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US 11,401,040 B2Granted
Rotor hub fairing with integral cooling capabilities
AssigneeTextron Innovations Inc.
InventorsAndrew Paul Haldeman, Amarjit Olenchery Kizhakkepat, Gary Miller, Diana Tinlin, Glenn Shimek
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One embodiment is a rotor system including a rotor hub comprising a plurality of extension arms for connecting rotor blades to the rotor hub; a plurality of dampers connected between a respective one of the extension arms and the rotor hub; and a fairing disposed over the rotor hub, the fairing including an inlet plenum through which air is drawn from outside the fairing into the fairing; and at least one duct for conducting the air toward the at least one of the dampers.
Claims18
A rotor system comprising:
- a rotor hub comprising a plurality of extension arms for connecting rotor blades to the rotor hub;
- a plurality of dampers connected between a respective one of the extension arms and the rotor hub;
- and
- a fairing disposed over the rotor hub, the fairing including:
- an inlet plenum through which air is drawn from outside the fairing into the fairing;
- a plurality of ducts corresponding to and directing a portion of the air toward a respective one of the plurality of dampers;
- and
- a plurality of blade extension clearance windows;
- wherein each one of the extension arms extends through a respective one of the blade extension clearance windows corresponding to one of the plurality of dampers;
- and
- wherein the portion of the air directed toward each one of the dampers is expelled through the corresponding one of the blade clearance windows.
8 more elements
A rotorcraft comprising:
- a fuselage;
- and
- a rotor system associated with the fuselage, the rotor system comprising:
- a rotor hub comprising a plurality of extension arms for connecting rotor blades to the rotor hub;
- a plurality of dampers connected between a respective one of the extension arms and the rotor hub;
- and
- a fairing disposed over the rotor hub, the fairing including:
- an inlet plenum through which air is drawn from outside the fairing into the fairing;
- a plurality of ducts corresponding to and directing a portion of the air toward a respective one of the plurality of dampers;
- and
- a plurality of blade extension clearance windows;
- wherein each one of the extension arms extends through a respective one of the blade extension clearance windows corresponding to one of the plurality of dampers;
- and
- wherein the portion of the air directed toward each one of the dampers is expelled through the corresponding one of the blade clearance windows.
11 more elements
A method comprising:
- drawing air into a fairing disposed over a rotor hub through an inlet plenum using centrifugal force;
- directing the air toward a plurality of dampers associated with the rotor hub via a plurality of ducts, wherein each one of the ducts is associated with and directs a portion of the air toward one of the dampers;
- and
- expelling the air from the fairing via a plurality of clearance windows, wherein each one of the clearance windows corresponds to and is proximate one of the dampers;
- wherein the portion of the air directed toward each one of the dampers is expelled through the corresponding one of the clearance windows.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.