Project description
Innovative oil valve to improve gearbox performance
The ultra-high propulsive efficiency demonstrator for short- and medium-range aircraft will feature a gearbox that should enable the engine input blower to run at a different speed compared to the main rotor. This should increase the secondary air flow provided by the blower and the efficiency of the different compression stages. The EU-funded VOLTAYRE project will develop an innovative high-flow direct-drive oil valve, which will be qualified for TRL 5. The valve will be able to accurately meter and split the flows coming from the pump to the gearbox and the engine, allowing the excess oil flow to return to the tank. The valve will also communicate a visualisation of the delivered oil flows to the full-authority digital engine control.
Objective
The objectives of the project VOLTAYRE is to design, develop, manufacture, test and qualify an innovative TRL 5 oil valve (OV) able to regulate accurately two oil flows to the gearbox and the engine of the Ultra High Bypass and High Propulsive Efficiency Geared Turbofans and its oil system, and reject the remaining extra flow coming from the oil pump to the tank. This valve will also communicate to the FADEC the delivered flows and allow the FADEC to close the loop via valve’s commands.
The VOLTAYRE proposal innovation is based on the innovative low energy limited angle torque motor (LATM) developed and patented by FACT for similar application. This torque motor is able to provide high torque, high displacement, high ageing stability, without dynamic seals to direct drive both a rotary metering direct drive valve (RMDDV) or a rotary split direct drive valve (RSDDV). The RMDDV is coupled with a three-way delta pressure regulator (DPR). This DPR is able to regulate a constant delta pressure between the inlet and the outlet of the RMDDV. This DPR will be able to reject the extra flow provided by the pump to the tank and regulate a constant differential pressure across the RMDDV
Two identical differential pressure flowmeters (DPF) located after the RSDDV, one for the engine line the other for gearbox line, able to provide the requested high accuracy with the necessary reliability in this harsh environment.
As part of this response, we have proposed an architecture of equipment possible by combining different bricks TRL3 or 4. These bricks are however a capacity to be organized differently, to provide other architectures for the equipment according to the detailed needs that the topic leader will express through its specification
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Funding Scheme
IA - Innovation actionCoordinator
31470 Plaisance-Du-Touch
France