Instrumentation and control circuit having multiple, dissimilar sources for supplying warnings, indications, and controls and an integrated cabin pressure control system valve incorporating the same
First Claim
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1. An aircraft cabin pressure control valve, comprising:
- a valve body;
a valve mounted in the valve body and moveable between a closed position and an open position;
at least two controller circuits mounted on the valve body, each controller circuit operable to sense the cabin pressure and supply a valve actuation signal; and
a valve actuator mounted on the valve body and operable, in response to one or more of the valve actuation signals, to position the valve to a predetermined position, wherein each of the controller circuits includes;
a first pressure sensor operable to sense aircraft cabin pressure and supply a first pressure signal representative thereof, a second pressure sensor dissimilar from the first pressure sensor and operable to sense aircraft cabin pressure and supply a second pressure signal representative thereof, a digital signal conditioning circuit coupled to receive the first pressure signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply a digital pressure signal, an analog signal conditioning circuit coupled to receive the second pressure signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply an analog pressure signal, and a processor coupled to receive the analog pressure signal and the digital pressure signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply (i) a signal in a first data transmission format that is representative of cabin pressure altitude and (ii) the valve actuation signal.
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Abstract
An integrated cabin pressure control system valve that uses a dual, redundant channel electronic control unit for both control of the valve and to supply alarm, indication, and control signals to the aircraft'"'"'s avionics system. Each channel in the electronic control unit includes an instrumentation and control circuit that uses multiple, dissimilar sensors and signals for warnings, indications, and controls. This configuration reduces the likelihood for a common mode failure that could result in a postulated gradual decompression without indication event.
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Citations
54 Claims
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1. An aircraft cabin pressure control valve, comprising:
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a valve body;
a valve mounted in the valve body and moveable between a closed position and an open position;
at least two controller circuits mounted on the valve body, each controller circuit operable to sense the cabin pressure and supply a valve actuation signal; and
a valve actuator mounted on the valve body and operable, in response to one or more of the valve actuation signals, to position the valve to a predetermined position, wherein each of the controller circuits includes;
a first pressure sensor operable to sense aircraft cabin pressure and supply a first pressure signal representative thereof, a second pressure sensor dissimilar from the first pressure sensor and operable to sense aircraft cabin pressure and supply a second pressure signal representative thereof, a digital signal conditioning circuit coupled to receive the first pressure signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply a digital pressure signal, an analog signal conditioning circuit coupled to receive the second pressure signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply an analog pressure signal, and a processor coupled to receive the analog pressure signal and the digital pressure signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply (i) a signal in a first data transmission format that is representative of cabin pressure altitude and (ii) the valve actuation signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10)
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- 6. The valve of claim 6, wherein the warning/control signals supplied by the processor include at least a high altitude warning signal and an oxygen deployment control signal.
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11. A circuit for supplying one or more signals representative of an aircraft cabin environment, comprising:
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a first pressure sensor operable to sense aircraft cabin pressure and supply a first pressure signal representative thereof;
a second pressure sensor dissimilar from the first pressure sensor and operable to sense aircraft cabin pressure and supply a second pressure signal representative thereof;
a digital signal conditioning circuit coupled to receive the first pressure signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply a first digital pressure signal;
an analog signal conditioning circuit coupled to receive the second pressure signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply an analog pressure signal; and
a processor coupled to receive the analog pressure signal and the digital pressure signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply a signal in a first data transmission format that is representative of cabin pressure altitude. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A controller circuit for controlling the position of a valve to thereby control cabin pressure in an aircraft, the controller circuit comprising:
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a first pressure sensor operable to sense aircraft cabin pressure and supply a first pressure signal representative thereof;
a second pressure sensor dissimilar from the first pressure sensor and operable to sense aircraft cabin pressure and supply a second pressure signal representative thereof;
a digital signal conditioning circuit coupled to receive the first pressure signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply a first digital pressure signal;
an analog signal conditioning circuit coupled to receive the second pressure signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply an analog pressure signal; and
a processor coupled to receive the analog pressure signal and the digital pressure signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply (i) a signal in a first data transmission format that is representative of cabin pressure altitude and (ii) the valve actuation signal. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of determining cabin pressure altitude in an aircraft cabin, comprising:
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determining cabin pressure using a first pressure determination method;
determining cabin pressure using a second pressure determination method that is different from the first pressure determination method; and
determining cabin pressure altitude based on the cabin pressure determined using at least one of the first and the second pressure determination methods. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. In an aircraft cabin pressure control system having an outflow valve that is used to control cabin pressure in an aircraft, a method of controlling outflow valve position, comprising:
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determining the cabin pressure using a first pressure determination method;
determining the cabin pressure using a second pressure determination method that is different from the first pressure determination method;
determining cabin pressure altitude based on the cabin pressure determined using at least one of the first and the second pressure determination methods; and
controlling the position of the outflow valve based on the determined cabin pressure altitude. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification