Coaxial rotorcraft control system
A control system for a coaxial rotorcraft comprises a coaxial rotor set, further comprising an upper rotor actuated by a first drive shaft and a lower rotor actuated by a second drive shaft, the lower rotor having a direction of rotation counter to a direction of rotation of the upper rotor. A collective blade pitch control is configured to: collectively control pitch of only one of the upper rotor and the lower rotor and not another of the upper rotor and the lower rotor; and create an unbalanced torque force which acts on the rotorcraft and which enables a yaw attitude control input through said collective blade pitch control.
This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/782,941, filed Feb. 14, 2001, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference for the teachings consistent herewith: but to the extent inconsistent herewith, this disclosure shall control.
BACKGROUND1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to rotorcraft flight control systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a flight control system arrangement for a coaxial helicopter vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
Coaxial helicopters have been known for many years. However, because of difficulties involved in the control of cyclic and collective pitch of rotor blades in a coaxial configuration, development of this type of aircraft has heretofore been limited. Conventional coaxial designs provide roll, pitch and yaw control by providing control input linkages for cyclic and collective pitch to both an upper rotor and a lower rotor of a coaxial rotor set. This has conventionally involved providing at least two swash plates; one below, and one above, the lower rotor, to transfer control inputs past the lower rotor to the upper rotor, which is rotating in the opposite direction.
Several successful coaxial designs have been developed, for example, those by Nikolai Kamov and the Kamov Design Bureau of the former Soviet Union. The Kamov organization continues to produce coaxial helicopters in the Russian Federation. Other coaxial designs exist, for example a small coaxial pilotless craft developed by United Technologies Corporation of Hartford, Conn. An example of the control system for this latter craft is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,824.
Coaxial designs are advantageous because they eliminate need for a tail rotor, and are generally more efficient. With a coaxial design, one way of providing yaw control is to provide a differential collective blade pitch control. Pitch is increased in one rotor, and decreased in the other, to unbalance torque. Another way of providing yaw control is to place one or more airfoils in the rotor set downwash. The airfoils are tiltable with respect to the downwash. The airfoils, nominally set to provide minimal air resistance in the downwash, intercept and redirect the downwash from the rotor set by tilting in one direction or the other from this initial position. This creates a reaction force vector at a location away from a yaw axis of rotation of the airframe; and tends to yaw the airframe right or left depending on which way the airfoils are tilted. An example of such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,592, issued Aug. 11, 1998 to Nolan, et al. In the Nolan system there is no cyclic blade pitch control, as pitch and roll control are provided by tilting the rotor set with respect to the airframe; thus deflecting the thrust vector from the rotor set with respect to the airframe to pitch and roll the aircraft.
SUMMARYIt has been recognized that instead of a differential collective where the blade pitch of one rotor is increased as that of the other is decreased, and vice versa, by the same amount, that collective inputs of different amounts can be made to the respective rotors of the rotor set. In one example, a single collective blade pitch control of one rotor only can provide a yaw attitude control input for the coaxial rotorcraft a coaxial rotorcraft. Commensurate potential advantages of performance achievable for potentially lower cost also argue for simplification in design. In one example a control system for a rotorcraft having a coaxial rotor set including a first rotor carried by a first drive shaft, and a second counter-rotating rotor carried by a second drive shaft, has a collective pitch control which provides a yaw attitude control input via a collective control input to one rotor, without providing a collective control input to the other rotor. In a more detailed aspect, the rotorcraft can have another collective control system which is essentially independent of the yaw control collective, providing a separate control input for rotor thrust and a separate control input for yaw. This can still be simpler than providing a differential collective where one increases while the other decreases by the same amount. Common to these is that a yaw attitude control input is provided by enabling a different blade pitch magnitude for the first rotor as compared to the second rotor, thereby unbalancing the torque forces in the coaxial rotor set.
In more detailed aspects, a simple implementation is to provide collective on only one rotor of the set. This can be the upper rotor or the lower rotor. A cyclic pitch control can be provided to enable pitch and roll attitude control inputs. This cyclic pitch control can also be limited to one rotor of the rotor set in one implementation; and in one implementation it can be the same rotor to which a collective control is applied. In that case it can be the upper rotor or the lower rotor.
In another more detailed aspect of implementation the system can include a control link which is disposed within a drive shaft. In another more detailed aspect of implementation the upper rotor and the lower rotor can be essentially the same diameter. In another such aspect a cyclic pitch control can be provided to both rotors while a collective control is provided on only one of the rotors of the coaxial rotor set.
In a further detailed aspect of implementation, yaw control can be supplemented by a tail rotor. Such a tail rotor does not draw power constantly, but only for brief periods of time in order to provide yaw control. For at least this reason, the tail rotor can be small, and can comprise a ducted fan. Moreover, in further detail, variations can include providing yaw paddles to supplement yaw control and to provide directional stability; and, replacing the tail rotor with an air jet.
