Ultra’s Propeller Balance Monitoring Systems (PBMS) have 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 or dedicated ground runs are required.
