SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING CHARACTERISTIC PARAMETERS IN AN AIRCRAFT

• US 20110184591A1
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Kordt, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,131,408 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0825 using mathematical models

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and a calculation system for an aircraft, with at least one sensor for detecting aeroelastic and flight-mechanical momenta of the aircraft, for detecting positions and movements of control surfaces of the aircraft or for detecting speeds of gusts of wind acting on the aircraft and comprising a calculation unit which calculates characteristic quantities of passenger comfort and cabin safety as well as momenta of the aircraft as a function of the sensor data provided by the sensors and a non-linear simulation model of the aircraft.

Claims

1. A system for the simultaneous control and monitoring and for the design validation of an aircraft, comprising:

(a) at least one sensor for detecting aeroelastic and flight-mechanical momenta of the aircraft, for detecting positions and movements of control surfaces of the aircraft or for detecting speeds of gusts of wind acting on the aircraft; and

comprising

(b) a calculation unit which calculates characteristic quantities of passenger comfort and cabin safety as well as momenta of the aircraft as a function of the sensor data provided by the sensors and a stored non-linear simulation model of the aircraft,

(c) wherein the calculated characteristic quantities and momenta are coupled back to a comparison unit which calculates a difference between precalculated quantities and the quantities calculated by the calculation unit, the aircraft being controlled as a function of the calculated difference.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the stored non-linear simulation model of the aircraft is a dynamic model of linear differential equations which is expanded by an effectiveness matrix which is multiplied by a non-linearity vector, reading as:

M {umlaut over (x)}+D {dot over (x)}+K x+Fg(x, {dot over (x)}, p, t)=p,

where

M is a mass matrix,

D is a damping matrix,

K is a rigidity matrix,

x is a hyper-movement vector of the aircraft,

g is the non-linearity vector,

p is a hyper-input vector of the aircraft, and

F is the effectiveness matrix,

wherein the effectiveness matrix describes non-linear characteristics of characteristic quantities which have flight-mechanical characteristic quantities, characteristic quantities of an on-board system and characteristic quantities of the aeroelastics.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit has a microprocessor and automatically adapts the stored non-linear simulation model using the sensor data provided by the sensors.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein sensors are provided for detecting momenta of an on-board system of the aircraft.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein the on-board system has at least one movable mass for damping an associated part of the aircraft.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensors for detecting flight-mechanical momenta of the aircraft measure deformations of parts of the aircraft.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensors for detecting flight-mechanical momenta of the aircraft and for detecting aeroelastic momenta of the aircraft have acceleration or pressure sensors.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit is provided in the aircraft or receives the sensor data from the sensors of the aircraft via a wireless air interface.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the non-linear simulation model of the aircraft can be read out of a memory.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit is connected to an input unit for inputting parameters of the simulation model of the aircraft.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit is connected to an output unit for outputting the calculated characteristic quantities and momenta.

12. The system according to claim 4, wherein the on-board system of the aircraft is controlled automatically as a function of the characteristic quantities and momenta calculated by the calculation unit, to minimise load forces and vibrations.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the on-board system of the aircraft can be connected to or disconnected from different frequency ranges.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein various masses of the on-board system which are fitted to parts of the aircraft can be activated as a function of an adjustable operating mode of the on-board system.

15. A method for controlling an aircraft, comprising the following steps:

(a) detection of aeroelastic and flight-mechanical momenta of the aircraft, of positions and movements of control surfaces of the aircraft and of speeds of gusts of wind acting on the aircraft, to generate sensor data;

(b) calculation of characteristic quantities of passenger comfort and of momenta of the aircraft as a function of the generated sensor data and a stored, non-linear simulation model of the aircraft by a calculation unit ; and

(c) calculation of a difference between precalculated quantities and the quantities calculated by the calculation unit, the aircraft being controlled as a function of the calculated difference.

16. A computer program with program commands for implementing the method ‘

according to claim 15.

17. A data carrier which stores the computer program according to claim 16.