Further details, features, and advantages will become apparent with reference to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, such details, advantages and features of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Like reference numbers refer to like elements in the different embodiments shown in the figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) With reference to
The illustrated embodiment is a model helicopter 10, but as will be appreciated, the invention can be incorporated in larger aircraft. The model aircraft includes a canopy 24 which is supported by the airframe 22 and provides an outer covering for the model helicopter, and which may be shaped and painted to resemble a full-sized helicopter. The model helicopter further comprises landing skids 26 attached to the airframe by supporting fore and aft supporting arms 28 and 30, respectively.
Because the illustrated embodiment is a model, a radio receiver 32 is provided, being mounted on the airframe aft of the power assembly. The radio receiver provides control signals to actuators, comprising proportional servos, as will be discussed in further detail below.
The model helicopter 10 is controlled by providing cyclic pitch control to the lower rotor 14 to provide for pitch and roll control inputs, and by use of yaw paddles 34, 36 comprising airfoils disposed in the downwash from the rotor set 12. In this way, control of the helicopter is simplified, as control linkages do not extend upwardly past the lower rotor 14, and a single swash-plate 38 is needed, rather than the multiple swash plate assemblies and attendant linkages, etc., conventionally required with coaxial designs.
The swash plate 38 is an in-line design, with a uniball 40 rigidly mounted to the airframe by way of supporting structure in the power assembly 20. The swash plate is actuated by control linkages 42, 44 connected to the swash plate conventionally by ball joints 45 positioned 90 degrees apart with respect to the axis of rotation of the driveshafts 16, 18 and the swash plate 38. These control linkages provide pitch and roll control, and are actuated by actuators comprising proportional servos 46, 48 respectively.
For clarity of presentation in the drawing figures, the means of preventing rotation of the swash plate 38 with respect to the uniball 40 is not shown, but comprises slots (not shown) formed in the uniball which cooperate with protrusions such as rods (not shown) extending inwardly from the swashplate into the slots; and the interaction of the rods and slots prevents rotation. The rods are free to slide in the slots to allow tilting of the swashplate, but the rods resist forces tending to rotate the non-rotating portions of the swashplate around the uniball.
Cyclic pitch control is transferred to the lower rotor 14 by means of a Hiller paddle assembly 47. As can be appreciated, the paddle assembly can be modified so as to provide an assembly configured to function as a Bell-Hiller (“Beller”) control system if desired, as is known in the art. Other known cyclic pitch control schemes can be substituted, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.
With reference to
The rocker assembly 50 is attached to the outer tube 17 overlaying the outer driveshaft 16 by pins 57. The rocker assembly further comprises an inner rocking element 56 which teeters about the pins 57 and is rotatably connected to an outer rocking element 58 which rotates about an axis normal to a teetering axis of rotation provided by the pins 57. As will be appreciated, the configuration provides teetering about two axes, and these axes intersect at a point on the axis of rotation of the assembly 50.
Control inputs come into the Hiller paddle assembly 47 by means of ball joints 60 carried by arms 62 of the outer rocker element 58. Control outputs to the lower rotor 14 are by means of further ball joints 64 carried by the inner rocker rocking element 56, through blade pitch control links 66, 68 operatively coupled to blade pitch control arms 70 extending laterally from rotatable rotor cuffs 72, 74 coupled to the lower rotor blades 76, 78, respectively.
The pitch housings 72, 74 are rotatably connected to a hub 80 teeterably connected to the outer sleeve 17 by teetering pins 82 disposed near the top of the hub. The configuration provides an underslung teetering hinge arrangement for the lower rotor 14. The blades 76, 78 are disposed so as to provide slight coning of the rotor 14; and it should be noted that the upper rotor 15 is also slightly coned at the same angle.
Further details of the arrangement will be appreciated with reference to
Returning to
It will be noted that the overlaying outer tube 17 transmits rotational forces to, and carries, the control linkages, specifically the teetering lever 88 and rocker assembly 50 of the Hiller paddle assembly 47. This saves tapping the outer driveshaft 16 and allows it to be stronger and lighter. The outer tube is attached to the outer driveshaft by a clamp 101 disposed above the top of the hub 80 of the lower rotor 14. In the illustrated embodiment the rotor hub is also disposed on the outer tube, and power is transferred by friction from the outer shaft to the outer tube, and then power is transferred to the hub by teetering pins 82 carried by the outer tube and which teeteringly carry the hub in underslung fashion. Again, this saves taping the driveshaft 16, which consequently can be made lighter. The outer shaft continues upwardly and terminates just below the upper rotor 15.
Dampers formed of rubber or other elastomeric material comprising O-rings (not shown) are provided for the upper and lower rotors 14, 15. For example, in the lower rotor the damper is disposed between the hub 80 of the lower rotor and the outer tube 17. This allows limited teetering; but dampens and cushions the limits of teetering motion of the lower rotor 14. The amount of teetering of the upper and lower rotors is limited so as to prevent the possibility of interference of the rotors. The more teetering allowed, the more separation must be provided between the upper and lower rotors.
