Aircraft Rotor Blade Coupling for Thrust Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rotor designs for aircraft suffer from low responsiveness in thrust control due to blade flapping, which causes thrust fluctuations even when attempting to control rotational speed and pitch angle.
Innovation Solution
A rotor design featuring a hub with multiple coupling members that secure blades in a manner where the longitudinal direction of each coupling member aligns with the tangential direction of the hub's rotation trajectory, and the coupling members are spaced apart in the radial direction to restrict flapping motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If blades are coupled to the hub by one pin allowing flapping motion, then the blade can pivot about the flapping axis, but the thrust fluctuates due to flapping causing low responsiveness in thrust control
Solution Approach 1:
The single pin coupling is segmented into multiple coupling members (first coupling member and second coupling member) spaced apart in the radial direction. This segmentation restricts flapping motion while maintaining blade attachment, thereby reducing thrust fluctuations and improving thrust control responsiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling members are arranged in the radial direction (adding a dimensional aspect) rather than just allowing rotation about a single axis. This spatial arrangement constrains flapping motion in the vertical dimension while maintaining tangential alignment, thus stabilizing thrust without compromising operational capability.
2Productivity
If multiple coupling members are used to restrict flapping, then thrust control responsiveness improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling structure is divided into multiple discrete coupling members that can be independently positioned and secured. This segmentation allows for restricted flapping motion through simple geometric arrangement rather than complex mechanical constraints, improving thrust responsiveness while keeping the structure relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The multiple coupling members serve dual functions: they attach the blade to the hub and simultaneously restrict flapping motion. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate flapping restriction mechanisms, thereby improving thrust control responsiveness without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A rotor includes a rotatable hub, blades, and two coupling members, namely, a first coupling member and a second coupling member that couple each blade and the hub. The longitudinal directions of the first coupling member and the second coupling member lie along a tangential direction of a rotation trajectory of the hub, and the first coupling member and the second coupling member are spaced apart from each other in a radial direction of the rotation trajectory.