Method of detecting an electric actuator with decreased efficiency

• US 9,766,638 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2014
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Georgin, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Chun
• Application Number:
  US14/561,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20160161954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 700275
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 15/01 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/10 Regulating voltage or current G05F1/02 takes precedence; for electric railways B60M3/02
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/18 without separate position detecting elements

Abstract

An electronic actuator control system and method (“system”) are provided. The system may comprise an electro-mechanical actuator (EMA) configured to generate a force and an electro-mechanical actuator controller (EMAC) electrically coupled to the EMA. The EMAC may include a non-transitory memory communicating with the EMAC, the non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the EMAC, cause a processor to perform operations. The operations carried out by the EMAC may comprise commanding the EMA to apply a force, determining an expected voltage in response to the force, measuring a voltage generated by the EMA, and comparing the voltage generated by the EMA to the expected voltage.

Claims

1. An electronic actuator control system, comprising:

an electro-mechanical actuator (EMA) configured to generate a force; and

an electro-mechanical actuator controller (EMAC) electrically coupled to the EMA, the EMAC comprising;

a non-transitory memory communicating with the EMAC, the non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the EMAC, cause the EMAC to perform operations comprising;

commanding, by the EMAC, the EMA to apply the force;

cutting, by the EMAC, power to the EMA;

measuring, by the EMAC, a regenerative voltage generated by the EMA;

determining, by the EMAC, an expected regenerative voltage based on the force;

comparing, by the EMAC, the regenerative voltage generated by the EMA to the expected regenerative voltage to determine an efficiency of the EMA; and

generating, by the EMAC, a repair signal in response to the regenerative voltage being less than a minimum regenerative voltage threshold.

2. The electronic actuator control system of claim 1, wherein the force has a predetermined amplitude.

3. The electronic actuator control system of claim 2, wherein the regenerative voltage is generated by the EMA in response to the EMAC cutting power to the EMA.

4. The electronic actuator control system of claim 1, wherein the determining of the expected regenerative voltage based on the force further comprises looking up the force in a lookup table.

5. The electronic actuator control system of claim 4, wherein the lookup table associates the force with the expected regenerative voltage.

6. The electronic actuator control system of claim 5, wherein the lookup table associates the force with the minimum regenerative voltage threshold.

7. The electronic actuator control system of claim 1, wherein the minimum regenerative voltage threshold is 50% of the expected regenerative voltage.

8. A method of detecting electro-mechanical actuator failure, comprising:

commanding an electro-mechanical actuator (EMA) to apply a force;

cutting power to the EMA;

measuring a regenerative voltage generated by the EMA;

determining an expected regenerative voltage in response to the force;

comparing the regenerative voltage generated by the EMA to the expected regenerative voltage to determine an efficiency of the EMA;

generating a repair signal in response to the regenerative voltage being less than a minimum regenerative voltage threshold;

performing a maintenance check of the EMA in response to the repair signal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the force has a predetermined amplitude.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the regenerative voltage is generated by the EMA in response to an electro-mechanical actuator controller (EMAC) cutting power to the EMA.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining the expected regenerative voltage in response to the force further comprises looking up the force in a lookup table.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the lookup table associates the force with the minimum regenerative voltage threshold.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the minimum regenerative voltage threshold is 50% of the expected regenerative voltage.