As will be appreciated, in another embodiment (not shown) collective pitch control could be provided by adding a collective control that moves the uniball 40 and swash plate 38 up and down, as well as providing control linkages to collectively control the pitch of the upper rotor blades. For example, a rod that extends through a tunnel provided in the inner drive shaft 18 could be actuated by a thrust bearing from below the power assembly 20, the rod being operatively coupled to control arms which would be provided for the upper blades to alter their pitch collectively. Moreover, in this embodiment a differential collective control input increasing the pitch of the blades of one rotor while decreasing that of the blades of the other can be used to provide a yaw control input to supplement or replace that provided by the yaw paddles 34, 36.
In another embodiment a collective control can be provided for the lower rotor 14 only, for example in one of the ways discussed below. In one embodiment the uniball 40 is slidable as mentioned, allowing the swash plate to move translationally up and down to provide a collective control input as mentioned. This collective control can enable a yaw control input by changing the pitch of the blades 76, 78 of the lower rotor (only) with respect to those of the upper rotor 15 which remain fixed in this latter example. This creates an unbalanced torque about the drive shafts 16, 18 which acts to turn the airframe 22 around them. In one example where collective is applied to one rotor only the collective is not used as a primary means to alter rotor thrust as collective is usually applied conventionally. In that case the collective is essentially limited to control inputs only for yaw control. Where collective control of only one rotor is used in other examples herein typically this will also be the case, as collective inputs for yaw are typically small and of relatively short duration, whereas collective inputs for thrust are relatively larger and of longer duration, so coupling of thrust and yaw is likely if the cyclic for thrust were applied to one rotor only. This differential collective control of both rotors, and collective to one rotor only, will be discussed in more detail below.
With reference to
In one embodiment a rate gyro can be used in connection with the yaw control proportional servo 104. This corrects for induced yaw from sources such as cross winds or cyclic control inputs, which induced yaw movements are not intended by the operator. The rate gyro operates essentially in a manner similar to that which it would if it controlled tail rotor collective in a conventional helicopter; but instead, it is configured to alter the “pitch” of the yaw paddles 34 which is analogous to tail rotor collective pitch in the control system of a conventional helicopter. A heading-hold gyro can also be used, which serves to keep the aircraft pointed in the direction last input by the operator, until new operator input changes the heading; and the heading-hold gyro also uses the yaw servo and yaw paddles to make corrections. A combination of a rate gyro and heading-hold gyro can be used as well, for increased ease of operation and increased stability.
As mentioned, control signals are received by the radio receiver 32 which is electrically operatively coupled to each of the control servos 46, 48, 104. The receiver is electrically connected to an antenna 122 disposed between the yaw paddles 34, 36. This arrangement shields the antenna from view. The antenna is supported by the airframe 22, to which it is attached at a forward attachment end 124. Details of the various possible radio-control arrangements and gyro implementations are conventional and many possible implementations and variations are well known to those skilled in the arts of helicopter control and helicopter radio-controlled modeling, and will not require repetition herein.
The receiver 32 is powered by a battery pack 126 carried by the airframe 22 underneath the power assembly 20. Hooks 127 extending from the airframe receive elastomeric bands (not shown) which sling underneath and pull and hold the battery pack tightly against the airframe. The battery pack also provides electrical power for the power assembly. The position of the battery pack, as well as the power assembly and the other elements of the helicopter 10, are selected so as to provide weight balance fore and aft, and transversely left to right with respect to the axis of rotation of the coaxial rotor set 12.
With reference to
A second idler shaft 142 is provided, carrying a second idler pinion gear 144 operatively coupled to the first idler pinion gear 138, and is also operatively coupled to an outer drive shaft gear 146 coupled to the outer driveshaft 16, providing power to the lower rotor 14. The idler pinion gears are displaced axially so that they will mesh with each other, but will mesh only with the driveshaft gear each one respectively drives, and each clears the other drive shaft gear it does not drive. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the inner and outer driveshafts, as well as the first and second idler shafts, are carried by bearings or bushings in turn carried by the airframe and/or further structure of the power assembly 20 coupled to the airframe. These bearings are conventional, and comprise sleeve or roller bearings as required.
As mentioned above, in the illustrated embodiment the outer drive shaft 16 extends from the power assembly 20 past the lower rotor 14 to the base of the upper rotor 15. A set of bearings 148 are provided between the inner shaft 18 and the outer shaft 16 at this location. This arrangement provides a stiffer driveshaft arrangement for the upper rotor 15. A bearing 150 is also provided between the inner and outer shaft at a lower end of the outer shaft. A bearing 152 is also provided at a lower end of the inner driveshaft 18 where it is rotatably coupled to the airframe. Furthermore, bearings 154, 156 are provided in the power assembly between the supporting structure of the uniball 40, and the outer driveshaft 16. These arrangements provide for smooth and effective power transmission from the electric motor 128 to the coaxial rotor set 12.
