Pitch control assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11407494-B2
Application number	US-201916541726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2019
Priority date	Oct 7, 2013
Publication date	Aug 9, 2022
Grant date	Aug 9, 2022

Abstract

A method of controlling a propeller assembly, having a blade, piston end cap, and piston, with a pitch control unit, having a transfer bearing and a blade angle unit, the method comprising: axially moving a transfer tube relative to and circumscribing the transfer bearing, and sensing an axial movement of the transfer tube with the blade angle unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a propeller assembly, having a blade, piston end cap, and piston, with a pitch control unit, having a transfer bearing and a blade angle unit, the method comprising:
axially moving a transfer tube relative to and circumscribing the transfer bearing;
sensing with the blade angle unit an axial movement of the transfer tube with respect to the blade angle unit, where the blade angle unit comprises a series of coils radially spaced from and circumscribing at least a portion of the transfer tube;
sensing with the blade angle unit a magnetic field between a magnetic element carried by the transfer tube and a series of coils; and
determining a pitch angle of the blade based on the axial movement of the transfer tube;
wherein at least a portion of each of the transfer bearing, transfer tube, and magnetic element is within the series of coils.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing the pitch angle to a required pitch angle.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising actuating a control valve to supply a fluid into the transfer bearing to adjust the pitch angle of the blade.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising flowing the fluid to a first portion of the piston end cap to move the piston toward a coarse pitch direction.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising flowing the fluid to a second portion of the piston end cap to move the piston toward a fine pitch direction.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein supplying a fluid further comprises supplying the fluid through at least one hydraulic line disposed within the transfer bearing.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the transfer bearing includes a mandrel and the at least one hydraulic line is disposed within the mandrel.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein sensing the axial movement of the transfer tube further comprises determining with the blade angle unit an axial movement of the magnetic element with respect to the series of coils.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein an entire body of the magnetic element is located within the series of coils throughout an operational axial range of movement of the transfer tube.

10. A method of adjusting a pitch angle of a blade with a pitch control unit having a transfer bearing and a blade angle unit, the method comprising: axially moving a transfer tube relative to and circumscribing the transfer bearing, sensing an axial movement of the transfer tube with the blade angle unit, where the blade angle unit comprises a series of coils radially spaced from and circumscribing the transfer tube, determining the pitch angle of the blade based on the sensed movement, and outputting with the blade angle unit an amount of blade angle movement;
wherein sensing the axial movement of the transfer tube further comprises determining with the blade angle unit an axial movement of a magnetic sleeve axially extending from and carried by the transfer tube with respect to the series of coils; and
wherein at least a portion of each of the transfer bearing, transfer tube, and magnetic sleeve is within the series of coils.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising comparing the pitch angle value to a required pitch angle.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising actuating a control valve for supplying a fluid into the transfer bearing to adjust the pitch angle of the blade.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein supplying a fluid further comprises supplying the fluid through at least one hydraulic line disposed within the transfer bearing.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the transfer bearing includes a mandrel and the at least one hydraulic line is disposed within the mandrel.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein an entire body of the magnetic sleeve is located within the series of coils throughout an operational axial range of movement of the transfer tube.

Assignees

• Ge Aviat Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Carrington Christopher Roy

Classifications

• B64C11/40

  automatic · CPC title

• B64C11/385

  comprising feathering, braking or stopping systems · CPC title

• B64C11/38 Primary

  fluid, e.g. hydraulic · CPC title

• B64C11/301 Primary

  characterised by blade position indicating means · CPC title

• B64C11/42

  non-automatic · CPC title