Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

Joseph John Andrews

Stephen V Poulin

James Orbon

Devon Cowles

A rotor damping system includes a rotor blade defining opposed leading and trailing edges, wherein the rotor blade has flexibility in an edgewise direction defined between the leading and trailing edges. A spar is mounted within the rotor blade, wherein the spar is stiff against flexure in the edgewise direction. A damper is operatively connected to the spar for damping relative motion of the spar and blade.

Rotor damping

A bearing sleeve assembly includes a rigid inner element having a cylindrical inner diameter bore and an outer surface that is non-cylindrical. Also included is a rigid outer element spaced radially outwardly from the rigid inner element, the rigid outer element comprising a cylindrical member with a uniform cross-section that forms a ring with an inner-diameter surface and an outer-diameter surface, the outer element's inner-diameter surface and the non-cylindrical outer surface of the inner element defining a non-uniform annulus therebetween. Further included is an elastomeric core disposed between the rigid inner element and the rigid outer element within the non-uniform annulus, the elastomeric core having a first thickness at a first location and a second thickness at a second location, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness.

Directional stiffness bearing sleeve assembly for rotor systems

A rotorcraft control system is provided and includes a rotor blade having a moving surface operatively connected for movement among various positions, an actuator receptive of a modified control signal and operatively connected to move the surface among the various positions, a sensor operably coupled to the actuator to generate a sensor response signal reflective of a response of the actuator to the modified control signal and a controller to output the modified control signal to the actuator, the controller including a control loop to generate the modified control signal from an initial control signal that is modified by relating the initial control signal and the sensor response signal and by accounting for actuator inaccuracies, sensor sensitivities and noise.

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Hamden, CT, United States of America

Joseph John Andrews