PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - AS332 Main Gear Box run dry 30min ?
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Old 19th Mar 2009, 14:25
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HeliComparator
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
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AKEE

Absolutely not, no 30 min dry running timefor the AS332L. I believe some tests carried out at Aerospatiale years ago showed that the actual dry run time was very variable - one box lasted nearly 20 mins, another less than 5, making it pot luck and impossible to give any approved dry running time, and certainly never 30 mins.

Its the same for the L2, however in order to meet the latest certification requirements for the EC225, Eurocopter added an emergency lubrication/cooling system, consisting of a glycol reservoir, pump and engine air supply, and a complicated manifold of pipes that sprayed the atomised glycol/air mixture into the hot parts of the gearbox. The primary function of this is apparently to cool, rather than to lubricate the parts.

The tank in fact has enough glycol for 50 minutes, but the system is certified only for 30 minutes of flight at Vy (80 kts).

But you have to bear in mind the probability of a complete loss of gearbox oil on a 332L. Bristow has nearly 30 of them, operated them since 1983, and must have millions of flight hours on them, but I don't think there has ever been a case of complete loss of oil pressure in flight. We did have one leak that might have resulted in complete loss of oil (crack in gearbox), but the aircraft landed before all the oil was lost. So don't fret about it too much!

A oil cooling failure such as fan drive failure, low gearbox oil level or main pump failure is a more realisitic possibilty (though rare) and with those, provided you still have the minimum pressure you can continue flight for up to 2 hours at Vy.

HC
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