To say rotorcraft systems are high stakes would be an understatement – every component must work flawlessly to ensure complete safety and efficiency. Rotorcraft require a wide range of precise movements that all require high-stakes accuracy, from the initial ascent to the graceful descent of a helicopter. One small, often invisible enemy can sometimes be the difference between a safe flight and a deadly accident: contamination. In fact, 75% of helicopter failures are due to particles invading the hydraulic system. By investing in advanced aircraft filtrations for your rotorcraft hydraulics, you can ensure mission success no matter what maneuvers you must accomplish. Global Filtration is a premier FAA-approved manufacturer of PMA aircraft parts and can help you find the most dependable solution for your rotorcraft filter needs.
Why Rotorcraft Hydraulics Demand Advanced Aircraft Filtration
Rotorcraft have the rare ability to defy gravity and complete high-speed, complex maneuvers. The success of their flights oftentimes hinges on their hydraulic systems and the filters that keep them running precisely. This includes a wide variety of crucial functions, including:
- Flight controls: High-stakes rotorcraft flight maneuvers require control features like swashplates, cyclics, and collectives. All of these components help the pilot’s signals adjust the helicopter’s movements in the air.
- Landing gear retraction or extension: The hydraulic system is responsible for the force that raises and lowers the landing gear at both takeoff and landings.
- Braking systems: High-pressure hydraulic fluid carries out this critical function, applying the heavy force needed to bring the helicopter to a slow, safe descent.
- Hoists and winches: While these might be overlooked compared to other critical components, the hoists and winch mechanisms within hydraulic systems are essential for search and rescue or utility operations. Using hydraulic power, heavy loads can be lifted with controlled speed and strength – this makes it a vital component of specialized, critical missions.
This is all possible because of advanced aircraft filtration and the control it offers the hydraulic system. Much like the circulatory system within the body, advanced aircraft filtration works within the rotorcraft hydraulic system to keep it clear and free-flowing, allowing for safe and consistent flight operations at all times.
Understanding Hydraulic Fluid Contamination and Its Threat to Advanced Aircraft Filtration
Hydraulic fluid is vital for all rotorcraft functions, but maintaining its purity is a constant battle that can only be won with advanced aircraft filtration systems. While it may seem like aircraft systems are locked down, sealed, and airtight, it is common for microscopic particles, water, or even air to slip through the cracks and cause detrimental equipment malfunctions. By understanding the nature of these silent threats and how aircraft filtration systems can help, you can set your rotorcraft’s hydraulic system up for optimal success and safety.
There is a wide variety of particulate matter that can cause hydraulic damage within the rotorcraft. The primary types of contaminants are:
- Inherent contamination: This includes leftover dust or other particles that entered the system during the manufacturing or assembly processes.
- Ingested contamination: An ingested particle most often includes things such as sand, dirt, dust, or other environmental materials that can clog the hydraulic system.
- Generated contamination: Generated contamination is particles from pumps, valves, or actuators. Oftentimes, the contamination starts to spread to other components when it reaches these systems, making it the most dangerous kind of contamination because it leads to a vicious cycle that is difficult to halt.
Aside from these types of contaminants, water is often one of the most destructive types of system pollutants. Water can enter the hydraulic system through condensation or leaky seals and can lead to hydrolysis or chemical breakdown of the fluids, microbial growth, and lubrication dilution. High-quality, FAA-certified PMA advanced aircraft filtration systems can help keep these particles at bay and your aircraft system at an all-time high.
Detrimental Effects of Contamination in Aircraft Hydraulics
When it comes to rotorcraft hydraulics, even microscopic amounts of contamination can create a snowball effect within the system, leading to detrimental outcomes. These properties can contribute to poor performance, costly maintenance, and even dangerous failures.
Advanced aircraft filters are vital for preventing contamination from creating significant wear and tear on the hydraulic systems. This happens when the unwanted particles wear down the vital components like sandpaper, leading to weaker function.
This can also have a large-scale impact on components like seals, O-rings, and valve spools. These small, but mighty, features are the number one defense against fluid leaks. When contaminants destroy them, it can create catastrophic failure and delayed responses.
The Power of Advanced Aircraft Filtration Solutions for Rotorcraft
When it comes to fighting contaminants within rotorcraft hydraulic systems, standard filters just don’t make the cut. By choosing advanced aircraft filtration solutions through Global Filtration, you can protect the integrity of your rotorcraft’s hydraulic system and prevent catastrophic failure. Investing in these tools isn’t just about protecting your team’s safety and preventing expensive repairs; it allows your rotorcraft to stay in a state of complete mission-readiness at all times without the threat of microscopic contaminants.
Microfiltration methods fight against any particulate matter that is small enough to be measured in microns, when contaminants are this small, advanced aircraft filtration systems are typically made out of metal fiber to work like a sieve against particles.
Sometimes, when particles are even smaller than a micron, they require even more advanced filtration methods to protect your aircraft’s system. If your system is not up to FAA aircraft filter standards, contaminants of this size can form a sludge and wreak havoc on the hydraulic system, leading to full system failure. At Global Filtration, not only do our advanced aircraft filters offer full-scale protection for all types of particulate matter, but we also strive to educate our clients on the dangerous effects of inadequate filtering and how it can impact your mission’s safety.
The Power of a Proactive Approach to Contamination Control With Advanced Filtration
Effective maintenance hinges on the principle of preventative maintenance over reactive maintenance. Preventive maintenance puts the power back in your hands and can contribute to both significantly safer missions and lower maintenance costs. By implementing a thorough maintenance and inspection strategy, you can keep your advanced aircraft filters operating at full capacity. A simple way to adhere to a complete care approach is to remember the three C’s:
- Cleanliness: Keeping both your workspace and the rotorcraft itself meticulously clean is vital for creating a first line of defense against particulate matter that can impact your helicopter’s hydraulic system.
- Consistency: Implementing a strict maintenance and inspection checklist can help find minor issues before they expand into life-threatening concerns. When you work with Global Filtration, we help you find the core issue of your filtration system instead of just issuing a “fix-all” solution.
- Continuous monitoring: By continuously monitoring precise details within your helicopter’s flight, you can opt for proactive intervention before the problem gets out of your control.
At Global Filtration, we center advanced filtration strategy at the core of our operations. This gives you the ability to move past just reacting to failures and begin managing your rotocraft’s system with complete confidence.
Choosing Advanced Aircraft Filtration for a Clearer Horizon
Hydraulics are vital for your rotorcraft’s safety, so working with a team like Global Filtration can be the difference between a small contamination leading to catastrophe or a routine, safe mission. Let us help you protect your rotorcraft with the safest, most effective advanced aircraft filtration systems on the market and keep your flights safe and reliable. Contact Global Filtration today to learn more about our advanced aircraft filtration parts for your helicopter.