Aircraft flight control surface actuation system communication architecture

• US 20060043242A1
• Filed: 08/19/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Benson, Dwayne M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,770,842 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/175
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/503 Fly-by-Wire

Abstract

A flight control surface actuation system includes a plurality of smart actuators to move aircraft flight control surfaces between extended and retracted positions. The system includes a high availability network between the flight control avionics and the smart actuators, and between each of the smart actuators. The system configuration allows network nodes associated with each smart actuator to monitor and control one another, under higher level control of the aircraft flight control avionics, to provide multiple levels of health monitoring, control, and shutdown capability.

Claims

1. An aircraft flight control system, comprising:

a plurality of independent communication channels;

a flight control avionics channel operable to supply flight control surface position commands representative of a commanded flight control surface position via each of the independent communication channels;

a plurality of actuators, each actuator adapted to couple to an aircraft flight control surface, each actuator coupled to receive actuator position commands and operable, upon receipt thereof, to move to an actuator position corresponding to the commanded flight control surface position; and

a plurality of remote electronic control units disposed remote from the flight control avionics channel, each remote electronic control unit associated with one of the plurality of actuators, and each remote electronic control unit;

(i) coupled to receive the flight control surface position commands supplied from each of the independent communication channels and operable, in response thereto, to supply the actuator position commands to its associated actuator, and

(ii) coupled to receive one or more signals representative of operability of one or more of the plurality of actuators and one or more other remote electronic control units and operable, in response thereto, to determine to whether one or more of the plurality of actuators are operating improperly and whether one or more of the other remote electronic control units are operating improperly.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each remote electronic control unit is further operable, upon determining that one or more of the plurality of actuators are operating improperly or that one or more of the other remote electronic control units are operating improperly, to supply an actuator fault signal.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the flight control avionics channel is coupled to receive the actuator fault signals supplied from each of the remote electronic control units and is further operable, upon receipt thereof, to selectively supply an actuator disable signal to one or more of the remote electronic control units; and

each remote electronic control unit is further operable, upon receipt of an actuator disable signal, to disable its associated actuator.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of communication hubs, each communication hub coupled between one of the plurality of independent communication channels and a plurality of the remote electronic control units.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

second and third flight control avionic channels each coupled to a plurality of independent communication channels and each operable to supply flight control surface position commands via each of the independent communication channels.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of monitor electronic control units disposed remote from the flight control avionics channel, each monitor electronic control unit associated with at least two of the plurality of remote electronic control units, each monitor electronic control unit coupled to receive;

(i) the flight control surface position commands supplied to its associated remote electronic control units, and

(ii) a signal representative of operability of its associated actuators and remote electronic control units and operable, in response thereto, to determine to whether one or more of its associated actuators are operating improperly and whether one or more of its associated remote electronic control units are operating improperly.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein each monitor electronic control unit is further operable, upon determining that one or more of it associated actuators are operating improperly or that one or more of its associated remote electronic control units are operating improperly, to supply an actuator fault signal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the flight control avionics channel is coupled to receive the actuator fault signals supplied from each of the monitor electronic control units and is further operable, upon receipt thereof, to selectively supply an actuator disable signal to one or more of the remote electronic control units; and

each remote electronic control unit is further operable, upon receipt of an actuator disable signal, to disable its associated actuator.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the flight control avionics is further operable, upon receipt of the actuator fault signals, to selectively supply an actuator enable signal to one or more standby remote electronic control units; and

each standby remote electronic control unit is further operable, upon receipt of an actuator enable signal, to supply the actuator position commands in response to the flight control surface position commands received thereby.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a plurality of standby actuators adapted to couple to an aircraft flight control surface, each standby actuator coupled to receive the actuator position commands supplied from an enabled remote electronic control unit and operable, upon receipt thereof, to move to an actuator position corresponding to the commanded flight control surface position.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more signals representative of operability include one or more of an actuator position signal and a flight surface position signal.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of actuator position sensors, each actuator position sensor operable to sense a position of one or more actuators and to supply an actuator position signal representative thereof,

wherein each remote electronic control unit is coupled to receive at least one of the actuator position signals.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more signals representative of operability include the actuator position signals.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of flight control surface position sensors, each flight control surface position sensor adapted to sense a position of a flight control surface and to supply a flight control surface position representative thereof,

wherein each remote electronic control unit is coupled to receive at least one of the flight control surface position signals.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more signals representative of operability include the flight control surface position signals.

