Rotor provided with a device for protecting it against lightning, and an aircraft provided with such a rotor

An aircraft comprising a power plant driving a power gearbox fastened to an airframe of the aircraft by fastener means, the aircraft having a rotor provided with a hub and a plurality of blades supported by the hub, the rotor including a mast secured to the hub to drive the hub and the blades in rotation about an axis of rotation (AX), the mast being driven in rotation by the power gearbox, the rotor including protection means for providing protection against lightning, wherein the protection means comprise rotary electric current conduction means constrained to rotate with the mast and connected to each blade by a respective first electrical connection member, the protection means having non-rotary electric current conduction means facing the rotary conduction means while not being constrained to rotate with the mast, the protection means including electrical connection trigger means arranged on at least one of the conduction means in a space separating the non-rotary conduction means from the rotary conduction means, the non-rotary conduction means being provided with a second electrical connection member suitable for being electrically connected to a target member external to the rotor, wherein the protection means include detection and quantification means for detecting and quantifying the electric current generated by a lightning strike, and the detection and quantification means comprise at least one trigger pivot of the electrical connection trigger means.

A rotor comprising a hub and a plurality of blades supported by the hub, the rotor including a mast secured to the hub to drive the hub and the blades in rotation about an axis of rotation (AX), the rotor having protection means for providing protection against lightning, wherein the protection means comprise rotary electric current conduction means constrained to rotate with the mast and connected to each blade via a first electrical connection member,

• the protection means having non-rotary electric current conduction means facing the rotary conduction means, and the non-rotary conduction means not being constrained to rotate with the mast,
• the protection means including electrical connection trigger means arranged on at least one of the conduction means in a space separating the non-rotary conduction means from the rotary conduction means, the non-rotary conduction means being provided with a second electrical connection member suitable for being electrically connected to a target member external to the rotor;
• the rotor including means for modifying the pitch of the blades, the means comprising an assembly of a non-rotary swashplate that is not constrained to rotate with the mast and a rotary swashplate that is constrained to rotate with the mast, the rotary swashplate being connected to each blade via a respective pitch rod, the rotary conduction means being fastened to the rotary swashplate and the non-rotary conduction means being fastened to the non-rotary swashplate;
• and
• the protection means including detection and quantification means for detecting and quantifying the electric current generated by a lightning strike, the detection and quantification means comprising at least one sensor for measuring the remanent magnetic field, with the sensor for measuring the remanent field being arranged on one of the conduction means.