Control system for automatic flight in windshear conditions

• US 8,000,847 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Shue, Shyhpyng Jack
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAWARI, REDHWAN K
• Application Number:
  US11/663,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20080046137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,135 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/10, 244/181, 244/183, 244/189, 244/194, 356/450, 356/28.5, 356/484
• US Class Current: 701/10
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/16 actuated automatically, e.g. responsive to gust detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0623 by acting on the pitch

Abstract

A flight control system is configured for controlling the flight of an aircraft through windshear conditions. The system has means for measuring values of selected flight performance states of the aircraft and a control system for operating flight control devices on the aircraft. A windshear detection system located on the aircraft uses at least some of the measured values of the selected flight performance states to calculate a gust average during flight for comparison to pre-determined values in a table for determining whether windshear conditions exist. The control system then operates at least some of the flight control devices in response to an output of the windshear detection system.

Claims

1. A flight control system for controlling the flight of an unmanned aircraft through windshear conditions, the system comprising:

means for measuring values of selected flight performance states of the aircraft;

a control system for operating flight control devices on the aircraft based at least in part on control inputs from a ground station and a preprogrammed flight path associated with a current mission; and

a windshear detection system located on the aircraft, the windshear detection system using at least some of the measured values of the selected flight performance states to calculate a gust wavelength during flight for comparison to pre-determined values in a table for determining whether windshear conditions exist, the windshear detection system having a subsystem configured with a reverse system parameter identification function and a reverse spectral density function for calculating the gust wavelength;

wherein the reverse system parameter identification function computes a plurality of covariance aircraft parameters through residual computation; and

wherein the reverse spectral density function uses the plurality of covariance aircraft parameters to compute the gust wavelength;

wherein the control system is configured to activate a recovery system for operating at least one of the flight control devices in response to an output of the windshear detection system,

wherein the control system activates the recovery system based at least in part on communications with the ground station, and

wherein the control system is configured to select from a plurality of options if communications with the ground become unavailable, wherein the options include continuing with the current mission and the options include returning to a preprogrammed position.

2. The flight control system according to claim 1, wherein the gust wavelength is calculated using gusts in three orthogonal directions.

3. The flight control system according to claim 1, wherein the windshear detection system uses and a time counter function to calculate the gust velocity.

5. The flight control system according to claim 1, wherein the control system activates the recovery system based at least in part on a state of communications with the ground station such that the control system activates the recovery system based at least in part on a determination that a predetermined amount of time has passed since control inputs were last received from the ground station.

6. The flight control system according to claim 1, wherein the recovery system is configured to ignore control inputs from the ground station so as to keep the airspeed of the aircraft within a specified range.

4. A flight control system for an unmanned aircraft, the system comprising:

means for measuring values of selected flight performance states of the aircraft;

a control system for operating flight control devices on the aircraft; and

a windshear detection system, comprising;

input means for receiving the measured values of the flight performance states;

a computer-based system using a reverse system parameter identification method, a reverse spectral density function, and a time counter function for calculating gust velocities of a current windshear condition; and

a table with pre-determined gust velocity values for determining whether windshear conditions exist;

wherein the calculated gust velocity values from the computer-based system are compared with pre-determined gust values from the table to determine whether windshear conditions exist;

wherein the reverse system parameter identification function computes a plurality of covariance aircraft parameters through residual computation; and

wherein the reverse spectral density function uses the plurality of covariance aircraft parameters to compute the gust wavelength;

wherein the control system is configured to activate a recovery system for operating at least one of the flight control devices in response to an output from the windshear detection system.

7. The flight control system according to claim 4, wherein the control system activates the recovery system based at least in part on a state of communications with the ground station such that the control system activates the recovery system based at least in part on a determination that a predetermined amount of time has passed since control inputs were last received from the ground station.

8. The flight control system according to claim 4, wherein the recovery system is configured to ignore control inputs from the ground station so as to keep the airspeed of the aircraft within a specified range.

9. The flight control system according to claim 4, wherein the control system is operated in part by control inputs from a ground station and a preprogrammed flight path associated with the current mission.