Increase of helicopter gearbox performance by use of innovative technologies

Abstract

Design and development of drive-trains for helicopters, especially gearboxes, has to fulfil technological and commercial requirements. Compliance to these requirements is absolutely necessary to achieve highly competitive products. Considering typical drive-train development projects, its specific technological needs, time-to-market goals as well as development and manufacturing costs, ZF Luftfahrttechnik GmbH (ZFL) has developed several innovative technology solutions in the field of helicopter gearbox performance increase. This paper will at first describe a generic view on the basic principles of technology implementation within the helicopter industry, followed by the detailed description of several technologies that have been developed by ZFL. Examples of these technologies will focus on solutions for load path components of gearboxes, weight reduction of drive-train components and finally on a proposal in the area of gearbox condition monitoring. This paper will show the validation of these innovative technologies and discuss the determined benefits.