Air-driven, turbine tow reel machine controlled according to towline velocity and vent door position
First Claim
1. A control device for an aircraft tow reel machine including an air driven turbine, vent means having vent doors to regulate air flow through the turbine, and reel means including a towline, said control device comprising:
- position sensor means for sensing the position of the vent doors and providing a position signal indicative thereof;
velocity sensor means for sensing an instantaneous velocity of the towline and providing a towline velocity signal indicative thereof;
memory means for storing desired towline velocity data;
velocity comparator means for comparing instantaneous towline velocity data provided by a towline velocity signal from said velocity sensor means with desired towline velocity data from said memory means and generating a difference signal based upon the difference thereof;
door control means responsive to said difference signal generated by said comparator means and said position signal from said position sensor means for generating a vent door driving signal; and
vent door driving means for controlling the position of the vent doors according to a vent door driving signal from said door control means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A reeling control system and an air driven tow reel machine incorporating such a control system are disclosed. In the disclosed control system and reeling machine of the present invention, towline velocity is monitored and reel-in and reel-out operations are regulated according to a programmed towline velocity profile. A position sensor senses the position of the turbine vent doors and a velocity sensor device provides the instantaneous towline velocity. A velocity comparator compares the instantaneous towline velocity with a desired velocity value from a desired velocity profile. Based upon the difference between actual and desired towline velocities, a door control device generates a driving signal for controlling the vent door position accordingly.
34 Citations
43 Claims
-
1. A control device for an aircraft tow reel machine including an air driven turbine, vent means having vent doors to regulate air flow through the turbine, and reel means including a towline, said control device comprising:
-
position sensor means for sensing the position of the vent doors and providing a position signal indicative thereof; velocity sensor means for sensing an instantaneous velocity of the towline and providing a towline velocity signal indicative thereof; memory means for storing desired towline velocity data; velocity comparator means for comparing instantaneous towline velocity data provided by a towline velocity signal from said velocity sensor means with desired towline velocity data from said memory means and generating a difference signal based upon the difference thereof; door control means responsive to said difference signal generated by said comparator means and said position signal from said position sensor means for generating a vent door driving signal; and vent door driving means for controlling the position of the vent doors according to a vent door driving signal from said door control means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A control module for an aircraft tow reel machine including an air driven turbine, vent means having vent doors to regulate air flow through the turbine, and reel means including a towline, position sensor means for sensing the position of the vent doors and providing a position signal indicative thereof, velocity sensor means for sensing an instantaneous velocity of the towline and providing a towline velocity signal indicative thereof, and vent door driving means, responsive to a vent door driving signal, for controlling the position of the vent doors, said control module comprising:
-
processor means including first means for comparing instantaneous towline velocity data provided by a towline velocity signal from the velocity sensor means with stored desired towline velocity data and calculating a difference value therebetween, second means for determining a desired vent door value based upon said difference value, and third means for generating a vent door driving signal based upon a difference between said desired vent door value and the vent door position as indicated by a position signal from the door position sensor means; first interface means for transmitting signals from the position sensor means and the velocity sensor means to said processor means; and second interface means for applying generated vent door driving signals to the vent door driving means. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A digitally-controlled, reeling machine for deploying and reeling-in a towline, said machine comprising:
-
a housing adapted to be mounted to an aircraft, said housing having an air inlet in one portion and vents in another portion thereof; an air-driven turbine disposed within said housing, said turbine having a rotor; a reel means for winding a towline thereon; a turbine output shaft connecting said rotor to said reel means; vent doors movable to open and close said vents; a door position sensor for sensing the position of said vent doors and providing a position signal indicative thereof; a towline velocity sensor for sensing an instantaneous velocity of the towline and providing a towline velocity signal indicative thereof; a memory for storing desired towline velocity data; a velocity comparator means for comparing instantaneous towline velocity data provided by a towline velocity signal from said towline velocity sensor with desired towline velocity data from said memory, and generating a difference signal based upon the difference thereof; door control means responsive to said difference signal generated by said velocity comparator means and said position signal from said position sensor means for generating a vent door driving signal; and vent door driving means for controlling the position of said vent doors according to vent door driving signals from said driving signal generating means. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
35. A method of controlling an aircraft tow reel machine having an air driven turbine, a turbine brake, vent means with vent doors to regulate air flow through the turbine, reel means including a towline, position sensor means for sensing the position of the vent doors and providing a door position signal indicative thereof, velocity sensor means for sensing the instantaneous towline velocity and providing a towline velocity signal indicative thereof, and vent door driving means for controlling the position of the vent doors, said method comprising the steps of:
-
comparing an instantaneous towline velocity value provided by a towline velocity signal from the machine'"'"'s velocity sensor means with a desired towline velocity value; generating a desired door position signal dependent upon a difference between said instantaneous towline velocity value and said desired towline velocity value; comparing said desired door position signal with a signal indicative of the actual door position from the machine'"'"'s position sensor means; generating a vent door driving signal dependent upon a difference between said desired door position signal and said actual door position signal; and applying said vent door driving signal to the machine'"'"'s vent door driving means to control the vent doors. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
-
Specification