Vibration damping device and damping method for a rotor of an aircraft capable of hovering
AssigneeLeonardo S.P.A.
InventorLuigi Maria Bottasso
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A damping device is described that is designed to counter the transmission of vibrations to a further element and comprises: a beam element, which extends mainly parallel to an axis, is constrained to the further element and is designed to flexurally oscillate, in use, in a plane parallel to the axis to counter the transmission of vibrations to the further element; an actuator, which comprises a transmission element operatively connected to the beam element and extending mainly along the axis; the actuator being controllable to apply a direct tensile or compressive load along the axis on the transmission element that is variable according to the frequency of the vibrations to be dampened.
Claims13
A damping device (15, 15′, 15″, 15′″) designed to impede a transmission of vibrations to a further element (6), comprising:
- an oscillating beam element (22), which extends mainly parallel to an axis (A), is constrained to said further element (6) and is designed to flexurally oscillate in a plane parallel to said axis (A) to counter the transmission of vibrations to said further element (6);
- an actuator (30), which comprises a transmission element (32, 32″, 32′″) operatively connected to said beam element (22) and extending mainly along said axis (A);
- said actuator (30) being controllable to apply a direct tensile or compressive load along said axis (A) on said transmission element (32, 32″, 32′″) that is variable according to a frequency of the vibrations to be dampened;
- characterized in that said beam element (22) is tubular and in that said transmission element (32, 32″, 32′″) is partly housed inside said beam element (22);
- said damping device (15, 15′, 15″, 15′″) further comprising a mass (17) operatively connected to said beam element (22) and arranged at an axial end of said beam element (22);
- said actuator (30) comprising:
- an actuating member (31, 31′″), which can be operated to exert torque having a main component coaxial to said axis (A);
- and
- connecting means (38, 39) interposed between said actuating member (31, 31′″) and said transmission element (32, 32″) and configured to transform said torque generated by said actuating member (31, 31′″) in said load acting on said transmission element (32, 32″).
A method for damping vibrations transmitted to a drive shaft (6) of a rotor (3, 3′, 3″, 3′″) by means of a damping device (15, 15′, 15″, 15′″) for an aircraft capable of hovering, comprising the steps of:
- i) driving a hub (5) comprising a plurality of blades (9) in rotation about an axis (A);
- ii) operatively connecting said drive shaft (6) to said hub (5) and to a drive member of said aircraft (1);
- and
- iii) making a beam element (22) of said damping device (15, 15′, 15″, 15′″) flexurally oscillate in a plane parallel to said axis (A), so as to oppose the transmission of said vibrations generated by the rotation of said blades (9) to said drive shaft (6);
- characterized in that said step iii) comprises step iv) of applying, by means of an actuator (30) of said damping device (15, 15′, 15″, 15′″), a direct tensile or compressive load directed along said axis (A) on a transmission element (32, 32″, 32′″) of said damping device (15, 15′, 15″, 15′″) that is variable according to a frequency of the vibrations to be dampened;
- said beam element (22) being tubular and said transmission element (32, 32″, 32′″) being partly housed inside said beam element (22);
- said damping device (15, 15′, 15″, 15′″) further comprising a mass (17) operatively connected to said beam element (22) and arranged at an axial end of said beam element (22);
- said actuator (30) comprising:
- an actuating member (31, 31′″), which can be operated to exert torque having a main component coaxial to said axis (A);
- and
- connecting means (38, 39) interposed between said actuating member (31, 31′″) and said transmission element (32, 32″) and configured to transform said torque generated by said actuating member (31, 31′″) in said load acting on said transmission element (32, 32″).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.