A motor controller 158 is provided to allow control of motor speed, and thereby the magnitude of the thrust vector of the coaxial rotor set 12, from control inputs received through the receiver 32. The motor controller can be, for example, a Castle Creations Pegasus-35H available from Castle Creations, Inc. of Olathe, Kans. In an example embodiment where collective control to the lower rotor 14 for yaw attitude control is also employed, the motor controller can be chosen and configured to allow it to compensate for a change in power demand, if any due to a yaw control input to keep constant altitude. The controller can be configured to increase power or decrease power, or to simply allow the motor to draw more power if needed or less, in yawing right or left. Such a change is enabled with an electrical signal received by the aircraft to initiate such a yaw control input. In another embodiment the motor controller can be configured to allow motor speed change while drawing essentially the same power, to the same purpose of minimizing rise or sink.
While it has been found that rise and sink of the rotorcraft 10 due to change in the blade pitch of one rotor only (e.g. 14) for yaw control is relatively minor (especially compared to what conventional wisdom in the art would lead one to expect) allowing such adjustments by the motor controller with a change in RPM, power demand, or received electrical signal for control input for yaw, or a combination of the forgoing, can reduce the amount of change of the rotor thrust due to the collective control input. It will be appreciated that with other power systems, such as internal combustion engines, an analogous scheme can be employed, for example by changing or holding the fuel feed rate (e.g. throttle, not shown) so that constant power available for conversion to thrust is applied, even though the total amount can change when some power is diverted into a torque force acting on the rotorcraft. In other embodiments, including man-carrying rotorcraft, a mechanical or electronically implemented control couple can be provided so that the adjustment is automatic with right or left yaw input by collective control of one rotor only.
In one such control system a way to correct for rising and falling due to providing collective to one rotor (14 or 15) is to provide an inertial sensor (not shown) and control the motor speed based on sensor output and control inputs to speed-up or slow the motor to correct any rise or fall that is not operator-initiated. This scheme addresses the problem but can be sluggish because of lag in response of the aircraft to motor-speed control inputs. Even though coaxial helicopters have better response than conventional helicopters because of their smaller-diameter rotor disks, there is still some delay. An inertial sensor will not initiate a control signal unless the aircraft has actually begun to rise or fall, therefore some continuing rise and fall will be experienced during the lag. For this reason, another way to mitigate the problem of rising and falling is to provide control position sensors which sense a yaw control input, and program the system to immediately increase or decrease motor speed as required in anticipation of rising or falling. The inertial sensor system just discussed can be incorporated in this system, and can be used in a feed-back loop to further refine control of the aircraft.
In an embodiment that is an exception to the rule that the collective is not used primarily to adjust rotor thrust, another way to approach the problems of using collective on one rotor only is to look at it in terms of providing a control input for correcting induced yaw when collective is used. One solution is providing a yaw axis gyro (not shown), and providing an independent means for yaw correction, such as yaw paddles 34, 36, a small tail rotor, or other means as will be discussed below. One way of looking at this scheme is that operator yaw control inputs are essentially added (or “subtracted”) from those of the gyro constantly being applied to correct induced yaw from other control inputs (such as collective) and/or crosswinds, etc. Whereby, differential torque introduced by collective input to one rotor only is corrected by tilting the yaw paddles, for example; and this is further modified by yaw control inputs from the operator. As an example, in pure hover, the operator yaw control inputs would essentially be completely effected by tilting the yaw paddles. In rising and descending by collective control inputs only, the yaw control inputs would essentially be from gyro signals only. In rising or descending as well as yawing the aircraft at the same time, the yaw paddle control inputs would be a mix of operator and gyro control inputs. This can be done in electronics, and the control algorithms can be incorporated in an embedded system such as a programmed microcontroller using one or more pre-programmed microprocessors. Such electronic control systems are known, and can be adapted to address this control problem.
Nevertheless, returning to the situation where the collective control of one rotor (14 or 15) is primarily for yaw control, this has been found to be surprisingly effective. For example, it has been found that the observed rise and sink which result from this control scheme are not objectionable to typical operators of rotorcraft of the size range of typical radio-controlled rotorcraft such as the illustrated example embodiment of
Turning now to more detailed discussions of the upper rotor 15, upper rotor blades 160, 162 are attached to a rotor hub 164 comprising cuffs 166 griping roots of the blades. As mentioned, the upper rotor is slightly coned at the same angle as the lower rotor. The hub 164 further comprises a teetering connection, via an inner hub element 167, to the inner drive shaft 18 by a pivotable connection on each side by teetering pins 168 positioned adjacent the top of the hub, providing an underslung rotor; and facilitating teetering of the upper rotor 15. At least one O-ring formed of rubber or another elastomeric material (not shown) similar to that provided on the lower rotor hub 80 is provided to limit and damp teetering of the upper rotor 15.