16. An aircraft flight control system, comprising:

a plurality of independent communication channels;

a flight control avionics channel operable to supply flight control surface position commands representative of a commanded flight control surface position via each of the independent communication channels;

a plurality of communication hubs, each communication hub having a plurality of ports, each communication hub coupled to receive the flight control surface position commands supplied from one of the independent communication channels and operable, upon receipt thereof, to supply the received flight control surface position commands;

a plurality of remote electronic control units, each remote electronic control unit coupled to one of the communication hubs to receive the flight control surface position commands supplied therefrom, each of the remote electronic control units operable, upon receipt of the flight surface position commands, to supply actuator position commands; and

a plurality of actuators, each actuator adapted to couple to an aircraft flight control surface, each actuator coupled to receive the actuator position commands from one of the remote electronic control units and operable, upon receipt thereof, to move to an actuator position corresponding to the commanded flight control surface position.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein each of the remote electronic control units is further coupled to receive one or more signals representative of operability of one or more of the plurality of actuators and one or more other remote electronic control units and is further operable, in response thereto, to determine to whether one or more of the plurality of actuators are operating improperly and whether one or more of the other remote electronic control units are operating improperly.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein each remote electronic control unit is further operable, upon determining that one or more of the plurality of actuators are operating improperly or that one or more of the other remote electronic control units are operating improperly, to supply an actuator fault signal.

19. The system of claim 20, wherein:

the flight control avionics is coupled to receive the actuator fault signals supplied from each of the remote electronic control units and is further operable, upon receipt thereof, to selectively supply an actuator disable signal to one or more of the remote electronic control units; and

each remote electronic control unit is further operable, upon receipt of an actuator disable signal, to disable its associated actuator.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a plurality of monitor electronic control units disposed remote from the flight control avionics channel, each monitor electronic control unit associated with at least two of the plurality of remote electronic control units, each monitor electronic control unit coupled to receive;

(i) the flight control surface position commands supplied to its associated remote electronic control units, and

(ii) a signal representative of operability of its associated actuators and remote electronic control units and operable, in response thereto, to determine to whether one or more of its associated actuators are operating improperly and whether one or more of its associated remote electronic control units are operating improperly.

21. An aircraft flight control system, comprising:

a plurality of independent communication channels;

a flight control avionic channel operable to supply flight control surface position commands representative of a commanded flight control surface position via each of the independent communication channels;

a plurality of actuators, each actuator adapted to couple to an aircraft flight control surface, each actuator coupled to receive actuator position commands and operable, upon receipt thereof, to move to an actuator position corresponding to the commanded flight control surface position;

a plurality of communication hubs, each communication hub having a plurality of ports, and each communication hub coupled to receive the flight control surface position commands supplied from one of the independent communication channels and operable, upon receipt thereof, to supply the received flight control surface position commands; and

a plurality of remote electronic control units disposed remote from the flight control avionics channel, each remote electronic control unit associated with one of the plurality of actuators, and each remote electronic control unit;

(i) coupled to one of the communication hubs to receive the flight control surface position commands supplied therefrom and operable, in response thereto, to supply the actuator position commands to its associated actuator, and

(ii) coupled to receive one or more signals representative of operability of one or more of the plurality of actuators and one or more other remote electronic control units and operable, in response thereto, to determine to whether one or more of the plurality of actuators are operating improperly and whether one or more of the other remote electronic control units are operating improperly.