A control method and device for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in mid-air

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application discloses a control method and device for secondary in-flight starting of an aircraft engine, which solves the problem of secondary in-flight starting of a piston compression-ignition heavy oil aircraft engine when it stalls in special circumstances in the air, thus providing the final guarantee for aircraft safety. The present application includes: real-time monitoring of the operating status of the aircraft engine; determining whether the current state of the aircraft engine is stalled; if so, determining whether the aircraft engine is in a windmill state based on the current speed of the variable torque propeller of the aircraft engine; if so, determining whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine meets the starting conditions; if so, issuing a windmill state in-flight start command for the aircraft engine; determining whether the secondary start of the aircraft engine is successful; if so, controlling the aircraft engine to enter the required operating condition.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of aircraft engines, and in particular to a control method and device for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in mid-air. Background Art

[0002] The piston-type heavy fuel aircraft engines currently used in drones operate within their flight envelope under normal circumstances, with flameout and stall protection features. However, if the engine suddenly shuts down mid-flight for some reason, it must be restarted within a short period of time to restore the engine to its pre-flight operating state without a significant drop in altitude. Therefore, a secondary restart in mid-flight is a crucial safety measure for aircraft engines during flight.

[0003] However, currently existing domestic piston heavy oil aircraft engines basically do not have the function of secondary starting in the air to cause the engine to rotate. The reasons are: first, the traditional meshing starter cannot engage to drag the engine to rotate when the variable torque propeller has not completely stopped or the engine still has a certain speed; second, due to the aircraft's weight balance and cruising range, the aircraft's onboard power supply is small and light, so the battery capacity is also small, making it difficult to ensure the feasibility of the starter to attempt multiple starts; finally, secondary starting in the air has its own special scenarios, including altitude, variable torque propeller and engine operating conditions, judgment of whether the cylinder is flameout, etc., which requires a detailed control logic to support.

[0004] Therefore, based on the above situation, at present, whether from the perspective of hardware selection or software control logic and coordination with ground stations, flight control, etc., it is difficult for existing piston heavy oil aircraft engines to achieve ideal secondary start in the air. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a control method and device for secondary in-flight starting of an aircraft engine, which systematically considers the secondary in-flight starting modes of the aircraft engine under different state modes and different starter configurations, realizes the optimization of data related to the calibration of secondary in-flight starting at different altitudes, solves the problem of secondary in-flight starting of current piston compression-ignition heavy oil aircraft engines due to flameout when encountering special circumstances in the air, and provides the final guarantee for aircraft safety.

[0006] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a control method for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in mid-flight, comprising:

[0007] Real-time monitoring of the operating status of aircraft engines;

[0008] determining whether the aircraft engine is currently flameout; if so, determining whether the aircraft engine is in a windmill state based on a current rotational speed of a variable torque propeller of the aircraft engine; if so, determining whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine satisfies a start condition; and if so, issuing an airborne start command for the aircraft engine in the windmill state;

[0009] Determine whether the second start of the aircraft engine is successful, and if so, control the aircraft engine to enter a desired operating state.

[0010] Optionally, determining whether the current state of the aircraft engine is flameout includes:

[0011] Collecting the current speed, in-cylinder pressure, cylinder head temperature, turbine exhaust temperature, and oxygen concentration of the aircraft engine;

[0012] Whether the current state of the aircraft engine is flameout is determined based on whether the operating parameters of the current speed, the cylinder pressure, the cylinder head temperature, the turbine exhaust temperature and the oxygen concentration are lower than the preset target values ​​under the current working conditions.

[0013] Optionally, before determining whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine meets the starting conditions, the method further includes:

[0014] collecting the current altitude of the aircraft engine;

[0015] The preheating function of the glow plug, the oxygen supply function of the oxygen supplementation system, the position of the windmill state, the fuel injection management function, and the blade angle of the variable torque propeller are adjusted according to the current altitude.

[0016] The determining whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine meets the starting condition includes:

[0017] Whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine meets the starting conditions is confirmed by judging whether the aircraft engine is at the target position of the windmill state, whether the current altitude is lower than the preset altitude, whether the preheating function of the glow plug is normal, whether the oxygen supply function of the oxygen supplementation system is turned on, whether the secondary pre-injection function of the injection management is turned on, and whether the blade angle of the torque-converting propeller is adjusted to the minimum.

