Device for monitoring the flapping and/or lag behavior of a blade of a rotorcraft rotor

• US 9,284,849 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
• Original Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
• Inventors: Perrin, Christophe, Imbert, Nicolas, Chuc, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Denion, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): France, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US13/792,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20130243597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 244/17.13, 244/17.25, 244/17.27, 244/39, 416/61, 416/131, 415/118, 738/620.44, 738/620.45
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/008 Rotors tracking or balancing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/32 Rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/35 having elastomeric joints
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/51 Damping of blade movements
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 7/00 Rotors with blades adjustable in operation; Control thereof for reversing F01D1/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0016 of aircraft wings or blades
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0041 by determining deflection or stress

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rotorcraft rotor (1) having a plurality of blades (3) movably mounted on a hub (2) via blade roots (4) that are respectively associated therewith. The rotor (1) is fitted with an information capture appliance having at least one measurement assembly (E1) comprising a flexible bar (11) interposed in engagement at its respective ends between the hub (2) and a blade root (4) that is allocated thereto. A strain gauge (7, 8) formed of a SAW transducer is implanted on the bar (11) and generates information relative to the bending of the bar (11) following tilting orientations of the blade root (4) in flapping (B) and/or in lag (T).

Claims

1. A rotorcraft rotor having a plurality of blades movably mounted on a hub by respective blade roots that are associated therewith, the blades being movable in pivoting about their own axes and about tilting orientations respectively in flapping and in lag, the rotor being fitted with an information capture appliance having at least one strain gauge for generating information depending on the behavior of the blades in moving about at least any one of the orientations in flapping and/or in lag, wherein the information capture appliance includes at least one measurement assembly having a flexible bar having the at least one strain gauge mounted thereon to generate information about the bending of the bar in at least any one of the orientations in flapping and/or in lag, the bar being connected at its respective ends between the hub and a blade root that is associated therewith, wherein the blade root is arranged as a sleeve removably mounted on the hub by means of at least one axial abutment member, and the measurement assembly allocated to the blade root is housed inside the sleeve, the bar being in alignment on the abutment axis, and wherein the axial abutment member is arranged as a spherical abutment, and the anchor means are formed by a plate that is bracket-shaped and that engages both on the proximal end of the bar and on a pin for fastening the spherical abutment to the hub.

2. A rotor according to claim 1, wherein the bar is firmly engaged at its proximal end to the hub and bears slidably against the blade root at its distal end.

3. A rotor according to claim 2, wherein the bar is dimensional to bear against the blade root relative to at least one of the tilting orientations, with the bar and the blade root being free to move relative to each other in a general direction in which the bar extends and in pivoting of the blade root about its own axis.

4. A rotor according to claim 1, wherein the bar is dimensional to bear against the blade root in flapping, with relative freedom to move being arranged between the bar and the blade root in lag.

5. A rotor according to claim 1, wherein the bar is dimensional to bear against the blade root in lag, with relative freedom to move being arranged between the bar and the blade root in flapping.

6. A rotor according to claim 1, wherein the bar is dimensional to bear against the blade root in flapping and in lag.

7. A rotor according to claim 1, wherein each of measurement assemblies of the information capture appliance includes:

at least one the strain gauge constituted by a SAW transducer; and

a mounting structure for mounting the SAW transducer on the rotor, the mounting structure comprising the flexible bar carrying the SAW transducer between its ends, the bar being provided at its proximal end with anchor means for anchoring on the hub and at its distal end bearing means for slidably engaging the bar against the blade root.

8. A rotor according to claim 7, wherein the bearing means for sliding engagement are of the type having a spherical bearing surface between the bar and the blade root.

9. A rotor according to claim 7, wherein the bearing means for sliding engagement act for a given tilting orientation to associate at least two opposing spherical bearing surfaces of the bar along respective opposite guide surfaces forming parts of the blade root.

10. A rotor according to claim 7, wherein the bearing means for sliding engagement associate a sphere formed at the distal end of the bar in co-operation with skids for guiding the sphere and arranged on the blade root.

11. A rotor according to claim 10, wherein the skids are made of elastomer material and are fitted on the blade root by cementing.

12. A rotor according to claim 7, wherein the anchor means are of the mutual engagement type, the proximal end of the bar being secured to the hub.

13. A rotor according to claim 12, wherein the anchor means comprise a fastener plate for fastening the bar on the hub.

14. A rotor according to claim 7, wherein the anchor means are of the type for pivotally mounting the bar on the hub about a pivot extending in the bearing engagement orientation of the bar against the blade root.

15. A rotor according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of measurement assemblies are installed individually on respective blade roots, at least a first measurement assembly being allocated to capturing information relating to a blade being caused to move in flapping, and at least one second measurement assembly being associated with capturing information relating to another blade moving in lag.

16. A rotor according to claim 1, wherein at least a third measurement assembly is installed on a blade root that is allocated thereto, being dedicated to capturing information about the movements of the corresponding blade both in flapping and in lag.

17. A rotor according to claim 1, wherein the appliance is housed in a cell included in the blade root.