PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Windmilling propellers
View Single Post
Old 16th Jun 2010, 13:36
  #9 (permalink)  
Deltabravowhiskey
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: USofA
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sorry, absolutely incorrect. You are confusing torque sensing (for auto-feather systems in turbines) with prop governors. Prop governors sense prop RPM, and adjust the pitch to compensate. If the RPM drops, the governor commands a finer pitch - if the engine is running, this reduces prop angle of attack, and thus prop drag and the RPM increases back to the governed level.

When any engine (turbine or piston) are running and by definition of "running" (generating positive torque, regardless of rpm) said engine transmits that torque to the motors output shaft or in this case the prop.

Depending on the amount of torque being generated (regardless of rpm) the engine will continue to accelerate (as a result of torque being produced) until something limits that maximum rotational speed, in this case a a prop governor increases blade pitch thus providing an increase in thrust output and the resistance to rotational torque hence limiting rotational rpm.

A prop governor is ONLY designed to respond to POSITIVE TORQUE from the motor (turbine or piston) a governor RESPONDS to torque not rpm (You can't have rpm without torque). RPM is simply a byproduct of said torque and rpms are only used to determine where a governor is operating at in respect to applied torque.

If you want to debate how a governor functions, then yes internal pressures that regulate the hydraulic forces sent to a prop hub are a result of the governors intenal pumps rpm and therfore the resulting pressures generated by that hydraulic pump.

In a NEGATIVE TORQUE SITUATION the prop governor will respond counter to POSITIVE TORQUE and the prop and windmilling engine will reduce it's rotational rpm relative to the speed of the flow of air accross the props blades.

This is a critical aspect to the design of a prop because if the prop were designed to increase the blades angle in a negative torque situation, the engine and prop would overspeed and result in a catastrpphic runaway situation.

There are inertial devices that prevent a prop from going into a negative blade pitch in flight (Feather). These arm when an over-ride is activated in the prop control system thus allowing the prop to continue past a flat pitch angle to a feathered blade position and are moved their by way of a piston and spring that act against the blades internal positioning arms.

Prop governors work as a result of torque output. Torque output determines the rpm and the limits of said rpm are a result of a torque limit set by the pilot thru the governor.

RPM's are a result of torque, torque is not the result of rpms...its of them laws of physics kinda things ya know.

If the engine is not running (producing positive torque), the RPM drops due to the governor commanding finer pitch as a result of the negative torque condition, this decreases the angle of attack and the prop rpms are reduced.

Google article:
Google Image Result for http://www.hariguchi.org/flying/info/figs/csp3.jpg
Deltabravowhiskey is offline