US 2015/0028153 A1Published application

Regulated three-engined power plant for a rotary wing aircraft

AssigneeAirbus Helicopters

InventorsRegis ROSSOTTO, Hanno BOIE

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Abstract

A power plant (1) having two engine groups (10, 20) and a main gearbox (MGB) (2), and a rotary wing aircraft (30) having such a power plant (1). Each engine group (10, 20) drives said MGB (2) mechanically to rotate a main outlet shaft (3) and, consequently, a main rotor (31) of said aircraft (30) at a frequency of rotation NR. A first engine group (10) has two main engines (11, 12) and is by a first setpoint NR* for said frequency of rotation NR, while a second engine group (20) has one secondary engine (21) and is regulated by a second setpoint W1* for power from said second engine group (20). The first engine group (10) is also regulated by a third setpoint W2f* for anticipating power such that said first engine group (10) and said second engine group (20) deliver the power needed at said main rotor (31).

Claims16

Dependent claims

A power plant comprising two engine groups and a main gearbox (MGB), the two engine groups driving said MGB mechanically in order to rotate at least one main outlet shaft of said MGB, said main outlet shaft having a frequency of rotation NR, wherein a first engine group comprises at least one main engine and a first regulator device, said first regulator device regulating operation of each main engine in application of a first setpoint NR* for the frequency of rotation NR of said main outlet shaft, and in that a second engine group comprises at least one secondary engine and a second regulator device, said second regulator device regulating power delivered by each secondary engine in application of a second setpoint W1* for the power from said second engine group, said power plant having a third regulator device regulating operation of said first engine group in application of a third setpoint W2f* for anticipating power such that said first engine group and said second engine group together provide a necessary power Ws* needed at said main outlet shaft, said necessary power Ws* being determined by calculation means.

A method of regulating a power plant for a rotary wing aircraft, said power plant comprising a first engine group, a second engine group, and a main gearbox (MGB), the first and second engine groups driving said MGB mechanically in order to rotate a main outlet shaft of said MGB, said main outlet shaft having a frequency of rotation NR and being constrained to rotate with a main rotor of said aircraft, the method comprising the following steps:

determining a necessary power Ws* needed at said main outlet shaft and a first setpoint NR* for said frequency of rotation NR of said main outlet shaft;
determining a second setpoint W1* for power to be delivered by said second engine group;
regulating said first engine group having at least one main engine in application of said first setpoint NR* for said frequency of rotation NR;
regulating the power delivered by said second engine group having at least one secondary engine in application of said second setpoint W1* for power;
determining a third setpoint W2f* for anticipating power to be delivered by said first engine group;
and
regulating the operation of said first engine group in application of said third setpoint W2f* for anticipated power such that said first engine group and said second engine group together deliver said necessary power Ws*.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.