Propeller Control & Balancing

Propeller Electronic Controller (PEC)

Ultra has a long history in the design, development and production of high integrity, safety critical control systems. In many cases, these products are located in very harsh (high temperature/high vibration) environments such as engine casings and nacelles. One such product is the Propeller Electronic Controller.

• The PEC provides the critical interface and control between the Engine Electronic Controller (EEC) and the pitch actuation system
• Incorporates a dual-lane architecture featuring a number of interlocks to ensure safety including propeller ‘autofeather’ function

Propeller Balance Monitoring System (PBMS)

The Ultra PBMS system has been adopted on the following platforms:

• Bombardier Q200, Q300 and Q400
• Lockheed Martin P-3
• Successfully trialed on the Lockheed Martin C-130

System Features

• Accelerometers mounted on the engine gearbox communicate radial vibration data to the controller
• This data and phase data are gathered periodically at the shaft rotation frequency (1P)
• Data is then transferred from the controller to the balancer terminal (laptop PC) at the operator’s convenience
• The balancer terminal informs the operator of the optimum, minimum mass, rebalance solution

Benefits to the Operator

• 56% reduction in overall vibration levels compared with the standard ‘carry-on’ method of propeller balancing
• Balance data is gathered continuously during the normal flight envelope and is readily available
• The time taken to balance a four-engine aircraft is less than 1 hour
• No test flight required