[0018] Optionally, after determining whether the aircraft engine is in a windmill state according to a current rotational speed of a variable torque propeller of the aircraft engine, the method further includes:

[0019] If not, determining whether the aircraft engine has a starter, and if so, determining whether the starter meets the start state, and if so, issuing an air start command for the starter;

[0020] Driving the aircraft engine through the starting and starting machine;

[0021] Determine whether the second start of the aircraft engine is successful, and if so, control the aircraft engine to enter a desired operating state.

[0022] Optionally, the determining whether the starting machine meets the startup state includes:

[0023] Whether the starter meets the starting state is determined by judging whether the aircraft engine is in the parking state, whether the battery voltage and power meet the starting and dragging requirements, whether the blade angle of the torque-converting propeller is adjusted to the minimum, whether the current altitude of the aircraft engine is lower than the preset altitude, whether the preheating function of the glow plug is normal, whether the secondary pre-injection function of the injection management is turned on, and whether the oxygen supply function of the oxygen supplement system is turned on.

[0024] Optionally, after determining whether the aircraft engine has an integrated starter, the method further includes:

[0025] If not, it is confirmed that the aircraft engine is only equipped with a starter;

[0026] determining whether the starter meets an intervention start condition, and if so, issuing an air start command for the starter;

[0027] Driving the aircraft engine by controlling the starter to engage;

[0028] Determine whether the second start of the aircraft engine is successful, and if so, control the aircraft engine to enter a desired operating state.

[0029] Optionally, the determining whether the starter meets the intervention starting condition includes:

[0030] Whether the starter meets the intervention start conditions is confirmed by judging whether the aircraft engine is in a stopped state, whether the speed of the aircraft engine is lower than the preset speed, whether the battery voltage and power meet the starting drag requirements, whether the blade angle of the torque-converting propeller is adjusted to the minimum, whether the current altitude of the aircraft engine is lower than the preset altitude, whether the preheating function of the glow plug is normal, whether the secondary pre-injection function of the injection management is turned on, and whether the oxygen supply function of the oxygen supplement system is turned on.

[0031] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a control device for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in mid-flight, comprising:

[0032] Real-time monitoring unit, used to monitor the operating status of the aircraft engine in real time;

[0033] A first determining unit is configured to determine whether the aircraft engine is currently shut down;

[0034] a second determining unit, configured to, if yes, determine whether the aircraft engine is in a windmill state according to a current rotation speed of a variable torque propeller of the aircraft engine;

[0035] a third judging unit, configured to judge whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine satisfies a starting condition if yes;

[0036] a sending unit, configured to send a windmill state air start instruction for the aircraft engine if yes;

[0037] a fourth determining unit, configured to determine whether the aircraft engine is successfully started a second time;

[0038] A control unit is used to control the aircraft engine to enter the required operating conditions if so.

[0039] Optionally, the first judging unit includes:

[0040] An acquisition module is used to acquire the current speed, cylinder pressure, cylinder head temperature, turbine exhaust temperature and oxygen concentration of the aircraft engine;

[0041] The first judgment module is used to determine whether the current state of the aircraft engine is flameout based on whether at least one operating parameter among the current speed, the in-cylinder pressure, the cylinder head temperature, the turbine exhaust temperature, and the oxygen concentration is lower than a preset target value under the current operating condition.

[0042] Optionally, before the third judgment unit, the device further includes:

[0043] a collecting unit, configured to collect the current altitude of the aircraft engine;

[0044] The regulating unit is used to regulate the preheating function of the glow plug, the oxygen supply function of the oxygen supplementation system, the position of the windmill state, the injection management function and the blade angle of the torque-variable propeller according to the current altitude.

[0045] The third judgment unit includes:

[0046] The second judgment module is used to confirm whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine meets the starting conditions by judging whether the aircraft engine is at the target position of the windmill state, whether the current altitude is lower than the preset altitude, whether the preheating function of the preheating plug is normal, whether the oxygen supply function of the oxygen supplementation system is turned on, whether the secondary pre-injection function of the injection management is turned on, and whether the blade angle of the torque-converting propeller is adjusted to the minimum.

