Rotor blade swashplate-axis rotation and gyroscopic moments componsator
AssigneeMcDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company
InventorStephen S. Osder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for compensating for spatial phase angle phase errors in the flapping angle oscillations of a rotor blade is disclosed. The apparatus receives a measured aircraft roll and a measured aircraft pitch. Gyroscopic moments resulting from these measured rolls and pitches are determined, and compensating gyroscopic moments are then generated and summed with commanded pitch and roll accelerations. Flapping angle phase lags of the rotor blade swashplate are added to the summed signals to cancel any flapping angle phase leads, caused by changes in aircraft or rotor blade speed caused by installation configurations of the rotor blade swashplate.
Claims19
A method of controlling a rotor blade swashplate to stabilize either a helicopter aircraft or a jet-powered tri-mode aircraft as the jet-powered tri-mode aircraft travels in a transitional mode, which is between a helicopter mode and a fixed-wing mode, the method comprising the following steps:
- detecting at least one of rotor blade speed, change in aircraft velocity, and installation configurations of a rotor blade swashplate of a rotor blade;
- compensating for at least one of changes in rotor blade speed, changes in aircraft velocity, and for installation configurations of a rotor blade swashplate of a rotor blade;
- and
- compensating for gyroscopic moments on the rotor blade which are induced by at least one of an aircraft pitch rate and an aircraft roll rate, the step of compensating for gyroscopic moments on the rotor blade including the following substeps:
- measuring an aircraft roll of the aircraft;
- determining gyroscopic moments, which are generated by the measured aircraft roll of the aircraft, and which are placed on the rotor blade of the aircraft;
- and
- controlling a rotor blade swashplate, based on the determined gyroscopic moments.
A method of controlling a rotor blade swashplate to stabilize either a helicopter aircraft or a jet-powered tri-mode aircraft as the jet-powered tri-mode aircraft travels in a transitional mode, which is between a helicopter mode and a fixed-wing mode, the method comprising the following steps:
- detecting at least one of rotor blade speed, change in aircraft velocity, and installation configurations of a rotor blade swashplate of a rotor blade;
- compensation for at least one of changes in rotor blade speed, changes in aircraft velocity, and for installation configurations of a rotor blade swashplate of a rotor blade;
- detecting at least one of aircraft pitch rate and aircraft roll rate;
- compensating for gyroscopic moments on the rotor blade which are induced by at least one of an aircraft pitch rate and an aircraft roll rate, the step of compensating for at least one of changes in rotor blade speed, changes in aircraft velocity, and for installation configurations of a rotor blade swashplate of a rotor blade including the following substeps:
- determining an aircraft roll error of the aircraft;
- outputting the determined aircraft roll error to a rotor blade swashplate controller;
- and
- controlling a rotor blade swashplate, based upon the determined aircraft roll error.
A method of controlling a rotor blade swashplate to stabilize either a helicopter aircraft or a jet-powered tri-mode aircraft as the jet-powered tri-mode aircraft travels in a transitional mode, which is between a helicopter mode and a fixed-wing mode, the method comprising the following steps:
- generating data relating to at least one of a change in rotor blade speed, a change in aircraft velocity, and an installation configuration of a rotor blade swashplate of a rotor blade;
- generating data relating to gyroscopic moments on the rotor blade which are induced by at least one of an aircraft pitch rate and an aircraft role rate;
- compensating for at least one of changes in rotor blade speed, changes in aircraft velocity, and for installation configurations of a rotor blade swashplate of a rotor blade to thereby generate a first compensation;
- compensating for gyroscopic moments on the rotor blade which are induced by at least one of an aircraft pitch rate and an aircraft roll rate to thereby generate a second compensation;
- and
- changing an orientation of a rotor blade swashplate, based upon the first and second compensations.
A method of controlling a rotor blade swashplate to stabilize either a helicopter aircraft or a jet-powered tri-mode aircraft as the jet-powered tri-mode aircraft travels in a transitional mode, which is between a helicopter mode and a fixed-wing mode, the method comprising the following steps:
- detecting at least one of rotor blade speed, change in aircraft velocity, and installation configurations of a rotor blade swashplate of a rotor blade;
- compensating for at least one of changes in rotorblade speed, changes in aircraft velocity, and for installation configurations of a rotor blade swashplate of a rotor blade;
- compensating for gyroscopic moments on the rotor blade which are induced by at least one of an aircraft pitch rate and an aircraft roll rate, the step of compensating for gyroscopic moments on the rotor blade including the following substeps:
- measuring an aircraft pitch of the aircraft;
- determining gyroscopic moments, which are generated by the measured aircraft pitch of the aircraft, and which are placed on the rotor blade of the aircraft;
- and
- controlling a rotor blade swashplate, based upon the determined gyroscopic moments.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.