Method for providing predefined drive characteristics in an aircraft, and associated drive device

• US 9,623,978 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2013
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Limited & Company KG (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Anton, Frank, Gediga, Swen, Wollenberg, Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US14/407,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20150148993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/026 comprising different types of power plants, e.g. combination of a piston engine and a gas-turbine Hybrid electric aircraft B64D27/33
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 31/06 actuated automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/10 with simulated flight- or engine-generated force being applied to aircraft occupant G09B9/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/44 providing simulation in a real aircraft flying through the atmosphere without restriction of its path
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for providing predefined desired drive characteristics (38, 50) in an aircraft, characterized by the following steps: —driving a thrust generation element of the aircraft by means of an electric motor that has actual drive characteristics (34) which include at least some of the desired drive characteristics (38, 50) but are also partly different therefrom; and—having a control device adjust operating points of the electric motor exclusively according to the desired drive characteristics (38, 50).

Claims

1. A method for providing in an aircraft a predefined nominal drive characteristic which comprises a speed/torque map or information concerning a response behavior of the aircraft or both, said method comprising:

storing in a plurality of nominal drive characteristics of a trainer aircraft in a control device;

driving a thrust generating element of a target aircraft by an electric motor having an actual drive characteristic which at least partially includes one of the stored nominal drive characteristics of the trainer aircraft but is not identical to stored nominal drive characteristics;

setting with the control device of the target aircraft operating points of the electric motor solely according to the nominal drive characteristic through actuation of an operator device of the target aircraft; and

switching with the control device of the target aircraft between nominal drive characteristics selected from the plurality of nominal drive characteristics in dependence on an actuation of a selector device of the control device of the target aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of settable operating points, each defined by a combination of a speed value and a torque value, are respectively determined by the actual and nominal drive characteristics, wherein only operating points having the actual and nominal drive characteristics in common are set by the control device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining by the actual and nominal drive characteristics a drive dynamics which describes a change over time of a torque or of a speed of the electric motor when changing from a current operating point to a new operating point, and operating the electric motor by the control device solely using the drive dynamics predefined by the nominal drive characteristic.

4. A drive device for an aircraft, comprising:

a thrust generating element configured to produce a thrust;

an electric motor configured to rotationally drive the thrust generating element;

an operator device for allowing a pilot to select an operating point, and

a control device configured to store a plurality of nominal drive characteristics of a trainer aircraft , to set the selected operating point of the electric motor of a target aircraft and to simulate a predefined nominal drive characteristic of the electric motor based on an actual drive characteristic of the electric motor which at least partially includes one of the stored nominal drive characteristics but is not identical to stored nominal drive characteristics, and to set in response to actuation of the operator device of the target aircraft the operating point of the electric motor solely according to the simulated nominal drive characteristic, the control device further configured to switch with the control device of the target aircraft between nominal drive characteristics selected from the plurality of nominal drive characteristics in dependence on an actuation of a selector device of the control device of the target aircraft.

5. The drive device of claim 4, wherein the nominal drive characteristic comprises a torque/speed map which is stored in the control device, said control device being configured to select and set an operating point from the torque/speed map depending on a position of the operator device.

6. The drive device of claim 4, wherein the nominal drive characteristic includes drive dynamics data which are stored in the control device, said control device being configured to change a torque or a speed of the electric motor over time as a function of the data when the operator device is actuated.

7. The drive device of claim 4, wherein the nominal drive characteristic comprises a torque/speed map of a predefined engine.

8. The drive device of claim 7, wherein the predefined engine type is an internal combustion engine.

9. The drive device of claim 4, wherein the thrust generating element comprises a propeller, a turbofan or a turboprop.

10. The drive device of claim 4, wherein the operator device is a thrust lever.

11. The drive device of claim 4, wherein the electric motor is part of a serial hybrid-drive device.

12. The drive device of claim 4, wherein the electric motor is part of a parallel-hybrid drive device.

13. A target aircraft, comprising a drive device which includes

a thrust generating element configured to produce a thrust;

an electric motor configured to rotationally drive the thrust generating element;

an operator device for allowing a pilot to select an operating point, and

a control device configured to store a plurality of nominal drive characteristics of a trainer aircraft, to set the selected operating point of the electric motor and to simulate a predefined nominal drive characteristic of the electric motor based on an actual drive characteristic of the electric motor which at least partially-includes one of the stored nominal drive characteristics but is not identical to stored nominal drive characteristics, and to set in response to actuation of the operator device the operating point of the electric motor solely according to the simulated nominal drive characteristic, the control device further configured to switch with the control device of the target aircraft between nominal drive characteristics selected from the plurality of nominal drive characteristics in dependence on an actuation of a selector device of the control device of the target aircraft.

14. The aircraft of claim 13, wherein the nominal drive characteristic comprises a torque/speed map which is stored in the control device, said control device being configured to select and set an operating point from the torque/speed map depending on a position of the operator device.

15. The aircraft of claim 13, wherein the nominal drive characteristic includes drive dynamics data which are stored in the control device, said control device being configured to change a torque or a speed of the electric motor over time as a function of the data when the operator device is actuated.

16. The aircraft of claim 13, wherein the nominal drive characteristic comprises a torque/speed map of a predefined engine.

17. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the predefined engine type is an internal combustion engine.

18. The aircraft of claim 13, wherein the thrust generating element comprises a propeller, a turbofan or a turboprop.

19. The aircraft of claim 13, wherein the operator device is a thrust lever.

20. The aircraft of claim 13, wherein the electric motor is part of a serial-hybrid drive device.

21. The aircraft of claim 13, wherein the electric motor is part of a parallel-hybrid drive device.