The pitch of the blades of the upper rotor 15 is set equal to or slightly greater than a nominal (no control input) pitch of the blades of the lower rotor 14. This is to balance the additional drag on the lower rotor arising from the friction and drag associated with the swash plate 38 and control linkages (e.g. 88, 90, 92, 96, 98), as well as the Hiller paddles 48 and associated Hiller assembly 50 and bars 52. This is contrary to conventional coaxial rotor sets wherein the pitch of the lower rotor blades is matched to that of the upper blades or set slightly greater than the upper blades because at least part of the lower rotor disk is receiving a downdraft from the upper rotor. The upper and lower rotors can also be of different sizes to compensate for differences in drag and/or lift between the upper and lower rotors.
It has been found that by providing a cyclic control input to one rotor 14, and not the other 15, a small amount of yaw is induced. This is due to the fact that drag varies as an exponential function of blade pitch, not as a linear function, and that some increased drag of the cyclic-controlled rotor relative to the other rotor will result from a cyclic pitch change. The direction of the induced yaw will be opposite to the direction of rotation of the cyclically controlled rotor 14 in the FIGS.). This can be canceled out by a corresponding adjustment in yaw paddle inclination or in an example embodiment having a collective control input to the lower rotor only, as mentioned above, a corrective yaw input can be made in that way. A rate gyro, and/or heading-hold gyro (not shown) can be incorporated in a control system to facilitate corrections for induced yaw.
These arrangements provide a coaxial control system which allows control inputs for pitch, yaw, and roll in a more simplified arrangement than previous coaxial designs. The conventional wisdom dictated that control inputs to a coaxial rotor set should be evenly distributed, that is to say, given equally to the upper and lower rotors. It has been found that the before-described arrangements provide good control of the helicopter 10, simplifying the control system, and reducing weight and cost.
It will be appreciated from the description of additional embodiments that will now be set forth that the way the system is implemented can vary considerably. As with the embodiment discussed above, the operative principles can be applied to aircraft of various sizes, including those in a range from small remotely-piloted vehicles to relatively larger aircraft capable of carrying people and cargo.
With reference to
The swash plate 202 transfers blade pitch control inputs to the lower rotor 14 via pushrods 208 (one is shown, the other is directly behind and on the opposite side of the rotor shaft 16), rockers 210 carried by the hub 212, and links 214 connected to pitch control arms 216 of rotatable pitch housing 218 rotatably attached to the hub. The rotor hub is teeterably attached to the outer shaft 16 and teeters about a teetering axis though a pivot point 220, a pivot pin being located behind an upper end of the pushrod 208 in the figure. This provides an underslung rotor system. The amount of teetering is limited, and damped, so that clearance between the lower rotor 14 and the upper rotor 15 is maintained as before described.
The upper rotor 15 is teeteringly connected to the inner shaft 18 at a pivot point 222, and also comprises an underslung rotor system. Teetering of the upper rotor is also damped and limited in the upper hub 224 to provide stability and prevent rotor contact.
This configuration is simple and provides pitch and roll control, and while the rotors 14, 15 must be sufficiently separated and the teetering of the rotors limited, it is lightweight and control is straightforward. Yaw control provisions can comprise one or more yaw paddles, as described above, or a collective on the lower rotor only as mentioned above. Here collective to the lower rotor 14 is by translational movement of the entire swash plate 202 up or down. This can be by conventional means. In one example embodiment the swashplate can be moved using an arrangement such as that of the example illustrated in
In further detail, the top hub 224 further comprises two plates 226 disposed on either side of the inner drive shaft 18, bolted together through upper rotor clevis 228. Elastomeric elements 230 can be provided to damp and limit teetering. Likewise, similar arrangements are provided at the lower rotor hub 212, including using plates 232, elastomeric elements similarly disposed (not shown), bolted as provided on the upper rotor hub. As will be appreciated, numerous different arrangements for implementation can be provided, depending on factors such as size of the aircraft, materials used, weight considerations, etc.
Turning now to
The control rods 242, 244 are carried within the inner drive shaft 18 as mentioned, and this can be accomplished in a number of ways. The control rods are alternately in tension and compression as they rotate around an axis of rotation of the rotors 14, 15; and they optimally are laterally stable, or are stabilized, in compression. Two tunnels (not shown) can be provided in a solid shaft, each containing one of the rods and a layer of lubricant between the rod and the tunnel inner wall. In another embodiment a tubular drive shaft can be used with an insert embodying two tunnels. The insert can be formed of a lightweight and/or lubricious material. The insert can be a solid extrusion, a clam-shell, or comprise a plurality of pieces. Alternatively, the control rods can be made of larger diameter than that shown, and can be solid, tubular, or of composite configuration, so that lateral deflection in compression is minimized; and in this case clearance is provided between the rods and the inner wall of the tubular drive shaft and each other so that they do not strike each other. In another embodiment (not shown) the pitch control system can be configured so that the control rods are loaded only in tension, for example by linking the rockers 210 at the upper rotor hub 224 so that as one is pulled down the other is pulled up.
