ONE ENGINE WITH TWO HEARTS BEING DESIGNED FOR LIGHT HELICOPTERS, UAVS AND FIXED WING

摘要

A new engine project, officially presented by the Italian engine designer RME at the AHS Annual Forum in Virginia Beach, held in May 2015, is a different approach to a more reliable and highly redundant piston engine. The new engine is using existing design methods, technologies, and engine parts but is combining them in an unusual way creating a surprising result with unprecedented combustion piston engine redundancy. The hulking acronym T.E.P.S. means Twin Engine Pack System and actually means two engines in one. Our European correspondent visited the engine designer and discovered surprising features and brand new project details. A detailed, virtual, multibody model of the T.E.P.S. engine unit was developed at Politecnico di Milano (Milan Technical University) using the multibody/multidisciplinary software MBDyn. The multibody model provided the possibility of identifying the time history of transmitted torques and angular speeds, starting from pressure in cylinders in function of the throttle position. This allowed for predicting the stress levels on the engine components like pistons, connecting rods, crankshafts, and other components of transmission like belts, pulleys, mast, and rotor. The software even allowed simulation of some flight maneuvers like pull-out, flat, and coordinated turns.