CN111094128A

CN111094128A - Tail rotor wing device

Info

Publication number: CN111094128A
Application number: CN201880058840.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: J·斯坦贝克
Original assignee: Sbm Development Co
Current assignee: Sbm Development Co
Priority date: 2017-07-19
Filing date: 2018-07-19
Publication date: 2020-05-01
Also published as: DE112018003700A5; DE202017104316U1; WO2019016328A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a tail rotor device (10) for a rotary wing aircraft (1), comprising: the tail rotor (20), a drive train (30) for rotationally driving the tail rotor (20), and a housing (40) surrounding the drive train (30).

Description

Tail rotor wing device

The present invention relates to a tail rotor device for a rotary wing aircraft, in particular a helicopter.

Tail rotors are commonly used in rotorcraft, such as helicopters, to balance the torque produced by the main rotor. Without the stabilizing effect of the tail rotor, the rotorcraft will continue to rotate about the vertical axis. The tail rotor or perhaps an alternative system is therefore indispensable to ensure a stable flight attitude.

In most cases, the tail rotor of a helicopter is designed as a separate rotor which is formed beside the respective tail or tail boom or vertical tail of the helicopter. However, a disadvantage of such designs is that they are prone to collisions during flight, such as hitting birds or drones, and they represent a significant risk of injury to people who remain near the helicopter while taking off or landing.

It has therefore been the practice to mount a tail rotor into the tail section of a helicopter. This design is called a ducted tail rotor. They significantly reduce the risk of injury and are also less prone to collisions during flight. This is especially because they do not stand out in terms of the helicopter cross-section, but are integrated into the helicopter.

To secure such tail rotors, a plurality of diagonal struts are typically used, which stabilize the hub of the tail rotor from multiple sides.

However, it has been found that the tail rotor arrangement known from the prior art, in particular the ducted tail rotor, leads to a loud noise emission, which is annoying in particular when used in occupied areas.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a tail rotor arrangement which is improved with regard to its noise emission.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a tail rotor arrangement according to claim 1.

The present invention relates to a tail rotor device for a rotorcraft. The tail rotor device has a tail rotor. It also has a drive train for rotationally driving the tail rotor. In addition, it has a housing which surrounds the drive train.

The invention provides that the housing and/or the drive train is designed to hold the tail rotor without additional diagonal struts.

By means of the design according to the invention, the diagonal struts required in the prior art can be dispensed with. It has been found that the tail rotor noise emission is significantly reduced by this design, since the diagonal struts no longer serve to form vortices. Furthermore, the shadowing of the air flow generated by the tail rotor is reduced or avoided, so that a lower power of the tail rotor is sufficient. Thereby also saving engine fuel.

Rotorcraft, in particular helicopters. But it may also be another rotorcraft such as, for example, a spinning rotorcraft. It is further noted that the invention may in principle also be considered for other applications as a rotary wing aircraft, in particular where only torque generation is required. For example, it may be used in an airship.

The tail rotor can in particular have a hub and a plurality of rotor blades surrounding the hub. It can in particular be designed to rotate about a horizontal axis in the basic position or in the rest position. For this purpose, thrust or air flow can be generated in the horizontal direction, whereby, for example, the torque of the main rotor can be balanced. The rotor blades may in particular be adjustable.

The drive train can be provided in particular for connection to a drive of the aircraft or it can be connected to such a drive, in particular in the installed state. Whereby the rotary motion can be transmitted to the tail rotor. In particular, a rotary motion steering can be provided between the drive train and the tail rotor or the hub of the tail rotor, for example by means of a bevel gear mechanism. This turning can for example be made with an angle of about 90.

The cover may in particular be made of a material such as carbon or carbon fibre or aluminium. In particular, carbon or carbon fibers have been demonstrated in terms of the load capacity to be withstood. Thereby, stability can be obtained which can be used to give up further diagonal braces.

According to one embodiment, the cover itself is designed to hold the tail rotor without additional diagonal struts. According to another embodiment, the drive train is designed for holding the tail rotor without further diagonal struts. Thus, in these cases, the holding force is generated solely by the cover or the drive train. However, it can also be provided that the housing and the drive train cooperate to generate a holding force, so that additional diagonal struts can be dispensed with due to the overall holding effect.

The tail rotor or tail rotor arrangement described herein may be, in particular, a rotor with a housing, or the tail rotor or tail rotor arrangement may be designed or designed as a rotor with a housing.

The tail rotor arrangement may in particular be installed in a helicopter or other rotorcraft or aircraft, so that the tail rotor is held without further diagonal struts. In other words, the cover and/or the drive train act as the only diagonal strut. Thus preferably there are no other diagonal braces.

The invention also relates to a helicopter, rotorcraft or aircraft in general, having a tail rotor apparatus as described herein. In this case, in particular no additional diagonal struts are required for holding the tail rotor, apart from the housing and/or the drive train.

The forces generated by the tail rotor, i.e. in particular its own weight and the thrust generated by the tail rotor, are preferably transmitted into the structure or the remainder of the aircraft via the housing or via the drive train or the bearing journal of the tail rotor transmission.

Said part also serves at the same time as a bearing guide, in particular if it is made of carbon.

The housing and/or the drive train can be designed in particular to support a weight of up to 100 kg in the horizontal direction, either individually or also in a concentrated manner, and/or to contribute to a structural dead weight of about 100 kg in the case of 4G.