Returning to the embodiment shown in
The bottom rotor 14 is mounted by a pivot 220 to the outer drive shaft 16. Except for the change of position from top to bottom, the lower rotor is substantially as described above with respect to the upper rotor of
In one example embodiment a yaw control input by collective blade pitch control of the upper rotor 15 can be enabled. In the illustrated embodiment this is again conventionally done by translating the entire wobble plate 246 up and down. As will be appreciated, with this and the other embodiments the distance of travel up and down correlates with the amount of blade pitch change and so larger movements will give rise to larger unbalanced torque forces and higher yaw rates (and also larger rise and sink rates potentially, but in UAV applications these have not been found to be excessive). This relative lack of control coupling between yaw and altitude change rates is unexpected.
Turning now to
As will also be appreciated, in the embodiment shown in
Collective control inputs are transferred to the upper and lower rotors by collective yokes 264, 266, respectively, which incorporate provisions for cosine effects in transferring rotational motion to a translational (up and down) motion of the wobble plate 246 and swash plate 202. Pivot attachments 268, 270, are provided at the inner connection between the yokes 264, 266 and the wobble plate and swash plate 246, 202, respectively. As was the case above, the cyclic control inputs to the wobble plate are conventional and are omitted for clarity.
Collective control inputs are provided by a collective control rod 272 via a collective pivot arm 274 pivotably mounted to the aircraft (“ground”) 262, a first differential bell crank 276 pivotably carried by the collective pivot arm, and push rods 278, 280 providing pivotable links between the first differential bell crank and the collective yokes 264, 266 for the upper and lower rotors, respectively.
A differential collective control is provided by a differential collective (yaw) control rod 282 pivotably connected to a second bell crank 284 pivotably carried by the collective pivot arm 274 and operatively connected to the first differential bell crank 276 by a differential collective push rod 286 pivotably disposed therebetween to provide a control input link.
As will be appreciated, collective control inputs coming in through the collective control rod 272 are equally transferred to the collective yoke 264, 266 of the upper and lower rotors, respectively, and this increases or decreases the magnitude of the thrust from the rotor set system 260. A means for control of yaw by the system is by providing a difference of collective pitch in the upper and lower rotors through the differential collective control rod 282, which differentially actuates the collective yokes of the upper and lower rotors by pivoting the first differential bell crank 276, causing the push rods 278, 280 connected to the lower and upper, respectively, collective yokes to move in opposite directions by a small amount. As will be appreciated, the yaw control input is independent of the collective control input.
It will be further appreciated with reference to
Turning to
The control linkages to be described below are pivotably connected to additional structure not shown, but again will instead represented schematically by a “ground” line 262. Collective control inputs are applied through a collective control rod 272 to a collective control lever 274 which is pivotably carried by “ground” 262. Collective is transferred to the swash plate 202 of the lower rotor 14 by a collective yoke 266, which is pivotally carried by “ground” at a pivot point 302 and attached to the swash plate 202 in a manner similar to that described above in connection with the system 260 illustrated and described in connection with
Collective control inputs are transferred to the upper rotor through a collective yoke 264 likewise pivotably carried by “ground” 262. Again, provision for cosine effects in the control linkages is made where necessary. The two collective yokes, 264, 266 are connected to the collective control lever as described above, so that differential collective can be applied to the system. This is supplied through a differential collective (yaw) control rod 282 as described above. The other control structures associated with the collective controls are substantially as described above also, and the description will not be repeated.
Cyclic control inputs to the lower rotor 14 are applied through cyclic control rods 294 disposed on either side of the control arrangements (only one rod is shown, the other rod being directly behind it on the opposite side of the apparatus shown.) Cyclic control inputs are transferred through a cyclic control levers 296 (an identical lever is positioned directly behind on the far side of the shaft in
Push rods 304 pivotably couple the collective control levers 296 to a non-rotating portion of the swash plate 202. As discussed above in connection with the system shown in
Again, with respect to the examples illustrated by
The system 290 shown in
With reference now to
Continuing with discussion of the embodiment of
Likewise, on the rotating side of the swashplate 322, collective vertical movement of the swashplate is accommodated by providing control links to the Hiller paddle assembly 318 through ball-jointed push rods 321, 323 connected to scissor arms 350, 352 of a scissor assembly 354. The scissor assembly can slide up and down over a lower portion of the swashplate assembly and the non-rotating tube 314 therein, and is rotationally stabilized so as to turn with the rotor by pins 356 carried by the upper rotor hub 358. Ball-jointed pushrods 360, 362 connect the scissor assembly to the Hiller paddle assembly. Practitioners in the art will appreciate the details of how the Beller system functions; and particularly in light of the discussion of the Hiller system above, it will further be apparent that by means of the control elements shown, including the swashplate, Hiller paddle assembly, mixing levers 316 carried thereby providing Bell and Hiller control inputs, the scissor assembly, and the associated control linkages and push rods, cyclic and collective pitch control inputs are provided to the upper rotor with a minimum of power required for the proportional servos 324, 330, 332 of the actuator assembly 312.
