857 Geometric disposition, e.g. placement of microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17883 the reference signal being derived from a machine operating condition, e.g. engine RPM or vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1281 Aircraft, e.g. spacecraft, airplane or helicopter
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/129 Vibration, e.g. instead of, or in addition to, acoustic noise
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/501 Acceleration, e.g. for accelerometers

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for reducing the noise inside a rotary-wing aircraft, especially a helicopter.

According to the invention, said device (1) comprises at least one sensor (Ca, Cb) for measuring the values of at least one vibrational and/or acoustic parameter representing a vibrational and/or acoustic effect of at least one source of noise, at least one mechanical means (A) that can be controlled and is capable of creating a force capable of reducing said vibrational and/or acoustic effect, and a control unit (UC) for controlling the mechanical means (A), on the basis of the values measured by the sensor (Ca, Cb).

Claims

1. A rotary-wing aircraft, comprising:

an engine;

a main gearbox;

a drivetrain;

a flight deck;

a fuselage;

a number of sensors for measuring the values of at least one vibrational and/or acoustic parameter representing a vibrational and/or acoustic effect of at least one source of noise of said aircraft;

a number of mechanical means which can be controlled and capable of creating a force capable of reducing the vibrational and/or acoustic effect of said source of noise; and

a single control unit for controlling said mechanical means on the basis of the values measured by said sensors, wherein said sensors are fixed to at least some of the following parts of said aircraft;

a mount for fixing said engine to said fuselage of said aircraft;

a bearing in said drivetrain;

a bar for fixing said main gearbox to said fuselage;

a mechanical suspension of said main gearbox;

said fuselage of said aircraft;

a device for fixing lining panels of said aircraft; and

a panel for lining said flight deck,

wherein the aircraft comprises P sensors Cp arranged at points Mp, P being a predefined integer and p being an integer between 1 and P, which sensors are capable of measuring one same vibrational and/or acoustic parameter, and Q mechanical means Aq, Q being a predefined integer and q being an integer between 1 and Q, these means being capable respectively of creating forces capable of reducing one same vibrational and/or acoustic effect, and wherein said control unit repeatedly performs the following succession of operations;

it calculates, for each of said P sensors Cp, a value PIp that satisfies the equation;

2. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said sensors is capable of measuring at least one of the following parameters:

an acceleration, a strain, a force, a displacement and a speed.

3. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said sensors comprises a microphone.

4. The aircraft as claimed in claim 3, wherein said microphone is installed at the point where a reduction in noise is desired.

5. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said mechanical means comprises a piezoelectric actuator.

6. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said mechanical means comprises a magnetostrictive actuator.

7. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said mechanical means comprises a shape-memory material.

8. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mechanical means act at least on one of the following parts of said aircraft:

a mount for fixing said engine to said fuselage of said aircraft;

a bearing in said drivetrain;

a bar for fixing said main gearbox to said fuselage;

a device for fixing lining panels of said aircraft;

a mechanical suspension of said main gearbox; and

said fuselage of said aircraft.

9. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control unit uses reference values to determine the commands for controlling said mechanical means.

10. The aircraft as claimed in claim 9, wherein said reference values comprise at least some of the following values:

values of acceleration, strain, force, displacement and/or speed, measured by a sensor arranged on;

a casing of said gearbox;

a bearing in said drivetrain;

a mount for fixing said engine to said fuselage;

a bar for fixing said main gearbox to said fuselage; and

a mechanical suspension of said main gearbox; and

values measured by a microphone arranged in a cargo hold of said aircraft.

11. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sensors Cp comprise microphones and the values P1p represent acoustic pressures.

12. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sensors Cp comprise accelerometers and the values P1p represent accelerations.

13. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein the values P3q represent accelerations.