Ram air turbine blade rotation over-speed prevention mechanism
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorDavid E. Russ
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A ram air turbine (RAT) prevents release of its turbine blades due an over-speed condition by detecting an over-speed condition with a turbine hub-mounted centrifugally operated trigger mechanism and rotating the blades to a fixed coarse pitch position with a release mechanism that responds to the trigger mechanism.
Claims19
An improved ram air turbine (RAT) for generating emergency aeronautical supplemental power that has a governor for automatically adjusting the pitch of turbine blades rotatingly attached to a RAT turbine hub with an axis of rotation and coupled to a governor mechanism, comprising:
- a centrifugally operated trigger mechanism attached to the turbine hub responsive to an over-speed condition of the turbine hub;
- and
- a release mechanism for each turbine blade responsive to the trigger mechanism that frees the turbine blades from the governor mechanism and lets them assume a fixed coarse pitch condition.
An improved ram air turbine (RAT) for generating emergency aeronautical supplemental power that has a governor for automatically adjusting the pitch of turbine blades rotatingly attached to a RAT turbine hub with an axis of rotation and coupled to a governor mechanism, comprising:
- a centrifugally operated trigger mechanism attached to the turbine hub responsive to an over-speed condition of the turbine hub that comprises at least one centrifugal brake assembly and a threaded driver ring rotatingly coupled to a stationary housing of the RAT that rotates toward the turbine hub when the RAT exceeds normal operating speed;
- and
- a release mechanism for each turbine blade comprising a drive cylinder responsive to contact with the trigger mechanism driver ring that frees the turbine blades from the governor mechanism and lets them assume a fixed coarse pitch condition.
An improved ram air turbine (RAT) for generating emergency aeronautical supplemental power that has a governor for automatically adjusting the pitch of turbine blades rotatingly attached to a RAT turbine hub with an axis of rotation and coupled to a governor mechanism, comprising:
- a centrifugally operated trigger mechanism attached to the turbine hub responsive to an over-speed condition of the turbine hub that comprises at least one centrifugal brake assembly with a brake shoe attached to a centrifugal rotary flyweight and a threaded driver ring rotatingly coupled to a stationary housing of the RAT that rotates toward the turbine hub when contacted by the brake shoe when the RAT exceeds normal operating speed;
- and
- a release mechanism for each turbine blade comprising a drive cylinder responsive to contact with the trigger mechanism driver ring that operates a blade root lever attached to each turbine blade to apply a twisting moment to the turbine blades that frees the turbine blades from the governor mechanism and forces them to a fixed coarse pitch condition.
An improved ram air turbine (RAT) for generating emergency aeronautical supplemental power that has a governor for automatically adjusting the pitch of turbine blades rotatingly attached to a RAT turbine hub with an axis of rotation and coupled to a governor mechanism, comprising:
- a centrifugally operated trigger mechanism attached to the turbine hub responsive to an over-speed condition of the turbine hub that comprises a pair of opposed centrifugal brake assemblies that each have a brake shoe attached to a centrifugal rotary flyweight and a threaded driver ring rotatingly coupled to a stationary housing of the RAT that rotates toward the turbine hub when contacted by the brake shoe when the RAT exceeds normal operating speed;
- and
- a release mechanism for each turbine blade comprising a drive cylinder responsive to contact with the trigger mechanism driver ring that operates a blade root lever attached to each turbine blade to apply a twisting moment to the turbine blades that frees the turbine blades from the governor mechanism and forces them to a fixed coarse pitch condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.