Periodic Reporting for period 4 - Constance (Flight Critical Wireless Slip Ring for Civil Tiltrotor)
Reporting period: 2021-06-01 to 2022-09-30
The project developed a flight critical contactless power and data transfer unit to be applied in the NGCTR Technology Demonstrator (TD) prop-rotor system. This technology demonstrator is based upon the existing AW609 platform.
Slip rings are necessary for monitoring of flight-critical electrical equipment in the prop-rotor system. Additionally, during experimental flight activities, slip rings are required to transmit instrumentation data across the rotating to non-rotating systems boundary. The slip ring is required to deliver sufficient power to the rotating system to operate the rotating portion of the slip ring and the electronic control and data management systems in the rotor. A contactless transfer is highly desired for their high bandwidth and reliability capabilities to support flight-critical signals and/or large volumes of experimental data.
The Constance project therefore enabled an innovative flight critical contactless rotating power and data transfer unit (CRPDT) for demonstration on the flying technology demonstrator. The project developed the module providing electrical power and a bi-directional data link to components mounted on the prop-rotor.
In order to meet the overall safety objectives the TD assumes a dual power and data channel on each rotor including a redundant azimuth sensor. The module performance and interface were tailored to link to the flapping sensor and related flapping sensor controller developed in the Clean Sky 2 FLAPsense project. Additionally an Ethernet data channel for the Flight Test Instrumentation on the proprotor was included in the design.
Constance will enable a safe and highly reliable link to the avionics and the Flight Test Instrumentation on the proprotor.
Slip rings are necessary for monitoring of flight-critical electrical equipment in the prop-rotor system. Additionally, during experimental flight activities, slip rings are required to transmit instrumentation data across the rotating to non-rotating systems boundary. The slip ring is required to deliver sufficient power to the rotating system to operate the rotating portion of the slip ring and the electronic control and data management systems in the rotor. A contactless transfer is highly desired for their high bandwidth and reliability capabilities to support flight-critical signals and/or large volumes of experimental data.
The Constance project therefore enabled an innovative flight critical contactless rotating power and data transfer unit (CRPDT) for demonstration on the flying technology demonstrator. The project developed the module providing electrical power and a bi-directional data link to components mounted on the prop-rotor.
In order to meet the overall safety objectives the TD assumes a dual power and data channel on each rotor including a redundant azimuth sensor. The module performance and interface were tailored to link to the flapping sensor and related flapping sensor controller developed in the Clean Sky 2 FLAPsense project. Additionally an Ethernet data channel for the Flight Test Instrumentation on the proprotor was included in the design.
Constance will enable a safe and highly reliable link to the avionics and the Flight Test Instrumentation on the proprotor.
In the project the requirements for the module and the preliminary and detailed design of the module have been developed. A module has been made in line with the detailed design, but with a simplified power circuit, and the functionality of the module has been demonstrated.
After the first Preliminary Design Review (PDR) new layouts of Constance have been evaluated, in close collaboration with the TM, to meet new requirements and interface constrains. As a result of the first PDR the design of Constance has been completely revised to meet the new requirements. The new conceptual design provides an integrated dual CRPDT which meets the safety objectives and is much smaller and lighter compared to the first concept. The third data link is embedded in the second CRPDT channel of Constance. A second PDR has been held confirming that the new design complies with the requirements of the TM.
The detailed design of Constance was generated and a qualification module has been manufactured and tested. The module performs in line with the requirements.
The project results can be exploited by both the Constance consortium (NLR and DDC) and the Topic Manager (Leonardo Helicopters). The most important project output from exploitation perspective is that the contactless rotating power and data transfer (CRPDT) technology has been designed and was demonstrated to have the potential to operate at the Next Generation Civil Tiltrotor (NGCTR), complying to the stringent requirements for an aircraft. The Constance result can support the Flight Test campaign of the Next Generation Civil Tiltrotor demonstrator and to offer maintenance free and more robust power and data transfer system interface between the sensor and avionics on the proprotor assembly and the avionics control systems.
