Electromechanical Actuator for Helicopter Rotor Damper Application

Development trends in aeronautics involve a better employment of electric motors also in safety critical hazardous applications until now covered by mechanical systems. The electromechanical actuators (EMAs) are gaining a growing interest owing to their force and power density capability and the high dynamical performance by electronic control. Hence, very compact and high-efficiency drives can be designed, with satisfactory characteristics from the reliability point of view. This paper refers to a rotor damper system for helicopter application, using specifically designed permanent-magnet motors as EMAs. Design criteria and details will be presented focused on the integration of the electrical machine inside such specific application. Reports of analyses and tests carried out on the motor prototypes are included to confirm the capabilities and the performances of the proposed solution.