Reconfigurable flight control surface actuation system and method
First Claim
1. A flight control surface actuation system, comprising:
- a plurality of flight control surface actuators, each flight control surface actuator configured to couple to a secondary flight control surface on either a first aircraft wing or a second aircraft wing, each flight control surface actuator coupled to receive power and operable, upon receipt thereof, to move its associated secondary flight control surface to a commanded position; and
a control unit configured to receive one or more signals representative of operability of each of the secondary flight control surfaces and operable, in response thereto;
(i) to determine the operability of each of the flight control surfaces and, (ii) upon determining that a flight control surface on one of the first or second aircraft wings is inoperable, to automatically selectively supply or inhibit power to one or more of the flight control surface actuators that are adapted to be coupled to a secondary flight control surface on one of the second or first aircraft wings, respectively, to prevent an asymmetric flight control surface deploy condition.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A flight control surface actuation system, and the method implemented thereby, prevents an asymmetric secondary flight control surface deploy situation in the unlikely event one or more of the secondary flight control surfaces becomes inoperable. The system includes a control unit that receives one or more signals representative of operability of each of the secondary flight control surfaces. In response to these signal, the control unit determines the operability of each of the flight control surfaces and, upon determining that a flight control surface on one of the aircraft wings is inoperable, automatically moves, or inhibits movement of, one or more symmetric flight control surfaces on the other aircraft wing.
26 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A flight control surface actuation system, comprising:
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a plurality of flight control surface actuators, each flight control surface actuator configured to couple to a secondary flight control surface on either a first aircraft wing or a second aircraft wing, each flight control surface actuator coupled to receive power and operable, upon receipt thereof, to move its associated secondary flight control surface to a commanded position; and
a control unit configured to receive one or more signals representative of operability of each of the secondary flight control surfaces and operable, in response thereto;
(i) to determine the operability of each of the flight control surfaces and, (ii) upon determining that a flight control surface on one of the first or second aircraft wings is inoperable, to automatically selectively supply or inhibit power to one or more of the flight control surface actuators that are adapted to be coupled to a secondary flight control surface on one of the second or first aircraft wings, respectively, to prevent an asymmetric flight control surface deploy condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A flight control surface actuation system, comprising:
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a plurality of first flight control surface actuators, each first flight control surface actuator adapted to be coupled to a secondary flight control surface on a first aircraft wing, each first flight control actuator coupled to receive power and operable, upon receipt thereof, to move its associated secondary flight control surface to a commanded position;
a plurality of second flight control surface actuators, each second flight control surface actuator adapted to be coupled to a secondary flight control surface on a second aircraft wing having a plurality of secondary flight control surfaces that are each symmetric to one of the plurality of secondary flight control surfaces on the first wing, each second flight control surface actuator further coupled to receive power and operable, upon receipt thereof, to move its associated secondary flight control surface to a commanded position;
a plurality of first flight control surface position sensors, each first flight control surface position sensor associated with one of the first aircraft wing secondary flight control surface and operable to sense a position thereof and supply a first aircraft wing flight control surface position signal representative thereof;
a plurality of second flight control surface position sensors, each second flight control surface position sensor associated with one of the second aircraft wing secondary flight control surfaces and operable to sense a position thereof and supply a second aircraft wing flight control surface position signal representative thereof; and
a control unit coupled to receive the first and second aircraft wing flight control surface position signals and operable, in response thereto;
(i) to determine operability of each of the first and second flight control surface actuators and, (ii) upon determining that a first or a second flight control surface actuator is inoperable, to automatically selectively supply or inhibit power to the second or first flight control surface actuators, respectively, that are adapted to be coupled to the symmetric flight control surface. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. In an aircraft having at least first and second aircraft wings, the first aircraft wing having a plurality of secondary flight control surfaces that are each symmetric to a secondary flight control surface on the second wing, and each flight control surface on the first and second aircraft wings having one or more flight control surface actuators coupled thereto, a method of preventing an asymmetric flight control surface deploy condition, comprising the steps of:
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determining operability of each of the plurality of secondary flight control surfaces; and
if it is determined that a secondary flight control surface on one of the first or second aircraft wings is inoperable, selectively moving, or inhibiting movement of, the symmetric secondary flight control surface on one of the second or first aircraft wings, respectively, to thereby prevent the asymmetric flight control surface deploy condition. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification