Methods and apparatus suitable for facilitating control of an aircraft rudder

• US 6,586,901 B1
• Filed: 06/21/2000
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Wilkens, Dean Richard, Singer, Donald James
• Primary Examiner(s): Masih, Karen
• Application Number:
  US09/598,865
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 318/560, 318/434, 318/635, 318/586, 318/591, 318/648, 318/654, 318/584, 318/585, 318/616, 318/617, 318/624, 318/632, 318/649, 318/580, 701/4, 701/70, 701/40
• US Class Current: 318/560
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0816 to ensure stability

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for controlling aircraft rudder movement are disclosed. The system including a yaw damping control portion integrated with a directional compensation rudder control portion, such that the system may simultaneously provide yaw damping control and directional compensation.

Claims

1. A control system for producing a signal to manipulate a rudder of an aircraft comprising:

a yaw damping command source;

a motor coupled to said yaw damping command source, said motor configured to manipulate a position of the rudder;

a yaw damping feed forward path configured to transmit a yaw damping signal from said yaw damping command source to said motor;

a bias command source coupled to said motor; and

a bias command feed forward path configured to transmit a bias command signal from said bias command source to said motor.

2. The control system according to claim 1, further comprising a motor current feedback path coupled to said yaw damping feed forward path.

3. The control system according to claim 2, wherein said motor current feedback path includes a first current summing junction configured to combine a motor signal and the bias command signal.

4. The control system according to claim 2, wherein said motor current feedback path includes a filter.

5. The control system according to claim 4, wherein said motor current feedback path includes a second summing junction configured to combine a signal from said first summing junction with a signal from said filter.

6. The control system according to claim 5, wherein said motor current feedback path includes a third summing junction configured to combine a motor rate signal with a signal from said second summing junction.

7. The control system according to claim 1, further comprising a summing junction configured to combine the signal said yaw damping feed forward path with a signal from a motor rate feedback path.

8. The control system according to claim 1, wherein said bias command feed forward path includes a wash out filter.

9. The control system according to claim 1, wherein said bias command feed forward path included a lag filter.

10. The control system according to claim 1, further comprising a high frequency control feedback load coupled to said yaw damping feed forward path.

11. An airplane rudder control system comprising:

a yaw damping feed forward control path including a yaw damping control source and a motor command source;

a bias command feed forward control path, including a bias command source coupled to said yaw damping feed forward control path; and

a bias command feedback loop coupled to the bias command source.

12. The airplane rudder control system of claim 11, wherein said bias command feed forward control path further includes a wash out filter.

13. The airplane rudder control system of claim 11, wherein said bias command feed forward control path further includes a lag filter.

14. The airplane rudder control system of claim 11, further comprising a motor current feedback path coupled to said yaw damping feed forward path.

15. The airplane rudder control system of claim 14 further comprising a motor rate feedback path coupled to said motor current feedback path.

16. The airplane rudder control system of claim 11, further comprising a motor rate feedback path coupled to said yaw damping feed forward control path.

17. A method of controlling an aircraft rudder control motor, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a yaw damping command signal;

providing a bias command signal;

summing said bias command signal with a current amp signal;

filtering the sum of said bias command signal and said current amp signal; and

summing the filtered bias command signal with the yaw damping command signal.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

measuring a motor current to obtain a motor rate signal; and

summing the motor rate signal with said bias command signal.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

measuring a motor rate to obtain a motor rate signal; and

summing the motor rate signal with a manipulated yaw damping signal.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein said filtering step includes transmitting said bias command signal through a wash out filter to produce a manipulated bias command signal.

21. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of filtering said manipulated bias command signal using a lag filter.