FR3131271A1 - ACTUATOR OF A MOBILE MOUNTED PART ON A ROTARY SUPPORT DRIVEN BY A TURBOMACHINE OF AN AIRCRAFT - Google Patents

Abstract

The actuator (110) comprises: - an epicyclic gear train (103); - a fixed support (107) secured to a satellite carrier (103PS) of the planetary gear train (103); - an electric motor (116) for moving the part (108) relative to a rotary support (104) secured to an outer sun gear (103PE) of the epicyclic gear train (103), the electric motor (116) comprising a stator ( 116S) carried by the rotating support (104); and - a rotary transformer (112) which comprises a wound stator (112S) carried by the fixed support (107) and a rotor (112R) carried by the rotary support (104) to transfer a so-called motor voltage (Vm~) to the motor electrical (116). Figure for abstract: Fig. 1

Description

ACTUATOR OF A MOBILE MOUNTED PART ON A ROTARY SUPPORT DRIVEN BY AN AIRCRAFT TURBOMACHINE Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to an actuator of a part mounted movable on a rotating support driven by a turbomachine of an aircraft. It applies in particular to the timing of blade pitches or blades.

Technology background

• une machine électrique principale comportant un rotor porté par le support rotatif et un stator bobiné solidaire d’une structure fixe externe de la turbomachine ; et
• un moteur électrique de déplacement de la pièce par rapport au support rotatif, le moteur électrique comportant un stator porté par le support rotatif.

The French patent application published under number FR 2 831 225 A1 describes an actuator of a movable part mounted on a rotary support driven by a turbomachine of an aircraft, comprising:

• a main electrical machine comprising a rotor carried by the rotating support and a wound stator secured to an external fixed structure of the turbomachine; And
• an electric motor for moving the part relative to the rotary support, the electric motor comprising a stator carried by the rotary support.

More precisely, this known actuator is designed to modify the orientation of the blades of a propeller mounted on the rotating support. Furthermore, in the previous publication, the electric motor is powered through a rotating transformer having a stator inductor secured to the external fixed structure of the turbomachine and controlled by an electronic control circuit connected by a power connection to a device electrical energy supply to the turboprop.

Thus, this known actuator requires power transfer through the high-radius rotating transformer, which requires the use of bulky coils. In addition, the rotor and stator of the rotating transformer are in the form of two rings facing each other, which impairs the integration of the actuator.

It may therefore be desired to design an actuator where the power supply device is directly carried by the rotating support and with a low radius, overcoming all or part of the aforementioned constraints.

• un train épicycloïdal comportant :
  • un planétaire intérieur conçu pour être entraîné par la turbomachine, en rotation autour d’un axe principal par rapport à une partie structurelle de l’aéronef,
  • un planétaire extérieur monté rotatif autour de l’axe principal par rapport à la partie structurelle de l’aéronef, le support rotatif étant solidaire du planétaire extérieur,
  • un porte satellite solidaire de la partie structurelle de l’aéronef,
  • au moins un satellite engrené à la fois avec le planétaire intérieur et avec le planétaire extérieur ;
• un support fixe solidaire du porte satellite ;
• un moteur électrique de déplacement de la pièce par rapport au support rotatif, le moteur électrique comportant un stator porté par le support rotatif ;
• un transformateur tournant qui comporte un stator bobiné porté par le support fixe et un rotor porté par le support rotatif pour transférer de la puissance électrique au moteur électrique.

It is therefore proposed an electrohydraulic or electromechanical actuator of a movable part mounted on a rotary support driven by a turbomachine of an aircraft, characterized in that it comprises:

• an epicyclic train comprising:
  • an internal sun gear designed to be driven by the turbomachine, in rotation around a main axis relative to a structural part of the aircraft,
  • an external sun gear mounted rotatably around the main axis relative to the structural part of the aircraft, the rotating support being integral with the external sun gear,
  • a satellite carrier secured to the structural part of the aircraft,
  • at least one satellite meshed with both the inner sun gear and the outer sun gear;
• a fixed support secured to the satellite carrier;
• an electric motor for moving the part relative to the rotary support, the electric motor comprising a stator carried by the rotary support;
• a rotating transformer which has a wound stator carried by the fixed support and a rotor carried by the rotating support for transferring electrical power to the electric motor.

Thanks to the invention, it is possible to place the stator of the transformer rotating on the main axis of the turbomachine with its rotor rotating around it, which simplifies its integration.

Optionally, the actuator further comprises a direct electrical network of the aircraft and a direct-alternating converter designed to supply the voltage to the stator of the rotating transformer.

Also optionally, the actuator also includes a motor voltage regulation device.

Also optionally, a regulation device is designed to regulate the motor voltage by controlling the DC-AC converter.

