Back to results
US 10,378,978 B2Granted
Method and system for measuring torque in a tiltrotor aircraft
AssigneeBell Helicopter Textron Inc.
InventorsRyan T. Ehinger, David R. Bockmiller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for calculating torque through a rotor mast of a propulsion system of a tiltrotor aircraft includes receiving the torque being applied through a quill shaft of the rotorcraft. The quill shaft is located between a fixed gearbox and a spindle gearbox, and the spindle gearbox is rotatable about a conversion access. The torque through the rotor mast is determined by using the torque through the quill shaft and the efficiency loss value between the quill shaft and the rotor mast.
Claims11
A method of operating a tiltrotor aircraft, the method comprising:
- providing a tiltrotor aircraft comprising at least two propulsion systems and a driveshaft interconnected between the two propulsion systems;
- each of the propulsion systems comprising:
- an engine disposed at a fixed location relative to a wing member;
- a fixed gearbox;
- a spindle gearbox that is rotatable about a conversion axis;
- a rotor mast rotatably coupled to the spindle gearbox;
- a quill shaft providing torque transfer between the fixed gearbox and the spindle gearbox;
- and
- a torque measuring system associated with the quill shaft;
- providing a sensor associated with the quill shaft;
- transmitting data from the sensor to the torque measuring system;
- and
- determining, by the torque measuring system, a torque value through the quill shaft with data from the sensor.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.