System and method for cooling a hover-capable aircraft transmission

A system (7) for cooling a transmission (6) of a hover-capable aircraft (1), the system comprising:

• a stator (3);
• a heat exchanger (8) connectable thermally to said transmission (6);
• a fan (9) for creating a first current (P) of a first heat-carrying fluid from said heat exchanger (8) to the fan (9) itself, to remove heat from said heat exchanger (8);
• a rotary member (10), which rotates about an axis (A) to rotate an impeller (20a) of said fan (9) about said axis (A);
• and
• a bearing (16) supporting said rotary member (10) for rotation about said axis (A) and with respect to said stator (3);
• the system being characterized by comprising cooling means for cooling said bearing (16);
• said cooling means comprising conducting means (40;
• 42, 41, 30, 29) for conducting a second current (Q) of a second heat-carrying fluid along a path from an outside environment (50), external to said bearing (16), to said bearing (16), so as to cool the bearing (16);
• said conducting means (40;
• 42, 41, 30, 29) comprising:
• a first cavity (41) defined by said rotary member (10) and connectable fluidically to said outside environment (50);
• and
• a second cavity (29) into which said bearing (16) faces, and which, when said impeller (20a) is operated, is at a lower pressure than said outside environment (50) external to said bearing (16);
• said second cavity (29) being defined by said impeller (20a).