Disconnecting a rotor
AssigneeBell Helicopter Textron Inc.
InventorsRyan T. Ehinger, David Sembritzky, Carlos A. Fenny, Gary A. Cope, Charles J. Kilmain
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to one embodiment, a clutch may be coupled between a rotor system and a power train of a rotorcraft. The clutch may be operable to disengage the rotor system from the power train during operation of the power train. A clutch control system in communication with the clutch and include a rotorcraft condition sensor operable to sense an operating condition of the rotorcraft and a control unit operable to prevent the clutch from disengaging the rotor system from the power train if the operating condition of the rotorcraft fails to satisfy a predetermined criterion.
Claims12
A rotorcraft, comprising:
- a body;
- a power train coupled to the body and comprising a power source and a drive shaft coupled to the power source;
- a main rotor system coupled to the power train, the main rotor system comprising at least one main rotor blade;
- a secondary rotor system coupled to the power train, the secondary rotor system comprising at least one secondary rotor blade;
- a clutch coupled between the secondary rotor system and the power train, the clutch operable to disengage the secondary rotor system from the power train during operation of the power train;
- and
- a clutch control system in communication with the clutch and comprising:
- a rotorcraft condition sensor operable to sense an operating condition of the rotorcraft indicative of whether the rotorcraft is on the ground;
- and
- a control unit operable to prevent the clutch from disengaging the secondary rotor system from the power train in response to the operating condition of the rotorcraft failing to satisfy a predetermined criterion whenever the rotorcraft condition sensor indicates that the rotorcraft is not on the ground.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.