The consortium will use the Constance results in possible future projects in which high rotating data acquisition systems in harsh environments are required (aerospace electronics research) and will define a strategy, optional with additional partners, towards further development of Constance to a certified product (TRL-9). Leonardo Helicopters, as an airframer of the Next Generator Civil Tiltrotor, will consider the use the Constance Flight Model for integration in the NGCTR demonstrator to support the flight test campaign and on longer term, as a component of the avionics suite of the certified/commercial civil tiltrotor configuration. Constance technology may also be applied in other products of Leonardo with rotating electrical components. For instance for de-icing or folding of rotor blades systems. Applications may require expansion of the Constance technology’s power transfer capabilities.
Results of the Constance project were published on 2 web sites and in 3 scientific presentations and / or papers.
After the first Preliminary Design Review (PDR) new layouts of Constance have been evaluated, in close collaboration with the TM, to meet new requirements and interface constrains. As a result of the first PDR the design of Constance has been completely revised to meet the new requirements. The new conceptual design provides an integrated dual CRPDT which meets the safety objectives and is much smaller and lighter compared to the first concept. The third data link is embedded in the second CRPDT channel of Constance. A second PDR has been held confirming that the new design complies with the requirements of the TM.
The detailed design of Constance was generated and a qualification module has been manufactured and tested. The module performs in line with the requirements.
The project results can be exploited by both the Constance consortium (NLR and DDC) and the Topic Manager (Leonardo Helicopters). The most important project output from exploitation perspective is that the contactless rotating power and data transfer (CRPDT) technology has been designed and was demonstrated to have the potential to operate at the Next Generation Civil Tiltrotor (NGCTR), complying to the stringent requirements for an aircraft. The Constance result can support the Flight Test campaign of the Next Generation Civil Tiltrotor demonstrator and to offer maintenance free and more robust power and data transfer system interface between the sensor and avionics on the proprotor assembly and the avionics control systems.
The consortium will use the Constance results in possible future projects in which high rotating data acquisition systems in harsh environments are required (aerospace electronics research) and will define a strategy, optional with additional partners, towards further development of Constance to a certified product (TRL-9). Leonardo Helicopters, as an airframer of the Next Generator Civil Tiltrotor, will consider the use the Constance Flight Model for integration in the NGCTR demonstrator to support the flight test campaign and on longer term, as a component of the avionics suite of the certified/commercial civil tiltrotor configuration. Constance technology may also be applied in other products of Leonardo with rotating electrical components. For instance for de-icing or folding of rotor blades systems. Applications may require expansion of the Constance technology’s power transfer capabilities.
Results of the Constance project were published on 2 web sites and in 3 scientific presentations and / or papers.
Slip rings for transferring power and data commonly form the interface between a rotating environment and a stationary domain. For aerospace applications, currently only conventional slip rings, with brushes, are on the market. A few commercial wireless slip rings are available, however not designed and certified for aerospace applications. For such a flight-critical application in such harsh environment, a fault-tolerant design had to be taken into account from the start of the development. The innovative patented contactless data transfer is power efficient, high bandwidth, reliable (because no or limited wear) and with low noise through an innovative near-field transmission of electrical waves. The technology does not need the modulation of radio waves applied for far-field transmission. Transformer technology is applied for the power transfer. The transfer technology is implemented in a small and light module for in-flight application on a tilt rotor aircraft.
One of the main impacts of this concept is to aim to deliver superior vehicle productivity and performance. Constance will still be the first aerospace certified wireless slip ring. This enables a safe and highly reliable link in the flight control system, which is a crucial technology component in the NGCTR.
One of the main impacts of this concept is to aim to deliver superior vehicle productivity and performance. Constance will still be the first aerospace certified wireless slip ring. This enables a safe and highly reliable link in the flight control system, which is a crucial technology component in the NGCTR.