Posted by Courtney E. Howard 

CARY, N.C., 8 Oct. 2011. Lord Corp., involved in the management of vibration, noise, and motion control, has completed extensive testing of its In-Flight Propeller Balancing System (IPBS), which is part of a $4.5-million contract with the U.S. Air Force. Lord Corp.'s proprietary IPBS will be integrated into the Air Force’s C-130H (Hercules) military transport aircraft fleet equipped with 54H60 propellers.

With the culmination of this second developmental test and evaluation (DT&E) of the technology and preproduction hardware, the system transitions into a year-long operational test and evaluation (OT&E) under a System Design and Development (SDD) contract from the Air Force.

Lord won the contract from the 330th Aircraft Sustainment Group (ASG) of the Warner Robins Air Logistic Center (WR-ALC), Robins Air Force Base, Ga., in late 2008. The contract spans through Dec. 2011.

According to a company spokesperson: Traditional means of balancing propellers, by adding counterweights, enables proper balance at one specific operating condition and for a limited amount of time, given the propeller blade angle and aerodynamic loads change during flight. The negative effects of propeller imbalance vary from passenger discomfort to fatigue of on-board equipment. The effects of wear on the system also degrade balance over time. Further, significant costs are expended keeping vibration under control or monitoring its effects so as to predict potential failures.

IPBS continuously adjusts balance during flight operation, resulting in propeller balance maintained at the lowest possible level during the entire flight and reduced Direct Operating Costs (DOCs). The system includes one balancing device per propeller and a single controller per aircraft. The computer-controlled system uses accelerometer inputs from the rotating propeller to adjust automatically the balance as needed to minimize total system imbalance for each operating condition. The small electronic controller also can serve as a predictive maintenance tool.

"The IPBS has been proven to provide the smoothest and most reliable propeller operation across the entire power spectrum," says Kris Burson, Lord Corp. Americas marketing manager, aerospace & defense. "In addition to lowering operating and sustainment costs, the system will reduce aircraft downtime due to maintenance and, therefore, increase aircraft availability."