Innovative and Affordable Materials/Concepts for Improving Rotorcraft Slip Ring Reliability

As mechanical assemblies, sliprings suffer from failure due to mechanical wear on their brush and ring components due to the constant frictional forces between the two. Better materials or better designs are needed to improve the reliability of such slipring components. Prime Research, LC (PRLC) proposes to team with Moog Components Group (MCG) to demonstrate a new technology for creating sliding metal contact devices such as sliprings. The new technology builds on prior research and development efforts by PI Michael Miller in conjunction with engineering and R&D personnel at MCG, as well as a successful Phase I SBIR program in which the basic feasibility of the technology was demonstrated. The design, prototyping and manufacturing facilities of MCG, the current manufacturer of a key slipring component for the V-22 aircraft, will be utilized to demonstrate the technology.