System for controlling the operation of at least one aircraft engine

• US 7,188,008 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2004
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Fernandez, Brice, Garnaud, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CUONG H
• Application Number:
  US10/516,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20050174073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 318/42, 417/29, 701/3, 701/7, 701/10
• US Class Current: 701/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/18 for evaluating statistical data , e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04

Abstract

A system for supervising the speed of at least one engine of an aircraft includes three independent information sources determining first, second and third values for an aerodynamic parameter of the aircraft and precision information indicating the precision of these values. A control unit acts on the operation of the engine, and a sensor measures a fourth value for the parameter. An arithmetic unit selects a control value by using the first, second, third and fourth values of the aerodynamic parameter and the precision information and uses the control value to determine a control sequence for the control unit. An information transmission network, to which the three independent information sources and the arithmetic unit are connected, permits a transmission of information between the sources of information and the arithmetic unit.

Claims

1. A system for supervising the speed of at least one engine of an aircraft, said system comprising,

a first and a second information source determining first and second values of at least one predetermined aerodynamic parameter of the aircraft;

and

at least one unit for supervising said engine, comprising;

at least one regulation means for acting on the speed of the engine as a function of control orders received;

at least one sensor which is able to measure a fourth value of said aerodynamic parameter, on said engine; and

a computation unit which is connected to said first and second information sources, to said regulation means and to said sensor, which receives said first, second and fourth values of said aerodynamic parameter, which takes them into account so as to select a value of said aerodynamic parameter as control value, and which uses the control value thus selected at least to determine a control order which is transmitted to said regulation means, wherein said system furthermore comprises;

a third information source determining a third value of said predetermined parameter; and

an information transmission network, to which are linked said first, second and third information sources and said computation unit allowing transmission of information between said first, second and third information sources and said computation unit;

said first, second and third information sources are independent of one another;

said first, second and third information sources respectively determine first, second and third correctness information indicating the correctness respectively of said first, second and third values of said aerodynamic parameter; and

said computation unit selects said control value by using said first, second, third and fourth values of the aerodynamic parameter, as well as said first, second and third correctness information.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, to select the control value, the computation unit gives priority to the values of said first, second and third information sources with respect to said fourth value of the sensor, it chooses said fourth value only in case of lack of agreement between all the values, and it uses said correctness information at least to resolve any ambiguities.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said computation unit uses as control value:

1/ if said fourth value of the sensor is not valid;

A/ if said first, second and third values of said first, second and third information sources are valid and are in agreement, said first value of said first information source;

B/ otherwise;

α

) if two of said first, second and third values are valid and are in agreement and if the product of the two corresponding items of correctness information is equal to 1, a correctness item equaling 1 if the corresponding value is apparently correct and 0 otherwise, the lower value of said two values in agreement;

(β

) otherwise;

a) if one of said first, second and third values is valid and if the corresponding correctness item equals 1, this value which is valid;

b) otherwise, a predetermined value; and

2/ if said fourth value is valid;

A/ if one of said first, second and third values is valid and is in agreement with one other of them, as well as with said fourth value, this value in agreement;

B/ otherwise;

α

) if two of said first, second and third values are valid and are in agreement and if the product of the two corresponding items of correctness information is equal to 1, the lower value of said two values in agreement;

β

) otherwise;

a) if one of said first, second and third values is valid, if it is in agreement with said fourth value and if its correctness item equals 1, this value which is valid;

b) otherwise, said fourth value of the sensor.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein two values are in agreement when their difference is less than a predetermined threshold value.

5. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein a value is valid when it lies between two predetermined limit values.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said computation unit carries out a weighting upon a change of selection of value for the control value.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said computation unit is disconnectable as regards the selection of the control value.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said computation unit receives said fourth value on two different channels, and uses the two values thus received.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, for supervising the speeds of a plurality of engines of an aircraft fitted with said plurality of engines, which comprises, for each engine of said plurality of engines whose speed it supervises, a specific supervising unit, of a plurality of supervising units, each said specific supervising unit comprising a regulation means, a sensor and a computation unit.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of said first, second and third information sources receives from all the plurality of supervising units the fourth values measured by the sensor of each of said plurality of supervising units and determines its correctness item from these fourth values.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein, to determine its correctness item, each of said first, second and third information sources:

computes all the differences between said fourth values and its value of said aerodynamic parameter;

compares the differences with a predetermined threshold value; and

deduces therefrom;

if at least half of said differences are below said threshold value, that said correctness item equals 1;

otherwise, that it equals 0.