Also optionally, the actuator further comprises a device for measuring an orientation of the part and the regulation device is designed to regulate the motor voltage from the measured orientation and an orientation reference.

Also optionally, the electric motor is asynchronous.

• une turbomachine présentant un arbre tournant ;
• une hélice ou soufflante montée sur le support rotatif et présentant des pales ou des aubes ; et
• un actionneur des pales ou des aubes, selon l’invention.

A propulsion system for an aircraft is also proposed, comprising:

• a turbomachine having a rotating shaft;
• a propeller or fan mounted on the rotating support and having blades or vanes; And
• a blade or vane actuator, according to the invention.

An aircraft is also proposed comprising a propulsion system according to the invention.

Brief description of the figures

• la est une vue simplifiée d’un exemple de système propulsif d’un aéronef comportant un exemple d’actionneur selon l’invention,
• la est une vue simplifiée d’un exemple de convertisseur de mouvement pouvant être utilisé dans l’actionneur de la , et
• la est une vue simplifiée d’un autre exemple de convertisseur de mouvement pouvant être utilisé dans l’actionneur de la .

The invention will be better understood with the help of the description which follows, given solely by way of example and made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• there is a simplified view of an example of a propulsion system of an aircraft comprising an example of actuator according to the invention,
• there is a simplified view of an example of a motion converter that can be used in the actuator of the , And
• there is a simplified view of another example of a motion converter that can be used in the actuator of the .

Detailed description of the invention

In reference to the , an example of a propulsion system 100 of an aircraft, in which the invention is implemented, will now be described.

The propulsion system 100 firstly comprises a turbomachine 102.

The propulsion system 100 further comprises an epicyclic gear train 103 comprising first of all an internal sun gear 103P. The latter is driven by the turbomachine 102, rotating around a main axis P relative to a structural part 105 of the aircraft. The planetary gear train 103 further comprises at least one satellite 103S and a satellite carrier 103PS secured to the structural part 105 of the aircraft and carrying each satellite 103S. The planetary gear train 103 further comprises an external sun gear 103PE rotatably mounted around the main axis P relative to the structural part 105 of the aircraft. Each satellite 103S is meshed both with the inner sun gear 103PI and with the outer sun gear 103PE. In this way, the rotation of the inner sun gear 103PI causes the rotation of the outer sun gear 103PE, with a certain drive ratio.

The propulsion system 100 further comprises a rotating support 104 secured to the outer sun gear 103PE and a fixed support 107 secured to the satellite carrier 103PS, both located on the other side of the satellite carrier 103PS from the turbomachine 102. Thus, the fixed support 107 forms a fixed mark and the rotating support 104 forms a rotating mark.

The propulsion system 100 further comprises a propeller 106 mounted on the rotating support 104. The propeller 106 comprises blades 108. The terms propeller and blades also cover respectively a fan and the blades of this fan.

In order to change their orientation relative to the rotating shaft 104, the blades 108 are mounted movable relative to the rotating support 104. More precisely, in the example illustrated, they are mounted to pivot around respective radial axes A.

In order to control the orientation of the blades 108, the propulsion system 100 further comprises an actuator 110. This actuator 110 is particularly suitable for architectures of the ducted or non-ducted turbomachine type (USF from English "Unducted Single Fan", VPF from English “Variable Pitch Fan”).

The actuator 110 firstly comprises a three-phase or single-phase rotating transformer 112. It thus comprises a rotor 112R carried by the rotary support 104 and a stator 112S carried by the fixed support 107. In particular, the stator 112S is placed on the main axis P and the rotor 112R extends around the main axis P to rotate around the latter. The 112S stator is designed to receive electrical energy and transmit it to the 112R rotor, regardless of the angle of rotation between them. For example, the stator 112S of the main rotating transformer 112 receives electrical energy from a direct electrical network 115 of the aircraft, through a direct-alternating converter 117 (inverter). The continuous electrical network 115 and the inverter 117 are placed in the fixed reference. The routing of electrical harnesses to the rotating transformer 112 can be provided through the fixed planet carrier 103PS.

The actuator 110 further comprises an electric motor 116 for setting the blades 108, comprising a stator 116S and a rotor 116R. This is for example an asynchronous electric motor, for example with a squirrel cage. The electric timing motor 116 is carried by the rotary support 104, which means in particular that its stator 116S is carried by the rotary support 104 and that the rotor 116R is designed to rotate relative to the stator 116S and therefore relative to the support rotary 104.

The electric timing motor 116, and more particularly its stator 116S, is electrically powered by the rotor 112R of the main rotating transformer 112, in order to rotate the rotor 116R. The electrical connection between the rotor 112R and the electric timing motor 116 is carried by the rotating support 104, without returning in particular to the fixed reference.

