Rotor hub fairing system for a counter-rotating, coaxial rotor system

• US 7,530,787 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2006
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Bertolotti, Fabio P., McCormick, Duane C., Usta, Ebru, Egolf, T. Alan, Scott, Mark W., Wake, Brian E., Ochs, Stuart S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kershteyn; Igor
• Application Number:
  US11/436,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20070166163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 416/33, 416/124, 416/128, 416/134.A, 416/204.R, 244/17.23
• US Class Current: 416/33
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/00 Fuselages; Constructional features common to fuselages, wings, stabilising surfaces or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/04 Helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/10 arranged coaxially
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/12 Rotor drives
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/14 Direct drive between power plant and rotor hub
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/20 Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 7/00 Structures or fairings not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A rotor hub fairing system includes an upper hub fairing, a lower hub fairing and a shaft fairing therebetween. The rotor hub fairing system reduces the total drag on a dual, counter-rotating, coaxial rotor system. Other aerodynamic structures may be mounted to the shaft fairing, hub fairings and airframe to facilitate flow around the upper and lower hub fairings to reduce flow separation and drag.

Claims

1. A rotor hub fairing system for a counter rotating coaxial rotor system comprising:

an upper hub fairing defined about an axis;

a lower hub fairing defined about said axis; and

an airfoil-shaped shaft fairing between said upper hub fairing and said lower hub fairing, said airfoil-shaped shaft fairing contoured to reduce a total drag of the rotor hub fairing system, said shaft fairing defines a thickness to hub fairing diameter (t/D) greater than 0.35.

2. The rotor hub fairing system as recited in claim 1, wherein said shaft fairing is generally of an hour glass shape in cross-section taken within a contoured midsection along said axis and transverse to said airfoil.

3. The rotor hub fairing system as recited in claim 2, wherein said t/D is taken at a minimum of said contoured midsection.

4. The rotor hub fairing system as recited in claim 2, wherein said shaft fairing includes a NACA 0028 airfoil along said midsection and an NACA 0042 airfoil adjacent said upper hub fairing and said lower hub fairing.

5. The rotor hub fairing system as recited in claim 1, wherein said shaft fairing defines a trailing edge which extends beyond a periphery of said upper hub fairing and said lower hub fairing.

6. The rotor hub fairing system as recited in claim 1, wherein said shaft fairing defines a chord length divided by said rotor hub diameter (c/D) between 0.8 and 1.5.

7. The rotor hub fairing system as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one airfoil member which extends generally transverse to said shaft fairing.

8. The rotor hub fairing system as recited in claim 7, wherein said at least one airfoil member includes an upper turning vane and a lower turning vane on each side of said shaft fairing.

9. A rotor hub fairing system for a counter rotating coaxial rotor system comprising:

an upper hub fairing defined about an axis;

a lower hub fairing defined about said axis;

an airfoil-shaped shaft fairing between said upper hub fairing and said lower hub fairing, said airfoil-shaped shaft fairing contoured to reduce a total drag of the rotor hub fairing system; and

a vortex generator mounted on at least one of said upper hub fairing and said lower hub fairing.

10. A rotor hub fairing system for a counter rotating coaxial rotor system comprising:

an upper hub fairing defined about an axis;

a lower hub fairing defined about said axis;

an airfoil-shaped shaft fairing between said upper hub fairing and said lower hub fairing, said airfoil-shaped shaft fairing contoured to reduce a total drag of the rotor hub fairing system; and

a directed synthetic jet mounted on at least one of said upper hub fairing and said lower hub fairing.

11. A rotor hub fairing system for a counter rotating coaxial rotor system comprising:

an upper hub fairing defined about an axis;

a lower hub fairing defined about said axis;

an airfoil-shaped shaft fairing between said upper hub fairing and said lower hub fairing, said airfoil-shaped shaft fairing contoured to reduce a total drag of the rotor hub fairing system; and

a centrifugal pumping system mounted on at least one of said upper hub fairing and said lower hub fairing.

12. A rotor hub fairing system for a counter rotating coaxial rotor system comprising:

an upper hub fairing defined about an axis;

a lower hub fairing defined about said axis;

an airfoil-shaped shaft fairing between said upper hub fairing and said lower hub fairing, said airfoil-shaped shaft fairing contoured to reduce a total drag of the rotor hub fairing system; and

a drive system which operates to independently move said shaft fairing in response to a control system.

14. The rotor hub fairing system as recited in claim 12, wherein said shaft fairing defines a chord length divided by said rotor hub diameter (c/D), greater than 0.8.

13. A rotor hub fairing system for a counter rotating coaxial rotor system comprising:

an upper hub fairing defined about an axis;

a lower hub fairing defined about said axis; and

an airfoil-shaped shaft fairing between said upper hub fairing and said lower hub fairing, said shaft fairing defining a thickness to hub fairing diameter (t/D) greater than 0.35.

15. A coaxial rotor system aircraft comprising:

an airframe having a rotor system pylon;

an upper hub fairing defined about an axis;

a lower hub fairing defined about said axis, said lower hub fairing adjacent said pylon; and

an airfoil-shaped shaft fairing between said upper hub fairing and said lower hub fairing, said airfoil-shaped shaft fairing contoured to reduce a total drag of the rotor hub fairing system.

16. The aircraft as recited in claim 15, wherein said airfoil-shaped shaft fairing defines a thickness to hub fairing diameter (t/D) greater than 0.35.

17. The aircraft as recited in claim 15, wherein said airfoil-shaped shaft fairing defines a chord length divided by said rotor hub diameter (c/D) greater than 0.8.

18. The aircraft as recited in claim 15, further comprising at least one airfoil member which extends from said pylon to reduce a flow separation penalty on at least one of said upper and lower rotor hub fairings.

19. The aircraft as recited in claim 15, further comprising a directed synthetic jet mounted to said pylon to reduce a flow separation penalty on at least one of said upper and lower rotor hub fairings.

20. The aircraft as recited in claim 15, further comprising an airframe-located intake to reduce a directed synthetic jet mounted to said pylon to reduce a flow separation penalty on at least one of said upper and lower rotor hub fairings.

21. The aircraft as recited in claim 15, further comprising an airframe-located exhaust to reduce a directed synthetic jet mounted to said pylon to reduce a flow separation penalty on at least one of said upper and lower rotor hub fairings.

22. The aircraft as recited in claim 15, further comprising a centrifugal pumping system mounted to said pylon to reduce a flow separation penalty on at least one of said upper and lower rotor hub fairings.

23. The aircraft as recited in claim 15, wherein said shaft fairing includes a pitching axis which extends through said upper hub fairing and said lower hub fairing, said pitching axis including an axis of rotation of the coaxial rotor system, said pitching axis is generally parallel to said axis.