The tail rotor can be formed in particular in a surrounding casing which surrounds the tail rotor, for example.

The cover body can be formed, for example, from two cover halves which are produced, for example, separately and can then be bonded, for example. It may be made of, for example, a fiber composite and/or carbon.

Additional features and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are always denoted by the same reference numerals, and thus, will not be described again unless it is not intended. The disclosure contained in all the descriptions can be applied to the components having the same reference numerals or the same component names in terms of meaning. The positional references selected in the description, such as, for example, upper, lower, lateral, etc., also relate to the figures just described and shown and are intended to be inserted into the new position in the sense of a change in position. Furthermore, individual features or combinations of features from the different embodiments shown and described can also be inventive per se or a solution according to the invention, wherein:

figure 1 shows a side view of a tail rotor apparatus,

figure 2 shows a perspective view of a tail rotor assembly,

figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the tail rotor assembly from above,

fig. 4 shows a detail of fig. 3 in enlarged detail.

It will be appreciated that the tail rotor apparatus shown by way of example herein is shown mounted in a rotary wing aircraft in the form of a helicopter. This corresponds to typical installation conditions.

Fig. 1 shows a part of a rotary-wing aircraft in the form of a helicopter 1. Helicopter 1 has a tail boom 2 that projects rearwardly from the nacelle of helicopter 1 according to a typical design.

In the tail boom 2 a tail rotor arrangement 10 according to one embodiment of the invention is arranged.

The tail rotor apparatus 10 has a tail rotor 20. The tail rotor is arranged in an opening 5 of the tail cantilever 2. The hole 5 is here a circular opening which in the rest position of the typical helicopter 1 passes horizontally through the tail boom 2.

The tail rotor 20 has a plurality of rotor blades 22. A total of 8 rotor blades 22 are shown here. It should be understood that any other number of rotor blades 22 may be used.

Rotor blades 22 are disposed about hub 24 of tail rotor 20. Hub 24 is oriented horizontally so that rotor blades 22 may rotate in a plane that is oriented vertically in the rest position of helicopter 1. As a result, thrust forces can be generated in the horizontal direction when the rotor blades 22 are properly actuated, which balances the torque generated by the main rotor of the helicopter 1, not shown. Therefore, a stable flight attitude is considered.

The drive train 30 is used to rotationally drive the tail rotor 20. The drive train is not only connected to the tail rotor 20, but also to a main drive of the helicopter 1, not shown, so that a rotary motion can be transmitted from the main drive to the tail rotor 20. The drive train 30 is surrounded by a casing 40 which protrudes from the tail boom 2 of the helicopter 1. The drive train 30 is thus protected against the weather.

Here, the cover 40 is made of carbon fiber and is designed to be sufficiently stable so that it can carry the tail rotor 20 without additional diagonal struts. As is clear from fig. 1, the tail rotor 20 is not supported in the opening 5 by other diagonal struts. This results in the need in the prior art for such a diagonal strut to not interfere with the thrust generated by the tail rotor 20 and also not generate additional noise. Thus, the noise emitted by the tail rotor 20 can be significantly reduced. In addition, fuel savings can be achieved because additional drag is eliminated.

It will be appreciated that the drive train 30 or the combination of the drive train 30 and the housing 40 may also serve the holding function described herein.

Fig. 2 shows the tail rotor device 10 in a perspective view. It is also clear here that the tail rotor apparatus 10 according to the invention does not suffice without further diagonal struts, i.e. without the combination of the drive train 30 and its housing 40. The advantages already described are thereby obtained.

Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the tail rotor apparatus 10 of the present invention from above. Here it can be seen that rotor blades 22 are mounted on hub 24 in a conventional manner so as to be driven by a drive train 30. Thus, rotor blades 22 can rotate within opening 5 in the usual manner.

Fig. 4 shows the detail of fig. 3 marked with C in an enlarged detail. For the components shown, see the previous description.

The claims, as they are filed concurrently with this application and later are used for the purpose of obtaining broad protection.

If it is found here in particular in a detailed examination of the relevant prior art that one or other feature is advantageous for the purposes of the invention but is not of essential importance, it is clear that such a term is now sought, which in particular in the independent claims does not have such a feature anymore. Such sub-combinations are also covered by the disclosure of the present application.

It is further noted that the designs and variants of the invention described in the various embodiments and shown in the figures can be combined with one another in any desired manner. Any number of features or a plurality of features may be interchanged here. These combinations of features are also disclosed.

The dependent claims refer to the subject matter of the independent claims improved by the features of the respective dependent claims. They should not, however, be construed as a disclaimer of the sole specific protection sought to be afforded the dependent claims.

Features which are disclosed only in the description or which are derived from claims containing a number of features can be regarded as being included in the invention in the independent claims at a time of considerable significance in relation to the prior art and even when such features are described or clearly advantageous in relation to other features.

Claims

1. A tail rotor device (10) for a rotary-wing aircraft (1), the tail rotor device having:

-a tail rotor (20),

a drive train (30) for rotationally driving the tail rotor (20),

a casing (40) enclosing the drive train (30),

it is characterized in that the utility model is characterized in that,

-the cover (40) and/or the drive train (30) are designed to hold the tail rotor (20) without further diagonal struts.