System for control of an aerodynamic surface of an aircraft

• US 5,374,014 A
• Filed: 12/22/1992
• Issued: 12/20/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Aerospatiale Societe Nationale Industrielle
• Inventors: Le Tron, Xavier, Traverse, Pascal
• Primary Examiner(s): Huppert, Michael S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ansley, Virna Lissi
• Application Number:
  US07/994,907
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 244/76 R, 244/78, 244/195, 244/227, 244/226
• US Class Current: 244/227
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/503 Fly-by-Wire
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa

Abstract

System for control of an aerodynamic surface (1) of an aircraft, comprising an intentional actuation member (5) and a hydraulic jack (2) intended to deflect said aerodynamic surface (1).

According to the invention, the system comprises means (14) for detecting the difference in pressures prevailing in said jack (2), on either side of the piston (2C) of the latter, and calculation means (11) comprising:

a computer delivering values of a coefficient which is a decreasing function of said difference in pressures; and

a multiplier receiving an electrical signal (dp) representing a demanded deflection and said coefficient and addressing a first deflection command (C2) formed by the product of said signal and said coefficient to said servovalve.

Claims

1. A system for control of an aerodynamic surface (1) of an aircraft, comprising:

(a) an intentional actuation member (5) associated with a transducer (6) for delivering an electrical signal (dp) representing a demanded deflection of said aerodynamic surface (1);

(b) a hydraulic jack (2) intended to deflect said aerodynamic surface (1) under the control of a servovalve (3) and of a servocontroller (4);

(c) means (14) for detecting the difference in pressures (Δ

P) prevailing in said jack (2), on either side of the piston (2C) of the latter; and

(d) first calculation means receiving said electrical signal (dp) representing a demanded deflection and deriving a deflection command addressed to said servovalve (3), said first calculation means (11) comprising;

(i) a computer (18) delivering values of a coefficient (K) which is a decreasing function of said difference in pressures (Δ

P); and

(ii) a multiplier (19) receiving said electrical signal (dp) representing a demanded deflection and said coefficient (K) and addressing a first deflection command (C2) formed by the product of said signal and said coefficient to said servovalve,

said computer (18) calculating the values of said coefficient (K) in real time, as a function of the instantaneous value of said difference in pressures (Δ

P).

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 which also comprises a deflection detector (16) for said aerodynamic surface and deflection limiting means (20) receiving said deflection command and linked to said deflection detector (16).

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first calculation means (11) also comprises a device (17) for averaging said difference in pressures which is addressed to said computer (18).

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said computer (18) is of the analog type.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said computer (18) is of the digital type.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 which also comprises:

(e) second calculation means (8) also receiving said electrical signal (dp) representing a demanded deflection and deriving a second supplementary deflection command (C1) for said aerodynamic surface; and

(f) a two-position changeover switch (10) capable of addressing one or the other of said first or second deflection commands (C1 or C2) to said servovalve (3).

7. The system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said changeover switch (10) addresses said second deflection command (C1) generated by said second calculation means (8) to said servovalve (3), said first deflection command (C2) generated by said first calculation means (11) being addressed to said servovalve by means of said changeover switch only when said second calculation means (8) are defective.

8. A system for control of an aerodynamic surface (1) of an aircraft, comprising:

(a) an intentional actuation member (5) associated with a transducer (6) for delivering an electrical signal (dp) representing a demanded deflection of said aerodynamic surface (1);

(b) a hydraulic jack (2) intended to deflect said aerodynamic surface (1) under the control of a servovalve (3) and of a servocontroller (4);

(c) means (14) for detecting the difference in pressures (Δ

P) prevailing in said jack (2), on either side of the piston (2C) of the latter; and

(d) first calculation means receiving said electrical signal (dp) representing a demanded deflection and deriving a deflection command addressed to said servovalve (3), said first calculation means (11) comprising;

(i) a computer (18) delivering values of a coefficient (K) which is a decreasing function of said difference in pressures (Δ

P); and

(ii) a multiplier (19) receiving said electrical signal (dp) representing a demanded deflection and said coefficient (K) and addressing a first deflection command (C2) formed by the product of said signal and said coefficient to said servovalve,

said computer (18) delivering a fixed value (K1, K2, . . . Kn+1) of said coefficient (K) for each of a few regions subdividing the range of possible variations in said difference in pressures (Δ

P).

9. The system as claimed in claim 8 which also comprises a deflection detector (16) for said aerodynamic surface and deflection limiting means (20) receiving said deflection command and linked to said deflection detector (16).

10. The system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said first calculation means (11) also comprise a device (17) for averaging said difference in pressures which is addressed to said computer (18).

11. The system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said computer (18) is of the analog type.

12. The system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said computer (18) is of the digital type.

13. The system as claimed in claim 8 which also comprises:

(e) second calculation means (8) also receiving said electrical signal (dp) representing a demanded deflection and deriving a second supplementary deflection command (C1) for said aerodynamic surface; and

(f) a two-position changeover switch (10) capable of addressing one or the other of said first or second deflection commands (C1 or C2) to said servovalve (3).

14. The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein said changeover switch (10) addresses said second deflection command (C1) generated by said second calculation means (8) to said servovalve (3), said first deflection command (C2) generated by said first calculation means (11) being addressed to said servovalve by means of said changeover switch only when said second calculation means (8) are defective.