US 12,012,204 B2Granted

Rotor for a hover-capable aircraft

AssigneesLeonardo S.P.A., Politecnico Di Milano

InventorsEnrico Bellussi, Massimo Brunetti, Giovanni Facchini, Nicola Ostuni, Francesco Castelli Dezza, Marco Mauri, Steven Chatterton, Nicola Toscani

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Abstract

A rotor for an aircraft is described having: a support angularly fixed with respect to an axis and housing a power source; a unit rotatable about axis and housing an electrical load of the resistive type; and a power supply system for the electrical load (21, 24) and comprising: a first transformer electrically interposed between the power source and the load; the first transformer comprises: a first winding arranged on the support and a second winding arranged on the unit, a stator carried by the support, rotationally fixed with respect to axis and to which the first winding is fixed; and a rotor operatively connected to the unit and to which the second winding is fixed; the power supply system comprises a capacitive circuit electrically connected to the first transformer, so as to reduce the reactive power absorbed by the rotary transformer.

Claims44

Dependent claims

A rotor (3, 4) for a hover-capable aircraft (1), comprising:

a support (9) angularly fixed with respect to an axis (B, C) and housing an electrical power source (20);
a unit (11, 12) rotatable with respect to said support (9) about said axis (B, C) and housing an electrical load (21, 24) of the resistive type;
and
a power supply system (19, 19′, 19″, 19″′, 19″″, 19″″′, 19″″″, 19″″″′) adapted to electrically power said electrical load (21, 24);
said power supply system (19, 19′, 19″, 19″′, 19″″, 19″″′, 19″″″, 19″″″′), in turn, comprising:
at least a first rotary transformer (22) electrically interposed between said power source (20) and said electrical load (21, 24);
said first rotary transformer (22), in turn, comprising:
a first winding (26) arranged on said support (9), electrically connected to said power source (20) and which can be electrically supplied with an alternating voltage at a frequency value;
a second winding (28) arranged on said unit (11, 12, 13), electromagnetically coupled to said first winding (26) and electrically connected to said electrical load (21, 24);
a stator (100) carried by said support (9), rotationally fixed with respect to said axis (B, C) and to which said first winding (26) is fixed;
and
a rotor (101) operatively connected to said unit (11, 12) and to which said second winding (28) is fixed;
said power supply system (19, 19′, 19″, 19″′, 19″″, 19″″′, 19″″″, 19″″″′) comprising a capacitive circuit (50) electrically connected to said first rotary transformer (22), so as to reduce the reactive power absorbed by said first rotary transformer (22);
characterized in that said stator (100) defines a seat (171) engaged by an appendage (140) of said rotor (101);
said seat (171) being engaged with axial play by said appendage (140) when said rotor (101) is correctly positioned with respect to said stator (100);
said seat (171) making axial contact with said appendage (140) when said stator (100) is positioned incorrectly in the axial direction.

13 more elements

A rotor (3, 4) for a hover-capable aircraft (1), comprising:

a support (9) angularly fixed with respect to an axis (B, C) and housing an electrical power source (20);
a unit (11, 12) rotatable with respect to said support (9) about said axis (B, C) and housing an electrical load (21, 24) of the resistive type;
and
a power supply system (19, 19′, 19″, 19″′, 19″″, 19″″′, 19″″″, 19″″″′) adapted to electrically power said electrical load (21, 24);
said power supply system (19, 19′, 19″, 19″′, 19″″, 19″″′, 19″″″, 19″″″′), in turn, comprising:
at least a first rotary transformer (22) electrically interposed between said power source (20) and said electrical load (21, 24);
said first rotary transformer (22), in turn, comprising:
a first winding (26) arranged on said support (9), electrically connected to said power source (20) and which can be electrically supplied with an alternating voltage at a frequency value;
a second winding (28) arranged on said unit (11, 12, 13), electromagnetically coupled to said first winding (26) and electrically connected to said electrical load (21, 24);
a stator (100) carried by said support (9), rotationally fixed with respect to said axis (B, C) and to which said first winding (26) is fixed;
and
a rotor (101) operatively connected to said unit (11, 12) and to which said second winding (28) is fixed;
said power supply system (19, 19′, 19″, 19″′, 19″″, 19″″′, 19″″″, 19″″″′) comprising a capacitive circuit (50) electrically connected to said first rotary transformer (22), so as to reduce the reactive power absorbed by said first rotary transformer (22);
characterized in that said stator (100) comprises a first magnetic half-core (25) and at least a first slot (102) engaged by the first winding (26);
said rotor (101) comprising a second magnetic half-core (27) and at least a second slot (103) engaged by said second winding (28);
said first and second magnetic half-cores (25, 27) being annularly shaped;
said first magnetic half-core (25) being housed inside said second magnetic half-core (27);
at least one of said first and second magnetic half-cores (25, 27) having a double-C section in a plane parallel to said axis (B, C).

15 more elements

A rotor (3, 4) for a hover-capable aircraft (1), comprising:

a support (9) angularly fixed with respect to an axis (B, C) and housing an electrical power source (20);
a unit (11, 12) rotatable with respect to said support (9) about said axis (B, C) and housing an electrical load (21, 24) of the resistive type;
and
a power supply system (19″) adapted to electrically power said electrical load (21, 24);
said power supply system (19″), in turn, comprising:
at least a first rotary transformer (22) electrically interposed between said power source (20) and said electrical load (21, 24);
said first rotary transformer (22), in turn, comprising:
a first winding (26) arranged on said support (9), electrically connected to said power source (20) and which can be electrically supplied with an alternating voltage at a frequency value;
a second winding (28) arranged on said unit (11, 12, 13), electromagnetically coupled to said first winding (26) and electrically connected to said electrical load (21, 24);
a stator (100) carried by said support (9), rotationally fixed with respect to said axis (B, C) and to which said first winding (26) is fixed;
and
a rotor (101) operatively connected to said unit (11, 12) and to which said second winding (28) is fixed;
said power supply system (19″) comprising a capacitive circuit (50) electrically connected to said first rotary transformer (22), so as to reduce the reactive power absorbed by said first rotary transformer (22);
said capacitive circuit (50) comprising:
a first node (45) and a second node (44) that can be electrically supplied with an alternating voltage;
a first capacitor (47b) electrically connected between said first node (45) and a third node (46);
and
a second capacitor (47a) electrically connected between said first node (45) and said second node (44);
said first winding (26) being connected in series between said third node (46) and said second node (44);
said circuit (50) further comprising a third capacitor (54) electrically interposed in series between said second winding (26) and said electrical load (21, 24);
characterized in that it comprises a plurality of blades (13) housing respective said electrical loads (21, 24);
said power supply system (19″) comprising, for at least said blade (13):
a first inverter (40) electrically connected to said power source (20) and to said first winding (26) of said first rotary transformer (22);
said first inverter (40) comprising:
two fourth input nodes (41, 42) that can be supplied with a first value of direct voltage (VIN) and two fifth output nodes (43, 44) at which a second value of alternating voltage is made available;
and
a first current sensor (201″) arranged at one (41) of said fourth input nodes (41, 42) and adapted to measure a first value of an electric current (IIN) at said one (41) of said fourth input nodes (41, 42);
said power supply system (19″) comprising a control unit (220) programmed to compute the electrical resistance value of said electrical load (24) on the basis of said first value of said electric current (IIN) at said one (41) of said fourth input nodes (41, 42).

25 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.