Control device for aircraft

• US 9,199,728 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ute Marina Meissner
• Original Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum Fur Luft- und Raumfahrt EV, Ute Marita Meissner
• Inventors: Hahn, Klaus-Uwe, Meissner, Ute Marita
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, JESSICA BOWEN
• Application Number:
  US13/518,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20120305704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 244/103.W, 244/100.R, 244/202, 244/50
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/18 operated by wayside apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1703 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/50 Steerable undercarriages; Shimmy-damping

Abstract

A control device is provided for an aircraft, the aircraft having at least one undercarriage with one or more undercarriage wheels. A control mechanism interacts with the aircraft undercarriage and is configured to turn the undercarriage wheels relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. The control device has an alignment unit which is connected to the control mechanism and which is configured to control the turning of the undercarriage wheels by means of the control mechanism during at least one part of the landing or take-off phase of the aircraft in such a way that the running direction of the undercarriage wheels is aligned in the direction of a fixed point which may be a corrected fixed point situated below a fixed point by a compensation angle.

Claims

1. A control device for an aircraft, comprising:

one or more control mechanisms which interact with one or more undercarriages of the aircraft and which control turning of a plurality of undercarriage wheels relative to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft; and

an alignment unit connected to the one or more control mechanisms, wherein the alignment unit is configured to receive position information of a fixed point along a centerline of a runway and, with the one or more control mechanisms, to turn the plurality of undercarriage wheels during at least one part of a landing or take-off so as to align a running direction of one wheel of the plurality of undercarriage wheels in a direction of the fixed point and align a remainder of the plurality of undercarriage wheels of said one or more undercarriages parallel to each other,

wherein the alignment unit is configured to determine a position of the fixed point relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, and is configured to turn the one wheel of the plurality of undercarriage wheels with the one or more control mechanisms as a function of a determined relative position of the fixed point.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more aircraft undercarriages has at least one spring strut, on the lower end of which one or more undercarriage wheels of the plurality of undercarriage wheels are arranged and which are mechanically connected to the aircraft via a torque support, and wherein a control mechanism of the one or more control mechanisms interacts mechanically with the torque support such that the at least one spring strut is turned as a result of turning of the torque support, and the running directions of the one or more undercarriage wheels arranged on the spring strut are pivoted relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the alignment unit is configured to align the one wheel of the plurality of undercarriage wheels in the direction of the fixed point continuously throughout the landing or take-off.

4. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a signal detection device which detects an electromagnetic signal (ILS) which marks the fixed point, and wherein the control device is configured to determine a position of the fixed point as a function of the detected electromagnetic signal (ILS).

5. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a position determining unit which determines a position of the aircraft, and wherein the alignment unit is configured to determine a position of the fixed point as a function of the determined position of the aircraft.

6. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more control mechanisms are configured to align the one wheel of the plurality of undercarriage wheels through a turn angle relative to the aircraft longitudinal axis in a direction of the aircraft movement over ground in the direction of the fixed point, wherein configuration of the control device is such that alignment of the one wheel of the plurality of undercarriage wheels is performed with a reduction by a corrective angle with respect to the fixed point in order to compensate for a wind force acting laterally on the aircraft during braking and roll-out.

7. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the alignment unit is configured to turn the plurality of undercarriage wheels with the one or more control mechanisms after touchdown of the aircraft such that the longitudinal axis of the aircraft is aligned parallel to the plurality of undercarriage wheels during roll-out.

8. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the alignment unit is configured such that, after touchdown of the aircraft, the alignment unit moves a center of gravity of the aircraft in a controlled manner in a direction of a center of the run-way.

11. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the fixed point is situated at the end of the runway opposite the aircraft at a start of the landing or take-off.

12. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the alignment unit is further configured to

turn the running direction of the one wheel in the direction of the fixed point during a landing before the aircraft touches down, and

continuously align the running direction of the one wheel in the direction of the fixed point throughout the landing phase including roll-out.

9. An aircraft undercarriage, comprising:

one or more control mechanisms that turn a plurality of undercarriage wheels which are arranged on the aircraft undercarriage, wherein said one or more control mechanisms control turning of the plurality of undercarriage wheels relative to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft; and

a control device, said control device comprising;

an alignment unit connected to the one or more control mechanisms, wherein the alignment unit is configured to receive position information of a fixed point along a centerline of a runway and, with the one or more control mechanisms, to turn the plurality of undercarriage wheels during at least one part of a landing or take-off so as to align a running direction of one wheel of the plurality of undercarriage wheels in a direction of the fixed point and align a remainder of the plurality of undercarriage wheels of said one or more undercarriages parallel to each other,

wherein the alignment unit is configured to determine a position of the fixed point relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and is furthermore configured to turn the one wheel of the plurality of undercarriage wheels with the one or more control mechanisms as a function of a determined relative position of the fixed point.

10. A method of steering an aircraft during a take-off or landing, comprising steps of:

receiving in an alignment unit of the aircraft position information of a fixed point along a centerline of a runway;

determining a position of the fixed point relative to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft;

aligning a running direction of at least one wheel of a plurality of undercarriage wheels of the aircraft in a direction of the fixed point by turning the at least one wheel of the plurality of undercarriage wheels with one or more control mechanisms with which the alignment unit is connected, the turning of the at least one wheel being a function of the determined relative position of the fixed point; and

aligning a remainder of the plurality of undercarriage wheels of the aircraft parallel to each other.