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access icon openaccess Generator configuration for helicopter quadruplex electric tail rotor

This is an open access article published by the IET under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/)
Received 26/06/2018, Accepted 30/07/2018, Published 22/01/2019

With the move to more electric aircraft (MEA), a key area of investigation is the development of commercially viable systems which are reliable, efficient, low mass, and are compatible and commensurate with the power and multiplex requirements of current and future aircraft. In rotorcraft, the pace of adopting more electric systems, to replace conventional mechanical and hydraulic ones, say, is perceived as being much lower than in fixed wing aircraft. However, recently there has been growing evidence to suggest that a quadruplex electric tail rotor (ETR) is a technically viable solution. This paper shows the methodology to support the most reliable configuration of the four independent generators required to power such a quadruplex tail rotor drive, and takes account of the failure severity due to power loss in each independent channel, target reliability setting, and supporting reliability analyses. The conclusions drawn support a particular hybrid series-parallel configuration of generators, with identification of further work related to the gearbox reliabilities which support the reliability attainment for the configuration.

Inspec keywords: reliability; rotors; helicopters; aircraft power systems; aerospace components; aircraft

Other keywords: reliable configuration; hydraulic ones; target reliability setting; technically viable solution; electric systems; generator configuration; current aircraft; fixed wing aircraft; efficient mass; helicopter quadruplex electric tail rotor; multiplex requirements; power loss; low mass; conventional mechanical ones; gearbox reliabilities; future aircraft; reliability attainment; supporting reliability analyses; reliable mass; independent generators; quadruplex tail rotor drive; commercially viable systems; series-parallel configuration; electric aircraft

Subjects: Mechanical components; Aerospace power systems; Reliability; Maintenance and reliability; Aerospace industry

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