Method and apparatus for aircraft sensor and actuator failure protection using reconfigurable flight control laws

• US 9,701,404 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2014
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Shue, Shyhpyng Jack, Corrigan, John James, Bird, Eric Thomas, Wood, Tommie Lynn, Ewing, Alan Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonzell, Philip J
• Application Number:
  US14/321,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20140316615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/54 Mechanisms for controlling blade adjustment or movement relative to rotor head, e.g. lag-lead movement
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24192 Configurable redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25069 Pseudo redundance, eliminate failing element and reconfigure system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0289 Reconfiguration to prevent failure, e.g. usually as a reaction to incipient failure detection
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0077 using redundant signals or controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0858 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reconfiguring flight control of an aircraft during a failure while the aircraft is flying. The method and apparatus provide a control law that is software-implemented and configured to automatically send flight control data to a mixing/mapping matrix. The method and apparatus also provide a reconfiguration management tool configured to communicate with the mixing/mapping matrix in order to safely transfer authority from a failed actuator to a back-up actuator. The method and apparatus also provide a sensor management tool for providing input to the reconfiguration management tool in order to smooth any transient conditions that may occur during reconfiguration. The method and apparatus provide for a way of smoothing any possible transient situation that might otherwise occur by employment of a fader, the fader being used to gradually convert positioning of failed actuators and positioning of reconfigured actuators. An exemplary aircraft for using the method and apparatus of a reconfigurable flight control system is a quad tilt rotor. The quad tilt rotor provides a variety of redundant and back-actuators, as such, having a robust and highly qualified reconfigurable flight control system is very desirable.

Claims

1. A method of automatically reconfiguring flight control of an aircraft, comprising:

detecting a failure of a yaw control actuator;

calculating a risk factor;

determining whether reconfiguration is necessary based upon the risk factor;

transferring flight control authority from the yaw control actuator to a back-up actuator;

providing a sensor management tool;

generating differential thrust with the back-up actuator for yaw control; and

managing the transfer of flight control authority to the back-up actuators;

wherein the manacling the transfer of flight control authority to the back-up actuator step is accomplished by the sensor management tool.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

mixing and mapping the use of the yaw control actuator and the back-up actuator by continuously changing the percentage usage of each actuator on the aircraft.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the risk factor takes into consideration a control power level.

4. A method of automatically reconfiguring flight control of an aircraft, comprising:

detecting a failure of a first actuator;

calculating a risk factor;

seamlessly transferring flight control authority from a failed first actuator to a second actuator;

generating differential thrust with the second actuator for differential control; and

managing the transfer of flight control authority to the second actuators;

wherein the risk factor takes into consideration a control power level.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

providing a sensor management tool;

wherein the managing the transfer of flight control authority to the second actuator step is accomplished by the sensor management tool.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

mixing and mapping the use of the first actuator and the second actuator by continuously changing the percentage usage of each actuator on the aircraft.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the differential control is utilized for yaw control.

8. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

determining whether reconfiguration is necessary based upon the risk factor;

wherein the risk factor is an empirical representation of a control authority of the aircraft, such that a degradation in the control authority effects the risk factor.