Vehicle Innovative Powertrain Experimental Research (VIPER) Equipment Capabilities
Abstract
The US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory recently acquired the Vehicle Innovative Powertrain Experimental Research (VIPER) testbed. VIPER enables Army, academic, and industry partners to engage and explore new technologies under replicated flight loads to increase power density, endurance to increase operational reach, and payload for future rotorcraft. The Army will use VIPER to readily accommodate rotorcraft driveline research priorities with highly controlled and repeatable experiments, a modular design for transmission platform reconfiguration, and engineered capability to operate through a variety of failure modes to push the limits of analysis and new technology. VIPER can transmit power through research transmissions with up to two 1,000 hp input motors, a 2,000 hp load absorption motor for the vertical mast, and a 250 hp load absorption motor for the tail rotor shaft. In addition to power transmission, flight maneuver loads can be applied to the transmission with a mast actuation system providing loads along the X-Y-Z coordinates and moments about the roll, pitch, and yaw axes. The purpose of this report is to record VIPERs equipment capabilities to facilitate discussions about reconfiguration for company-specific platforms to research technologies aligned with Army priorities.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1143907
Entities
People
- Adrian Hood
- Mark Riggs
Organizations
- United States Army