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The Art of the Helicopter John Watkinson - Karatunov.net

The Art of the Helicopter John Watkinson - Karatunov.net

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Engines and transmissions 245<br />

Fig. 6.36 <strong>The</strong> Sea King has an extra clutch so that one engine can be started without <strong>the</strong> transmission turning<br />

so that power is available to unfold <strong>the</strong> blades.<br />

transmission. As helicopters get larger, <strong>the</strong> transmission becomes more complex and<br />

under more stress and instruments become necessary.<br />

<strong>The</strong> turbine has vast power reserves and a speed governor. If <strong>the</strong> pilot applies a large<br />

amount <strong>of</strong> collective pitch during a high inflow condition, <strong>the</strong> induced drag on <strong>the</strong><br />

rotor will be at its greatest. This would tend to slow down <strong>the</strong> rotor and thus <strong>the</strong> free<br />

turbine, but <strong>the</strong> governor responds by increasing fuel flow so in fact <strong>the</strong> result is an<br />

increase in engine torque not a reduction in RRPM. This is fine for <strong>the</strong> rotors but it is<br />

less so for <strong>the</strong> gearbox where a torque overload could distort <strong>the</strong> casing and misalign<br />

<strong>the</strong> gears or break through <strong>the</strong> oil film separating <strong>the</strong> gear teeth. To help prevent this,<br />

turbine helicopters are fitted with torque meters to display <strong>the</strong> gearbox torque on <strong>the</strong><br />

instrument panel. <strong>The</strong> gauge will be red-lined at <strong>the</strong> safe limit for <strong>the</strong> gearbox and<br />

<strong>the</strong> pilot <strong>the</strong>n should limit <strong>the</strong> severity <strong>of</strong> manoeuvres to stay within <strong>the</strong> torque limit.<br />

<strong>Helicopter</strong>s with hingeless rotors may also be fitted with instruments to display <strong>the</strong><br />

bending stress in <strong>the</strong> mast due to <strong>the</strong> application <strong>of</strong> cyclic control.<br />

<strong>The</strong> heat dissipated in <strong>the</strong> gearbox will be roughly proportional to <strong>the</strong> torque and so<br />

a transmission oil temperature gauge would tend to reflect <strong>the</strong> torque meter history.<br />

An excessive transmission oil temperature is <strong>the</strong> cause for concern because this may<br />

permit metal-to-metal contact with serious consequences. If <strong>the</strong> high temperature is<br />

due to known heavy use, <strong>the</strong> machine must be flown at reduced power to contain <strong>the</strong><br />

temperature. If <strong>the</strong> high temperature cannot be accounted for in this way, <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong>re is<br />

a possibility <strong>of</strong> a problem such as oil loss, a blocked cooler or loss <strong>of</strong> airflow through<br />

<strong>the</strong> cooler and investigation will be necessary.<br />

Gearboxes are commonly fitted with a chip detector. This is a plug fitted in <strong>the</strong> oil<br />

sump carrying insulated mag<strong>net</strong>ic electrodes. In <strong>the</strong> event <strong>of</strong> any ferrous debris finding<br />

its way into <strong>the</strong> oil, <strong>the</strong> mag<strong>net</strong>ic electrodes will attract it and <strong>the</strong> debris will bridge <strong>the</strong><br />

electrodes, completing a circuit and lighting an indicator.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re are two basic types <strong>of</strong> torque meter. In <strong>the</strong> first type, engine torque twists a slim<br />

shaft in <strong>the</strong> drive train, and <strong>the</strong> amount <strong>of</strong> twist is measured with a set <strong>of</strong> strain gauges.<br />

<strong>The</strong>se are fine metal wires embedded in an insulating material. Four such strain gauges

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