Roll attitude-dependent roll rate limit

• US 9,651,948 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2015
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Grubb, David W., Morel, Mark R., Wilson, Douglas L.
• Primary Examiner(s): OH, HARRY Y
• Application Number:
  US14/853,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20170075350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 701 5
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/16 actuated automatically, e.g. responsive to gust detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2009/005 Ailerons
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 9/00 Adjustable control surfaces or members, e.g. rudders trimming stabilising surfaces B64C5/10
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0083 to help an aircraft pilot in the rolling phase
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0816 to ensure stability
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0833 using limited authority control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for a roll attitude dependent roll rate limit that may limit an aircraft to a lower roll rate limit under normal flight conditions. The systems and methods may detect situations where a higher roll rate limit may be desirable and allow the aircraft to exceed the lower roll rate limit, to either a higher roll rate limit or a roll rate between the lower and higher roll rate limit.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one bank angle sensor configured to output bank angle data; and

a controller configured to;

determine a vehicle dynamic characteristic with, at least, the bank angle data;

determine if the vehicle dynamic characteristic is within a first dynamic range and, when it is determined that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is within the first dynamic range, limit an allowable roll rate to a first roll rate threshold;

determine if the vehicle dynamic characteristic is within a second dynamic range and, when it is determined that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is within the second dynamic range, limit the allowable roll rate to a second roll rate threshold; and

determine if the vehicle dynamic characteristic is outside of the first dynamic range and the second dynamic range and, when it is determined that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is outside of the first dynamic range and the second dynamic range, determine a calculated roll rate threshold and limit the allowable roll rate to the calculated roll rate threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the calculated roll rate threshold has a value between the first roll rate threshold and the second roll rate threshold.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one speed sensor configured to output speed data, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the vehicle dynamic characteristic with the speed data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to determine that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is within the second dynamic range when the speed data indicates that a vehicle speed is below a vehicle speed threshold.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one pitch attitude sensor configured to output pitch attitude data, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the vehicle dynamic characteristic with the pitch attitude data.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one altitude sensor configured to output altitude data, wherein the controller is configured to determine that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is within the second dynamic range when the altitude data indicates that a vehicle altitude is below an altitude threshold.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one wing with a moveable control surface, wherein the controller is further configured to detect a moveable control surface configuration and determine the vehicle dynamic characteristic with the moveable control surface configuration.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one wing with a moveable control surface, wherein the controller is configured to limit the allowable roll rate by limiting a degree of travel of the moveable control surface, wherein the moveable control surface is an aileron, flaperon, spoiler, flap, slat, elevator, or rudder.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising at least one roll rate sensor configured to output roll rate data, wherein the controller is configured to:

determine a current roll rate from the roll rate data; and

limit the degree of travel of the aileron responsive to the current roll rate.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one speed sensor configured to output speed data, at least one altitude sensor configured to output altitude data, and at least one wing with a moveable control surface, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the vehicle dynamic characteristic with, at least, the speed data, the altitude data, and a detected moveable control surface configuration.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one speed sensor, pitch sensor, altitude sensor, or moveable control surface configuration sensor, wherein the controller is further configured to determine at least the first roll rate threshold and/or the second roll rate threshold from data outputted by the at least one speed sensor, pitch sensor, altitude sensor, or moveable control surface configuration sensor.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle dynamic characteristic is calculated from the bank angle data, the first dynamic range is a bank angle of 55 degrees or less, and the second dynamic range is a bank angle of 75 degrees or more.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the first roll rate threshold is a roll rate of XX and the second roll rate threshold is a roll rate of YY.

14. An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage;

a wing with a moveable control surface and/or an engine;

at least one bank angle sensor configured to output bank angle data associated with the aircraft; and

a controller configured to;

determine a vehicle dynamic characteristic with, at least, the bank angle data,

determine if the vehicle dynamic characteristic is within a first dynamic range and, when it is determined that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is within the first dynamic range, limit an allowable roll rate of the aircraft to a first roll rate threshold,

determine if the vehicle dynamic characteristic is within a second dynamic range and, when it is determined that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is within the second dynamic range, limit the allowable roll rate to a second roll rate threshold, and

determine if the vehicle dynamic characteristic is outside of the first dynamic range and the second dynamic range and, when it is determined that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is outside of the first dynamic range and the second dynamic range, determine a calculated roll rate threshold and the limit allowable roll rate to the calculated roll rate threshold.

15. A method comprising:

determining a vehicle dynamic characteristic, wherein the vehicle dynamic characteristic is determined with, at least, bank angle data associated with a bank angle of a vehicle;

determining that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is outside of a first dynamic range associated with a first roll rate threshold; and

limiting, responsive to determining that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is outside of the first dynamic range, an allowable roll rate of the vehicle to a rate different from the first roll rate threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is within a second dynamic range associated with a second roll rate threshold different from the first roll rate threshold; and

limiting, responsive to determining that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is within the second dynamic range, the allowable roll rate to the second roll rate threshold.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the vehicle dynamic characteristic is calculated from a bank angle of a vehicle and the method further comprises:

determining that the bank angle of the vehicle is above a bank angle threshold; and

determining, responsive to determining that the bank angle of the vehicle is above the bank angle threshold, that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is within the second dynamic range.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the bank angle threshold is a bank angle of 75 degrees or more.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining that a speed of a vehicle is below a speed threshold; and

determining, responsive to determining that the speed of the vehicle is below the speed threshold, that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is within the second dynamic range.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining that an altitude of a vehicle is below an altitude threshold; and

determining, responsive to determining that the altitude of the vehicle is below the altitude threshold, that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is within the second dynamic range.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is outside of the first dynamic range and a second dynamic range;

calculating a calculated roll rate threshold; and

limiting, responsive to determining that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is outside of the first dynamic range and the second dynamic range, the allowable roll rate to the calculated roll rate threshold.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

detecting a roll rate of a vehicle greater than a first roll rate amount; and

inspecting, responsive to detecting the roll rate of the vehicle greater than the first roll rate amount, at least a portion of the vehicle.

23. An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage;

a wing with a moveable control surface and/or an engine;

at least one bank angle sensor configured to output bank angle data associated with the aircraft; and

a controller configured to;

determine a vehicle dynamic characteristic, wherein the vehicle dynamic characteristic is determined with, at least, the bank angle data,

determine that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is outside of a first dynamic range associated with a first roll rate threshold, and

limit, responsive to determining that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is outside of the first dynamic range, an allowable roll rate of the aircraft to a rate different from the first roll rate threshold.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium with code configured to perform a method, the method comprising:

determining a vehicle dynamic characteristic, wherein the vehicle dynamic characteristic is determined with, at least, bank angle data associated with a bank angle of a vehicle;

determining that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is outside of a first dynamic range associated with a first roll rate threshold; and

limiting, responsive to determining that the vehicle dynamic characteristic is outside of the first dynamic range, an allowable roll rate of the vehicle to a rate different from the first roll rate threshold.