The upper rotor 15 is underslung, and is coned as described above. It is also damped and limited in its cyclic teetering motion as discussed above, but sufficient teetering of the upper rotor to provide required pitch and roll control is allowed. Likewise the bottom rotor 14 is underslung, coned and damped, and its freedom to teeter is also limited, even more so. Adequate distance between the rotors is provided given the amount of teetering allowed, and with these provisions the rotors are prevented from interfering.
As will be appreciated, collective control of the lower rotor 14 is provided by a lower swashplate assembly 370 vertically slidable over the outer driveshaft 16. A lower collective yoke 372 moves the swashplate assembly up and down as actuated through a ball joint 374 by a pushrod (not shown) connected to a lower rotor collective actuator, such as a proportional servo (not shown). As with the upper rotor controls, the lower rotor collective yoke is pivotably connected to the rest of the structure by a link 328 to accommodate cosine effects.
For clarity, drag-line provisions are not shown for the lower swashplate 370. In the lower rotor 14 swashplate the dragline can be a conventional pivotable linkage, or can be provided in other ways, for example providing slots, and pins or other projections sliding therein, to prevent relative rotation. In the swashplate of the upper rotor 15, a gimbal ring is used to restrain the non-rotating proportion of swashplate assembly 322. The drive scissors assembly 354 is configured to drive the rotating portion of swashplate 322.
In another example embodiment, the collective control of the bottom rotor 14 is deleted, and it becomes essentially a fixed pitch rotor. Yaw control is provided by the collective on the upper rotor 15 only. Cyclic is still applied to the upper rotor as well. In this as well as other examples where collective is applied to one rotor only, variation of the power applied to the rotor set by the prime mover (e.g. a gas engine of reciprocal type—not shown) is the predominant way of controlling rotor thrust. Collective control inputs to only one rotor are relatively light and are for yaw attitude changes, not to effect large changes in rotor thrust.
With reference now to
Returning to
Again with this embodiment, collective to the top rotor can be eliminated, the prime mover power output can be varied to control rotor thrust. Yaw control is via the collective control, and pitch and roll control are provided as described above via the swash plate assembly 322. In another embodiment where the system shown is adjacent an upper rotor, and the bottom rotor is not shown, the same applies.
With reference now to
As will also be appreciated, adaptations of other known cyclic pitch control methodologies can be substituted for those shown as examples herein. For example, a fixed-pitch system with the flybar mounted to the hub (not shown) can be used on the cyclic-controlled rotor in a non-collective embodiment. As will be appreciated, in a fixed-pitch Hiller system, for example, the control linkages are simplified. The coaxial helicopter described herein has a smaller diameter rotor than that of conventional designs, and higher disk loading. An advantageous trade-off that can be exploited is that variation of rotor thrust by variation of motor speed alone is easier, as there is less lag time required to increase or decrease rotational speed of the smaller-diameter rotors. Accordingly, using a fixed pitch cyclic control system is a viable implementation strategy.
Other well-known variations on the Bell, Hiller, Bell-Hiller (“Beller”) systems can be used to provide cyclic control of one rotor only. Having shown that cyclic control of only one rotor is viable in a coaxial system (contrary to conventional wisdom), it is possible to implement the system in ways other than the specific examples disclosed herein.
Likewise other well known variations of collective control can be used on one or both rotors 14, 15 as discussed above. Which one is most advantageous depends on whether collective control to one or to both rotors is provided, and/or on other factors. For example collective arrangements for both rotors, whether or not provided with differential collective for yaw control, can be different from that for providing a yaw input only, both as to range of rotational travel of the blades 76, 78, and as to the rates at which they move in response to a given control input by an operator.
A further advantage realized in embodiments where only one rotor has cyclic control, or alternatively where only one rotor has yaw control. Systems in accordance with principles of the invention address a potential problem of stabilizer bars for the upper and lower rotors fighting each other. In extreme cases observed in experimental models, the helicopter can become destabilized and even tumble, due to this problem. Cyclically controlling only one rotor eliminates one stabilizer bar, and hence the problem observed in previous systems.
As discussed above, one way to implement the invention is to provide cyclic and collective pitch control on one rotor only, the other being essentially fixed. Particularly where the controlled rotor is the lower rotor 14 simplification in control arrangements for the coaxial rotor set is effected. This could be done as described above in connection with the various exemplary embodiments. Since the filing of the parent disclosure of this disclosure it has been found that introducing a collective input to one rotor introduces an unbalanced torque, and enables yaw control as anticipated. However, it was expected that as it also changes the thrust vector, causing the aircraft to rise and fall with each yaw input, that objectionable coupling of yaw and rotor thrust control would occur. This, according to conventional wisdom, burdens the pilot with anticipating and correcting for the effect. However, the applicant has discovered that the coupling is not as expected in the examples described herein. Some provision for correction can be incorporated in the control system, as discussed above, but it has be found that in many cases it is not necessary to do so.
