Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Eric O'Neill

Joseph M Schaeffer

Jignesh Patel

Joseph Schaeffer

A method of assisting in rotor speed control in a rotorcraft can include measuring a rotor speed with a sensor; detecting a droop in the rotor speed beyond a lower droop limit; and commanding a decrease in collective in response to the rotor speed drooping beyond the lower droop limit. A system of assisting in rotor speed control in a rotorcraft, the system can include: a computer having a control law, the control law operable to generate a decrease collective command to an actuator in response to a rotor speed decreasing below a lower droop limit; wherein the lower droop limit is below a normal lower rotor speed range.

System and method for assisting in rotor speed control

A method of limiting vertical axis augmentation in a rotorcraft, the method comprising: measuring a torque with a sensor; deriving a comparison of the torque to a lower torque limit, using a computer processor; and adjusting a vertical axis control command based upon the comparison of the torque to the lower torque limit.

Torque based method of limiting vertical axis augmentation

A method of preserving rotor speed during a one engine inoperative operation of an rotorcraft, the method can include: detecting a failure of a first engine; monitoring an engine parameter associated with a second engine; using a computer processor to compare the engine parameter to an engine limit; and commanding a decrease collective pitch command when the engine parameter is within a predefined range of the engine limit.

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Great Mills, MD, United States of America

Eric O'Neill