Rotor hub fairing with integral cooling capabilities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11401040-B2
Application number	US-202016824488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2020
Priority date	Mar 19, 2020
Publication date	Aug 2, 2022
Grant date	Aug 2, 2022

Abstract

One embodiment is a rotor system including a rotor hub comprising a plurality of extension arms for connecting rotor blades to the rotor hub; a plurality of dampers connected between a respective one of the extension arms and the rotor hub; and a fairing disposed over the rotor hub, the fairing including an inlet plenum through which air is drawn from outside the fairing into the fairing; and at least one duct for conducting the air toward the at least one of the dampers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotor system comprising:
a rotor hub comprising a plurality of extension arms for connecting rotor blades to the rotor hub;
a plurality of dampers connected between a respective one of the extension arms and the rotor hub; and
a fairing disposed over the rotor hub, the fairing including:
an inlet plenum through which air is drawn from outside the fairing into the fairing;
a plurality of ducts corresponding to and directing a portion of the air toward a respective one of the plurality of dampers; and
a plurality of blade extension clearance windows;

wherein each one of the extension arms extends through a respective one of the blade extension clearance windows corresponding to one of the plurality of dampers; and
wherein the portion of the air directed toward each one of the dampers is expelled through the corresponding one of the blade clearance windows.

2. The rotor system of claim 1 , wherein each of the dampers comprises a lead-lag damper.

3. The rotor system of claim 1 , wherein each of the dampers comprises a fluid-elastic damper.

4. The rotor system of claim 1 , wherein the fairing is dome shaped.

5. The rotor system of claim 1 , wherein the inlet plenum is connected to an inlet disposed through a top surface of the fairing.

6. The rotor system of claim 1 , wherein for each of the dampers, a first end of the damper is connected to a trailing edge side of a respective one of the blade extension arms and a second end of the damper is connected to an attachment point of the rotor hub.

7. A rotorcraft comprising:
a fuselage; and
a rotor system associated with the fuselage, the rotor system comprising:
a rotor hub comprising a plurality of extension arms for connecting rotor blades to the rotor hub;
a plurality of dampers connected between a respective one of the extension arms and the rotor hub; and
a fairing disposed over the rotor hub, the fairing including:
an inlet plenum through which air is drawn from outside the fairing into the fairing;
a plurality of ducts corresponding to and directing a portion of the air toward a respective one of the plurality of dampers; and
a plurality of blade extension clearance windows;

wherein each one of the extension arms extends through a respective one of the blade extension clearance windows corresponding to one of the plurality of dampers; and
wherein the portion of the air directed toward each one of the dampers is expelled through the corresponding one of the blade clearance windows.

8. The rotorcraft of claim 7 , wherein each of the dampers comprises a lead-lag damper.

9. The rotorcraft of claim 7 , wherein each of the dampers comprises a fluid-elastic damper.

10. The rotorcraft of claim 7 , wherein the fairing is dome shaped.

11. The rotorcraft of claim 7 , wherein the inlet plenum is connected to an inlet disposed through a top surface of the fairing.

12. The rotorcraft of claim 7 , wherein for each of the dampers, a first end of the damper is connected to a trailing edge side of a respective one of the blade extension arms and a second end of the damper is connected to an attachment point of the rotor hub.

13. A method comprising:
drawing air into a fairing disposed over a rotor hub through an inlet plenum using centrifugal force;
directing the air toward a plurality of dampers associated with the rotor hub via a plurality of ducts, wherein each one of the ducts is associated with and directs a portion of the air toward one of the dampers; and
expelling the air from the fairing via a plurality of clearance windows, wherein each one of the clearance windows corresponds to and is proximate one of the dampers;
wherein the portion of the air directed toward each one of the dampers is expelled through the corresponding one of the clearance windows.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein each of the dampers comprises a lead-lag damper.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein each of the dampers comprises a fluid-elastic damper.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the fairing is dome shaped.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the inlet plenum is connected to an inlet disposed through a top surface of the fairing.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein for each of the dampers, a first end of the damper is connected to a trailing edge side of a respective one of the blade extension arms and a second end of the damper is connected to an attachment point of the rotor hub.

Assignees

• Bell Textron Inc
• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Haldeman Andrew Paul
• Kizhakkepat Amarjit Olenchery
• Miller Gary
• Tinlin Diana
• Shimek Glenn

Classifications

• B64C27/51

  Damping of blade movements · CPC title

• F05D2240/20

  Rotors · CPC title

• B64C27/001

  Vibration damping devices · CPC title

• B64C27/48

  Root attachment to rotor head · CPC title

• B64C27/06

  with single rotor · CPC title