In another embodiment, shown schematically in
The tail rotor 402 is fully reversible, and considerable blade pitch change is allowed in each direction. Further, the tail rotor can be configured as a ducted fan as shown and as is known in the art.
In another embodiment, illustrated schematically in
With reference to
With reference to all the disclosure, it will be appreciated that the upper 15 and lower 14 rotors are essentially the same size. In one example, one rotor can be slightly larger or smaller than the other, but this difference is not large in this example embodiment due to the need to be able to balance the torque between rotors, and unbalance it by a controllable amount to provide a yaw attitude control input. A difference of less than about 10 percent in rotor diameter is contemplated.
As will be appreciated from the foregoing, advantages can be realized from incorporation of a control system in accordance with the invention in a helicopter vehicle 10. Although unconventional, providing cyclic control of only one rotor of a coaxial helicopter can lead to savings in simplification, and/or an increase in performance, by additional modifications to a conventional coaxial helicopter control system made possible by such a single-rotor-cyclic control scheme. The various exemplary embodiments disclosed illustrate the advantageous modifications thus made possible.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that various modifications and changes in the arrangements and details of implementation can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A control system for a coaxial rotorcraft, comprising:
- a coaxial rotor set, further comprising an upper rotor actuated by a first drive shaft and a lower rotor actuated by a second drive shaft, the lower rotor having a direction of rotation counter to a direction of rotation of the upper rotor;
- collective blade pitch control, configured to: collectively control pitch of only one of the upper rotor and the lower rotor and not another of the upper rotor and the lower rotor; and create an unbalanced torque force which acts on the rotorcraft and which enables a yaw attitude control input through said collective blade pitch control.
2. A control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the collective blade pitch control collectively controls pitch of only the upper rotor.
3. A control system as set forth in claim 2, further comprising a control link which is disposed within a drive shaft.
4. A control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the collective blade pitch control collectively controls pitch of only the lower rotor.
5. A control system as set forth in claim 4, wherein cyclic pitch control is also provided on the lower rotor.
6. A control system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising cyclic pitch control provided on at least one of the upper rotor and the lower rotor.
7. A control system as set forth in claim 6, wherein cyclic pitch control is provided on the only one of the upper rotor and the lower rotor.
8. A control system as set forth in claim 7, wherein both collective and cyclic control is provided on the upper rotor.
9. A control system as set forth in claim 6, wherein cyclic blade pitch control is provided in both the upper rotor and the lower rotor of the coaxial rotor set.
10. A control system for a coaxial rotorcraft, comprising:
- a coaxial rotor set, further comprising an upper rotor and a lower rotor, the upper rotor having a direction of rotation counter to a direction of rotation of the lower rotor;
- cyclic blade pitch control configured to cyclically control blade pitch of at least one of the upper rotor and the lower rotor;
- collective blade pitch control, which provides a different change in blade pitch to one of the upper rotor and the lower rotor than that provided to the other of the upper rotor and the lower rotor, thereby enabling a differential torque providing yaw attitude control.
11. A control system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the upper rotor and the lower rotor are essentially the same diameter.
12. A control system as set forth in claim 11, configured to provide collective blade pitch control of the upper rotor.
13. A control system as set forth in claim 11, configured to provide collective blade pitch control of the lower rotor.
14. A control system as set forth in claim 3, wherein cyclic pitch control is also provided on the lower rotor.
15. A control system as set forth in claim 11, wherein cyclic pitch control is provided on the same rotor as the collective blade pitch control.
16. A control system as set forth in claim 15, wherein both collective and cyclic control are provided on the upper rotor.
17. A control system as set forth in claim 15, wherein both collective and cyclic control are provided on the lower rotor.
18. A control system as set forth in claim 11, wherein cyclic blade pitch control is provided on both of the upper rotor and the lower rotor of the coaxial rotor set.
19. A control system for a coaxial rotorcraft, comprising:
- a coaxial rotor set including an upper rotor and a lower rotor, said rotors being essentially the same size and having directions of rotation counter to each other
- a collective blade pitch control configured to collectively control the blade pitch of one of said rotors and not collectively control the blade pitch of the other of said rotors, whereby an unbalanced torque force can be created which acts on the rotorcraft;
- a cyclic blade pitch control configured to provide cyclic control of one of said rotors but not the other of said rotors;
- whereby pitch, roll and yaw attitude control inputs can be made to the rotorcraft.
20. A control system as set forth in claim 19, wherein the collective blade pitch control and the cyclic blade pitch control are on the same rotor of the coaxial rotor set.
Type: Application
Filed: May 3, 2005
Publication Date: May 18, 2006
Inventor: Eugene Rock (New Port News, VA)
Application Number: 11/122,257
International Classification: B64C 27/52 (20060101);