Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

Aaron Kellner

Patrick J Dempsey

William Arthur Welsh

Matthew A White

Joshua King

Christopher Sutton

A computer-implemented method and system for transmitting power and data together in a rotorcraft using a slip ring assembly is disclosed. According to one example, a computer-implemented method includes providing a slip ring assembly comprising a stationary element coupled to an airframe of a rotorcraft and a rotatable element rotatable relative to the stationary element and coupled to a rotor assembly of the rotorcraft. Power is transmitted from a power source associated with the airframe to an electronic device associated with the rotor assembly, the slip ring assembly being configured to complete an electrical circuit between the power source and the electronic device to provide power from the power source to the electronic device. Data is transmitted from a first data transceiver associated with the airframe to a second data transceiver associated with the rotor assembly via the electrical circuit completed by the slip ring assembly.

Transmitting power and data together in a rotorcraft using a slip ring assembly

A slip ring assembly includes a stationary element, a rotatable element rotatable relative to the stationary element, and a liquid metal contact electrically coupling the rotatable element to the stationary element. The liquid metal contact includes a metallic material having a melting temperature that is less than zero degrees Celsius and a boiling temperature that is greater than four-hundred degrees Celsius to electrically couple an electrical device fixed relative to the rotatable element to an electrical device fixed relative to the stationary element through the liquid metal contact.

Slip ring having a liquid metal contact between a stationary element and a rotatable element

Embodiments are directed to obtaining data from a plurality of sensors located on a rotorcraft, wherein a first plurality of the sensors is associated with a hub of the rotorcraft and a second plurality of the sensors is associated with blades of the rotorcraft, processing the data to isolate blade dynamics using the data from the sensors associated with the blade from rotorcraft maneuvering dynamics using the data from the sensors associated with the hub, obtaining at least one parameter associated with the blade dynamics based on the processing, and analyzing the at least one parameter to control at least one of the rotorcraft and the blades.

Relative acceleration blade position measurement

A rotor state sensor system is provided for use with a rotor including a hub, a hub arm and a blade coupled to the hub by the hub arm. The sensor system includes sensors disposed on the hub arm to define a first plane, which emit emissions and receive reflected emissions, and which generate a signal according to the received reflected emissions, reflector plates disposed on the blade which define a second plane at locations where the emissions from the sensors are incident on the reflector plates and from which the reflected emissions are reflected towards the sensors and a computing device which receives the signal from the sensors, determines relative orientations of the first and second planes according to the received signal and determines a condition of the rotor based on the determined relative orientations.

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Bloomfield, CT, United States of America

Aaron Kellner