Actuator control system

• US 9,327,825 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Inventors: White, Nicholas, Morgan, Stephen Richard, Clarkstone, John Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): GREENE, DANIEL LAWSON
• Application Number:
  US14/008,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20140172203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 701/4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/02 Initiating means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0077 using redundant signals or controls

Abstract

An actuator control system for coupling to one or more flight control computers (FCCs); comprising: apparatus for controlling an aerodynamic control surface in response to commands received from one or more FCCs, and, integrated with the controlling apparatus, a failure protection system comprising apparatus arranged to provide at least one of the following functionalities: a servo monitor functionality, a command monitor functionality, and a loop closure functionality. Thus, in the overall flight control system, some or all of the elements of the failure protection system are located in the actuator control stage.

Claims

1. A control system for an un-manned vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of control computers each arranged to issue commands over a respective channel to an actuator control system to effect movement of a control surface of the un-manned vehicle, the actuator control system including at least a first control channel for receiving first primary command signals from a first of the plurality of control computers and a second control channel for receiving second primary command signals from a second of the plurality of control computers different to the first control computer; and

a command monitor associated with each of the at least first and second control channels for comparing the first and second primary command signals received from the at least first and second control computer, respectively, with commands being issued by another one of the plurality of control computers, different than the first and second control computers, and to output the results of said comparison;

the actuator control system comprising;

for each of the at least first and second control channels, a first driver and a second driver, respectively, wherein the first driver and the second driver are both configured to drive a single actuator linked to the control surface;

a change-over switching mechanism that selects one of the at least first and second control channels to be a selected active control channel for receipt of commands in respect of the control surface; and

a channel isolation mechanism that receives the output result from the command monitor associated with the selected active control channel and, in the event that the comparison indicates a potential fault with respect to the selected active control channel, to disengage the selected active control channel and to engage a different one of the at least first and second control channels to be the active control channel for receipt of commands in respect of the control surface.

2. The control system according to claim 1, further comprising a servo monitor associated with each of the at least first and second control channels to monitor signals indicative of a position of the control surface to determine whether the position of the control surface is consistent with commands issued by the at least first and second control computer, respectively, or by a further one of the plurality of control computers and, in the event that a fault is detected, for outputting a signal to prompt disengagement by the channel isolation mechanism of a respective one of the at least first and second control channels if currently selected as the active control channel for the control surface.

3. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the actuator control system further comprises loop closure mechanism for receiving signals indicative of a position of the control surface and for determining an actuator loop error with respect to a commanded position as defined in a command received over the selected active control channel and for generating actuator signals to cause a compensating movement of the control surface.

4. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the change-over switching mechanism is further arranged to select the selected active control channel in dependence upon receipt of a fault indication relating to any one of the at least first driver and the second driver.

5. The control system according to claim 4, further comprising a vote module for receiving the results of the comparison between commands being output by control computers of the plurality of control computers in respect of the control surface and for selecting one of the plurality of control computers, other than the control computer issuing commands over the selected active control channel, to be the another of the plurality of control computers.

6. The control system according to claim 5, wherein the vote module is arranged, on detecting a potential fault on the basis of said received results, to output a signal to prompt severance of a respective control computer and thereby to prompt disengagement or to inhibit engagement of a respective one of the at least first and second control channels by the channel isolation mechanism.

7. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the actuator control system is arranged to control first and second motors in respect of the control surface and the command monitor is configured to determine which of the first and second motors to activate on receipt of a command over the selected active control channel.

8. The control system according to claim 7, wherein the command monitor is further configured to detect a fault in one of the first and second motors and wherein the mechanism to detect determines which of the first and second motors caused the fault and to disengage the respective motor from further activation.

9. The control system according to claim 7, wherein each of the at least first and second actuator drivers is linked to a different electrical power supply.

10. A method for controlling a control surface of an un-manned vehicle, comprising:

(i) generating, using a plurality of independent control computers, command signals defining positional data for a control surface of the vehicle;

(ii) defining at least a first control channel for receiving primary command signals from a first of the plurality of control computers and a second control channel for receiving primary command signals from a second of the plurality of control computers different to the first control computer, wherein for each of the at least first and second control channels, a first driver and a second driver, respectively, are both configured to drive a single actuator linked to the control surface;

(iii) selecting one control channel from the at least first and second control channels to be an active control channel for receipt of command signals in respect of the control surface;

(iv) comparing a command signal received in respect of the control surface from the control computer associated with the active control channel with a corresponding command signal being issued by a third, different one of the plurality of control computers; and

(v) in the event that the comparison at (iv) is indicative of a potential fault in the active control channel, disengaging the active control channel and engaging a different one of the at least first and second control channels to be the active control channel for receipt of command signals in respect of the control surface.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein (iv) further comprises comparing command signals in respect of the control surface being issued by each of the plurality of control computers and selecting, from the results of the comparison, one of the plurality of control computers, different from the control computer associated with the active control channel, to be the third control computer.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

(vi) receiving signals indicative of a position of the control surface and determining whether the indicated position of the control surface is consistent with a commanded position defined in a command signal received over the active control channel and, according to the results of the determination, if a potential fault is detected in respect of the active control channel, disengaging the active control channel and engaging a different one of the at least first and second control channels to be the active control channel.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein (iv) further comprises determining, from the comparing of command signals being issued by each of the plurality of control computers, if a potential fault exists in respect of one of the plurality of control computers and, on detecting a potential fault, generating a signal to trigger disengagement of a respective one or the at least first and second control channels if selected as the active control channel.

14. A computer program product comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums having encoded thereon executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out a process, the process comprising:

(i) generating, using a plurality of independent control computers, command signals defining positional data for a control surface of the vehicle;

(ii) defining at least a first control channel for receiving primary command signals from a first of the plurality of control computers and a second control channel for receiving primary command signals from a second of the plurality of control computers different to the first control computer, wherein for each of the at least first and second control channels, a first driver and a second driver, respectively, are both configured to drive a single actuator linked to the control surface;

(iii) selecting one control channel from the at least first and second control channels to be an active control channel for receipt of command signals in respect of the control surface;

(iv) comparing a command signal received in respect of the control surface from the control computer associated with the active control channel with a corresponding command signal being issued by a third, different one of the plurality of control computers; and

(v) in the event that the comparison at (iv) is indicative of a potential fault in the active control channel, disengaging the active control channel and engaging a different one of the at least first and second control channels to be the active control channel for receipt of command signals in respect of the control surface.

15. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein (iv) further comprises comparing command signals in respect of the control surface being issued by each of the plurality of control computers and selecting, from the results of the comparison, one of the plurality of control computers, different from the control computer associated with the active control channel, to be the third control computer.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising:

(vi) receiving signals indicative of a position of the control surface and determining whether the indicated position of the control surface is consistent with a commanded position defined in a command signal received over the active control channel and, according to the results of the determination, if a potential fault is detected in respect of the active control channel, disengaging the active control channel and engaging a different one of the at least first and second control channels to be the active control channel.

17. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein (iv) further comprises determining, from the comparing of command signals being issued by each of the plurality of control computers, if a potential fault exists in respect of one of the plurality of control computers and, on detecting a potential fault, generating a signal to trigger disengagement of a respective one or the at least first and second control channels if selected as the active control channel.