Method and apparatus for aircraft sensor and actuator failure protection using reconfigurable flight control laws
US9701404B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 1, 2014 |
| Grant date | Jul 11, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 24, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG05B2219/25069
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and apparatus for reconfiguring flight control of an aircraft during a failure while the aircraft is flying. The method and apparatus provide a control law that is software-implemented and configured to automatically send flight control data to a mixing/mapping matrix. The method and apparatus also provide a reconfiguration management tool configured to communicate with the mixing/mapping matrix in order to safely transfer authority from a failed actuator to a back-up actuator. The method and apparatus also provide a sensor management tool for providing input to the reconfiguration management tool in order to smooth any transient conditions that may occur during reconfiguration. The method and apparatus provide for a way of smoothing any possible transient situation that might otherwise occur by employment of a fader, the fader being used to gradually convert positioning of failed actuators and positioning of reconfigured actuators. An exemplary aircraft for using the method and apparatus of a reconfigurable flight control system is a quad tilt rotor. The quad tilt rotor provides a variety of redundant and back-actuators, as such, having a robust and highly qualified recon…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.