The actuator 110 further comprises a motion converter 124, carried by the rotary support 104 (and therefore in the rotating frame) designed to convert the rotation of the rotor 116R into a movement of the blades 108. Examples of motion converter 124 will be described further below.

To control the change in orientation of the blades 108, the actuator 110 may further comprise a device 126 for measuring the orientation of the blades 108 and a device 128 for regulating the motor voltage Vm~ (in particular, its level and /or its frequency) to control the electric timing motor 116 from the measured orientation of the blades 108 and a setpoint C for the orientation of the blades 108. The control is for example vector or scalar. The control device 128 is for example designed to regulate the motor voltage Vm~ by controlling the inverter 117.

Furthermore, by attaching the fixed support 107 to the satellite carrier 103PS and the movable support 104 to the outer sun gear 103PE, it is possible to place the fixed support 107 on the main axis P, with the rotating support 104 around it. The stator 112S of the main rotating transformer 112 can thus be placed on the main axis P with its rotor 112R around it.

In reference to the , a first example of motion converter 124 will now be described in more detail.

In this first example, the motion converter 124 comprises a hydraulic pump 202 driven by the rotor 116R of the electric timing motor 116. The hydraulic pump 202 is for example of fixed displacement, which allows it to be robust.

The motion converter 124 further comprises a hydraulic cylinder 204 having two chambers separated by a piston 205 and actuated by the hydraulic pump 202.

When the rotor 116R of the electric timing motor 116 rotates in one direction of rotation, the hydraulic pump 202 fills the first chamber to move the piston 205 in a first direction. When the rotor 116R of the electric motor 116 rotates in the other direction of rotation, the hydraulic pump 202 fills the second chamber to move the piston 205 in the opposite direction.

The motion converter 124 further comprises a mechanism 206 for transforming the translational movement of the hydraulic cylinder 204 into a rotational movement of the blade 108 around the axis A.

In reference to the , a second example of motion converter 124 will now be described in more detail.

This second example is similar to the first example of the , except that the hydraulic pump 202 and the hydraulic cylinder 204 are replaced by a ball screw 302 carrying a nut translating in one direction and in the opposite direction following the direction of rotation of the rotor 116R of the electric timing motor 116.

It should be noted that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. It will indeed appear to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the embodiments described above, in light of the teaching which has just been disclosed to him.

In the detailed presentation of the invention which is made previously, the terms used should not be interpreted as limiting the invention to the embodiments set out in the present description, but must be interpreted to include all the equivalents for which the prediction is within the reach of those skilled in the art by applying their general knowledge to the implementation of the teaching which has just been disclosed to them.

Claims (8)

Actuator (110) of a part (108) movably mounted on a rotating support (104) driven by a turbomachine (102) of an aircraft, comprising:

• an epicyclic gear train (103) comprising:
  • an internal sun gear (103PI) designed to be driven by the turbomachine (102), in rotation around a main axis (P) relative to a structural part (105) of the aircraft,
  • an external sun gear (103PE) rotatably mounted around the main axis (P) relative to the structural part (105) of the aircraft, the rotating support (104) being integral with the external sun gear (103PE),
  • a satellite carrier (103PS) integral with the structural part (105) of the aircraft,
  • at least one satellite (103S) meshed with both the inner sun gear (103PI) and the outer sun gear (103PE);
• a fixed support (107) secured to the satellite carrier (103PS);
• an electric motor (116) for moving the part (108) relative to the rotary support (104), the electric motor (116) comprising a stator (116S) carried by the rotary support (104); And
• a rotating transformer (112) which comprises a wound stator (112S) carried by the fixed support (107) and a rotor (112R) carried by the rotating support (104) to transfer a so-called motor voltage (Vm~) to the electric motor ( 116).

Actuator according to claim 1, further comprising a direct electrical network (115) of the aircraft and a direct-alternating converter (117) designed to supply the voltage (Vm~) to the stator (112S) of the rotating transformer (112). Actuator according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a device (128) for regulating the motor voltage (Vm~). Actuator according to claim 3, the regulation device (128) is designed to regulate the motor voltage (Vm~) by controlling the direct-alternating converter (117). Actuator according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising a device (126) for measuring an orientation of the part (108) and in which the regulation device (128) is designed to regulate the motor voltage (Vm~) at from the measured orientation and an orientation instruction (C). Actuator (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the electric motor (116) is asynchronous. Propulsion system (100) of an aircraft, comprising:

• a turbomachine (102) having a rotating shaft (104);
• a propeller or fan (106) mounted on the rotating support (104) and having blades or vanes (108); And
• an actuator (110) of the blades or vanes (108), according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

Aircraft comprising a propulsion system (100) according to claim 7.