Method of driving a main rotor of a rotorcraft in the context of simulating a failure of one of the engnes of the rotorcraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10748441-B2
Application number	US-201615290441-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2016
Priority date	Apr 9, 2013
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

A method of driving a main rotor of a rotorcraft in rotation while implementing an in-flight simulation mode that simulates failure of one of the engines of the rotorcraft. In simulation mode, and when a current speed of rotation (NR) of the main rotor is detected as being lower than a predetermined threshold speed of rotation (S), the simulation mode is kept active and a regulation command is generated in order to perform a controlled operation (A) of gradually increasing the power delivered by the engines by authorizing the limit imposed by a setpoint (OEI/2) for regulating operation of the engine in simulation mode to be exceeded. Said gradually increasing power is interrupted by the pilot staying under training and operating a collective pitch manoeuver of the blade of the main rotor providing a rotation of main rotor at the predetermined threshold speed in rotation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of driving rotation of at least one main rotor of a rotorcraft fitted with a power plant comprising a plurality of engines, the method implementing an in-flight simulation mode that simulates failure of one of the engines of the rotorcraft in order to train a pilot of the rotorcraft for such a failure, in which simulation mode comprises:
at least two engines together delivering power in order to drive the main rotor at a setpoint speed of rotation, the power being shared evenly between the engines, that are all kept in synchronous engagement on a power transmission train interposed between the power plant and the main rotor;
each of the at least two engines operating on the basis of a first setpoint that is predefined depending on a value of a second setpoint selected by a trainer from a plurality of second setpoints, each second setpoint defining a power that the engines are authorized to deliver for a given period when not in simulation mode in the event of a real failure of an engine, the first setpoint value corresponding to the second setpoint value that defines it being shared evenly between the engines that are all kept in synchronous engagement on the power transmission train in order to drive the main rotor in rotation in simulation mode; and
a current speed of rotation of the main rotor detected as being lower than a predetermined threshold speed of rotation spontaneously gives rise to an operation being performed whereby the engines deliver additional power within a limit imposed by a third setpoint;
wherein the operation of delivering additional power is performed by actively maintaining the simulation mode and by generating a regulation command giving rise to a controlled operation of gradually increasing the power delivered by the engines by authorizing the limit imposed by the first setpoint to be exceeded, the controlled operation of gradually increasing the power being interrupted at a current power level at which the power delivered by the engines drives the main rotor at a speed of rotation that is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold speed of rotation as a consequence of the pilot under training in simulation mode causing blades of the main rotor to perform a collective pitch maneuver.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein, for any one of the first setpoints implemented in simulation mode, a value of the third setpoint is a value of any one of a plurality of all engines operative setpoints.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein, for any one of the first setpoints implemented in simulation mode, the value of the third setpoint is a value of the second setpoint defining the value of the first setpoint implemented in simulation mode.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the current power level is maintained after the controlled operation of gradually increasing the power has been interrupted.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlled operation of gradually increasing the power is engaged using power variation that is linear.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlled operation of gradually increasing the power is engaged using variation in the power increase that is gradual.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlled operation of gradually increasing the power is engaged by issuing a first request relating to a gradual increase of the first setpoint until the at least one main rotor reaches a speed of rotation that is not greater than the setpoint speed of rotation.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlled operation of gradually increasing the power is engaged by issuing a second request relating to a predefined speed of rotation for driving the main rotor, the value of the predefined speed of rotation being less than the value of the setpoint speed of rotation and being greater than the value of the predetermined threshold speed of rotation.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the method includes an operation of displaying at least:
first information relating to the current speed of rotation at which the main rotor is being driven; and
second information relating to exceeding the value of the first setpoint.

10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein, for any one of the first setpoints implemented in simulation mode, a value of the third setpoint is a value higher than the second setpoint.

11. A method of driving rotation of at least one main rotor of a rotorcraft fitted with a power plant comprising a plurality of engines and implementing an in-flight simulation mode that simulates failure of one of the engines of the rotorcraft in order to train a pilot of the rotorcraft for such a failure, the method comprising:
operating at least two engines together on the basis of a first setpoint to deliver power to drive the main rotor at a setpoint speed of rotation, the power being shared evenly between the engines, the engines being in synchronous engagement on a power transmission train interposed between the power plant and the main rotor, the first setpoint being predefined and depending on a value of a second setpoint selected by a trainer, the second setpoint defining a power that the engines deliver for a given period when not in simulation mode in the event of a real failure of an engine, the first setpoint value corresponding to the second setpoint value shared evenly between the engines in synchronous engagement on the power transmission train in order to drive the main rotor in rotation in simulation mode; and
in response to a current speed of rotation of the main rotor becoming lower than a predetermined threshold speed of rotation, a regulation command is generated to operate the engines to deliver additional power within a limit imposed by a third setpoint, wherein the operation of delivering additional power is performed while maintaining the simulation mode, the regulation command gradually increasing the power delivered by the engines by authorizing the limit imposed by the first setpoint to be exceeded, and the operation of gradually increasing the power being interrupted at a current power level at which the power delivered by the engines drives the main rotor at a speed of rotation that is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold speed of rotation as a consequence of the pilot under training in simulation mode causing blades of the main rotor to perform a collective pitch maneuver.

12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein, for any one of the first setpoints implemented in simulation mode, a value of the third setpoint is a value of any one of a plurality of all engines operative setpoints.

13. A method according to claim 11 , wherein, for any one of the first setpoints implemented in simulation mode, the value of the third setpoint is a value of the second setpoint defining the value of the first setpoint implemented in simulation mode.

14. A method according to claim 11 , wherein, for the first setpoint implemented in the simulation mode, the value of the third setpoint is a value of the second setpoint defining the value of the first setpoint implemented in simulation mode.

15. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the operation of gradually increasing the power is engaged by issuing a first request relating to a gradual increase of the first setpoint until the at least one main rotor reaches a speed of rotation that is not greater than the setpoint speed of rotation.

16. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the operation of gradually increasing the power is engaged using power variation that is linear.

Assignees

• Airbus Helicopters

Inventors

• Dumur Guillaume
• Rossotto Regis
• Vieira Hilario

Classifications

• G09B9/44

  providing simulation in a real aircraft flying through the atmosphere without restriction of its path · CPC title

• G09B9/46 Primary

  the aircraft being a helicopter · CPC title

• G09B9/085

  Special purpose teaching, e.g. alighting on water, aerial photography · CPC title