System for controlling at least one aircraft engine and an aircraft comprising such a control system

• US 8,660,770 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2010
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Inventors: Fernandez, Brice, Lamonzie, Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US12/786,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20100305825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 701/99, 701/7, 701/3, 701/15, 701/16, 701/14, 701/29.1, 701/29.7, 701 302- 304, 244/76.R, 244/195
• US Class Current: 701/99
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 31/04 actuated personally
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 31/06 actuated automatically

Abstract

A system for controlling at least one aircraft engine and an aircraft comprising such a control system are disclosed. The system (4) comprises a control lever (5), the intermediary range of automatic regulation thereof of the engine speed comprises a single marked position (II) with which there are associated a climbing speed and an automatic regulation speed. Such a lever is able to occupy another take-off and go-around marked position, with which there are associated a take-off speed and a go-around speed.

Claims

1. A system for controlling at least one engine (1) of an aircraft (AC), comprising a specific moving control lever (5), said lever (5) being able to occupy two extreme positions (I, IV) corresponding to an idle speed (I) and to a maximum speed (IV) of said engine (1), as well as an intermediary range of automatic regulation of the speed of said engine (1), a lower limit of said intermediary range being defined by the extreme position (I) corresponding to the idle speed, wherein:

said intermediary range (6) comprises a single marked position (II), corresponding to an upper limit thereof, with which there are associated at least one engine speed corresponding to a climbing phase of said aircraft (AC) and at least one automatic speed corresponding to said automatic regulation, following the climbing phase;

said lever (5) is able to occupy another take-off and go-around marked position (III), with which there are associated a take-off speed and a go-around speed; and

said system (4) further comprising;

a processor (7) for determining a usual flight phase of said aircraft (AC); and

a controller (8) for automatically controlling the speeds of said engine (1) associated with each one of said marked positions (II, III),

wherein the speed corresponding to the climbing phase of said aircraft (AC), associated with said marked position (II) of the intermediary range (6), as well as said take-off speed and said go-around speed, associated with said take-off and go-around marked position (III), are automatically determined.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the speed corresponding to the climbing phase of said aircraft (AC), associated with said marked position (II) of the intermediary range (6), as well as said take-off speed and said go-around speed, associated with said take-off and go-around marked position (III), are manually determined by a pilot.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the automatic controller (8) automatically manages a speed transition associated with each one of said marked positions (II, III) of said control lever (5).

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein, when said lever (5) occupies said marked position (II) of the intermediary range (6), the speed transition between the climbing phase and the speed automatic regulation is automatically performed as soon as the climbing phase of said aircraft (AC) is completed.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the lever (5) is kept in the extreme position (IV) corresponding to the maximum speed only by a voluntary action of a pilot, the lever (5) spontaneously returning to said take-off and go-around marked position (III) with no action from a pilot.

6. The control lever of an engine (1) of an aircraft (AC) belonging to a control system according to claim 1, said lever (5) being able to occupy two extreme positions (I, IV) corresponding to the idle speed (I) and to the maximum speed (III) of said engine (1), as well as an intermediary range of automatic regulation of the speed of said engine (1), the lower limit of said intermediary range being defined by the extreme position (I) corresponding to the idle speed, wherein:

said intermediary range (6) comprises a single marked position (II), corresponding to the upper limit thereof, with which there are associated at least one engine speed corresponding to the climbing phase of said aircraft (AC) and at least one automatic speed corresponding to said automatic regulation, following the climbing phase;

said lever (5) is able to occupy another take-off and go-around marked position (III), with which there are associated a take-off speed and a go-around speed; and

said lever (5) is kept in the extreme position (IV) corresponding to the maximum speed only by a voluntary action of a pilot, the lever (5) spontaneously returning to said take-off and go-around marked position (III) with no action from the pilot.

7. An aircraft, wherein it comprises a control system (4) according to claim 1.