Tail-Rotor Actuator Damping for Fuselage Vibration Cancellation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Excess vibration within an aircraft fuselage due to tail-rotor interactions with airflow causes passenger discomfort and structural wear.
Innovation Solution
A tail-rotor vibration dampener system with a computerized controller that determines the frequency of vibrations from an open rotor assembly and uses hydraulic actuators and dampening devices to cancel these vibrations by creating opposite-phase vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the open rotor assembly operates within the boundary layer to reduce drag, then fuel efficiency is improved, but vibration and noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses active vibration cancellation by generating counter-vibrations through actuators that produce mechanical oscillations opposite to the rotor-induced vibrations, thereby reducing the harmful vibration and noise while maintaining the boundary layer ingestion operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the harmful vibrations generated by the open rotor assembly into beneficial counter-vibrations through the dampening devices, transforming the harmful effect into a solution that actively cancels the original vibrations and protects the fuselage structure
2Object-affected harmful factors
If vibration dampening devices are added to cancel rotor vibrations, then passenger comfort is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuators serve dual functions: controlling the open rotor assembly position for drag reduction and generating counter-vibrations for vibration cancellation, thereby reducing the need for separate dedicated dampening devices and simplifying the overall system
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own actuators and structural components to generate the counter-vibrations needed for dampening, rather than requiring entirely separate passive dampening devices, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining effectiveness
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces perceptible vibrations and noise within the aircraft, enhancing passenger comfort and reducing structural wear by actively mitigating tail-rotor vibrations.
Implementation Method 1
The solenoid is controlled to create vibrations within the hydraulic fluid at a same frequency as the vibration of the rotor assembly and at an opposite phase of the vibration of the rotor assembly
Implementation Method 2
creating a vibration within hydraulic fluid of the hydraulic actuator
Implementation Method 3
a hydraulic actuator controlling a position of the open rotor assembly in relation to the fuselage
Data Source
AI summary
A tail-rotor vibration dampener system for an aircraft is provided. The system includes a fuselage and an open rotor assembly including a powerplant and a set of rotor blades. The system further includes at least one actuator unit connecting the open rotor assembly to the fuselage. The actuator unit includes a hydraulic actuator controlling a position of the open rotor assembly in relation to the fuselage and a dampening device operable to cancel a vibration emanating from the open rotor assembly. The system further includes a computerized vibration dampening controller, including programming to determine a frequency of the vibration emanating from the open rotor assembly and control the dampening device to cancel the vibration emanating from the open rotor assembly based upon the frequency.