Method and apparatus for aircraft sensor and actuator failure protection using reconfigurable flight control laws

• US 10,183,743 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2017
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Shue, Shyhpyng Jack, Corrigan, John James, Bird, Eric Thomas, Wood, Tommie Lynn, Ewing, Alan Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonzell, Philip J
• Application Number:
  US15/646,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20180093762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/54 Mechanisms for controlling blade adjustment or movement relative to rotor head, e.g. lag-lead movement
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24192 Configurable redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25069 Pseudo redundance, eliminate failing element and reconfigure system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0289 Reconfiguration to prevent failure, e.g. usually as a reaction to incipient failure detection
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0077 using redundant signals or controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0858 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft

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 reconfigurable flight control system is very desirable.

Claims

1. A method of automatically reconfiguring flight control of an aircraft, the aircraft having flight control actuators and sensors, the method comprising:

sending flight control data to a mixing/mapping matrix;

communicating with the mixing/mapping matrix in order to safely transfer authority from a failed actuator to a back-up actuator; and

calculating a risk factor, the risk factor being used for determining whether reconfiguration is necessary;

wherein the risk factor is an empirical representation of a control authority of the aircraft, such that a degradation in the control authority effects the risk factor.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

mixing the usage of the flight control actuators in response to a failing of the failed actuator by employing a first independent actuator system at a first percentage and employing a second independent actuator system at a second percentage, such that the combination of the first independent actuator system and the second independent actuator system produces a differential thrust.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

smoothing any transient conditions that may occur during the reconfiguring flight control of the aircraft in response to the failure.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the differential thrust is utilized for yaw control.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

filtering data from the flight control sensors on the aircraft by using a Kalman filter.