^{Penn State Problem Solving For U}

^{Driveline Demonstrator Team Fall 2002}

      ^{(OH-58 Jetranger)}

Summary:  In rotorcraft flight, it is necessary that  helicopters have two separate rotors: the main rotor and the tail rotor.  The function of the main rotor is to provide lift while the tail rotor provides stability for the craft to compensate for the torque induced by the main rotor.  Without a tail rotor, a helicopter would spin uncontrollably once airborne.  In a helicopter the two rotors must be connected by a driveshaft.  The driveshaft transmits torque from the engine to the tail rotor.  Drive shafts use a system of couplings, bearings, and dampers to accommodate for misalignments that result from uneven loadings on the tail boom.  Our goal is to design and build a full-scale flexible driveshaft for purposes of demonstrating how this system of couplings, bearings, and dampers work together to compensate for relatively large misalignments.  To accomplish our task we used an existing main rotor demonstrator and an OH-58 Army helicopter tail boom as the backbone for our demonstrator.  The old tail rotor was removed from the existing demonstrator and a hinge system was designed to attach the donated tail boom to the main rotor demonstrator.  Gear boxes and flexible couplings donated from Zero-Max were then used to complete the full-scale driveline demonstrator.

(Completed Flexible Driveline Demonstrator)

^Sponsors:                      

Team members

Faculty coach: Dr. Martin W. Trethewey (mwt2@psu.edu)

Created: 12/09/2002