[0047] A third aspect of the present application provides a control device for secondary in-flight starting of an aircraft engine, comprising:

[0048] processor, memory, input and output units, and buses;

[0049] The processor is connected to the memory, the input and output unit, and the bus;

[0050] The processor performs the following operations:

[0051] Real-time monitoring of the operating status of aircraft engines;

[0052] determining whether the aircraft engine is currently flameout; if so, determining whether the aircraft engine is in a windmill state based on a current rotational speed of a variable torque propeller of the aircraft engine; if so, determining whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine satisfies a start condition; and if so, issuing an airborne start command for the aircraft engine in the windmill state;

[0053] Determine whether the second start of the aircraft engine is successful, and if so, control the aircraft engine to enter a desired operating state.

[0054] An embodiment of the present application provides a storage medium storing computer executable program code, which, when executed, implements the control method for secondary in-flight start-up of an aircraft engine as described in any one of the first aspects above.

[0055] It can be seen from the above technical solutions that the embodiments of the present application have the following advantages:

[0056] In the present application, a control method for secondary in-flight starting of an aircraft engine is designed, which monitors the operating status of the aircraft engine in real time, determines whether the current state of the aircraft engine is flameout, and if so, determines whether the aircraft engine is in a windmill state based on the current speed of the variable torque propeller of the aircraft engine. If in the windmill state, determines whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine meets the starting conditions. If so, issues an in-flight windmill state starting instruction for the aircraft engine; determines whether the secondary start of the aircraft engine is successful, and if so, controls the aircraft engine to enter the desired operating condition.

[0057] While accurately identifying the engine's flameout state, this method further identifies the current rate of change or speed of the aircraft engine and variable-torque propeller, further determining whether the aircraft engine is in a windmilling state and selecting different starting strategies based on the situation. This method systematically considers the in-flight secondary start methods of aircraft engines under different state modes and starter configurations, optimizing data related to in-flight secondary start calibration at different altitudes. This method can address the current problem of in-flight secondary starts for piston compression-ignition heavy fuel aircraft engines that stall in unusual circumstances in the air, providing a final safeguard for aircraft safety. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0058] Figure 1 This is a flow chart of an embodiment of a control method for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in mid-air according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] Figure 2-1 This is a flow chart of another embodiment of the control method for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in mid-air according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] Figure 2-2 This is a flow chart of another embodiment of the control method for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in mid-air according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] Figure 3 This is a flow chart of an embodiment of a control device for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in mid-air according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] Figure 4 This is a flow chart of another embodiment of the control device for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in mid-air in an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] Figure 5 This is a flow chart of another embodiment of the control device for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in the air in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] In order to enable people in this technical field to better understand the technical solutions in this application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely explained below in combination with the drawings in the embodiments of this application. It is obvious that the embodiments explained are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments.

[0065] Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative work should fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0066] The embodiments of the present application provide a control method and device for secondary in-flight starting of an aircraft engine, which systematically considers the secondary in-flight starting modes of the aircraft engine under different state modes and different starter configurations, and realizes the optimization of data related to the calibration of secondary in-flight starting at different altitudes. It solves the problem of secondary in-flight starting of current piston compression-ignition heavy oil aircraft engines due to flameout when encountering special circumstances in the air, and provides the final guarantee for aircraft safety.

[0067] See also Figure 1 An embodiment of a control method for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in mid-flight in the present application includes:

[0068] 101. Real-time monitoring of the operating status of aircraft engines;

[0069] It's important to note that while aircraft engines normally operate within their flight envelope and are protected against flameout and stall, if they suddenly shut down for some reason during flight, they must be restarted within a short period of time to restore the engine to its pre-flight operating state without a significant drop in altitude. Therefore, a secondary in-flight restart is a safety measure for aircraft engines during flight.

[0070] In an embodiment of the present application, in order to solve the problem of current piston compression ignition heavy oil aircraft engines stalling when encountering special circumstances in the air, ground station staff need to monitor the operating status of the aircraft engine in real time through the engine control unit, i.e., ECU, while the aircraft engine is running.

[0071] 102. Determine whether the current state of the aircraft engine is shutdown. If so, execute step 103;

[0072] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, the ground station staff monitors the engine operating status in real time. When one or more operating indicators of the aircraft engine operating parameters such as engine speed, cylinder pressure, cylinder head temperature, turbine pre-exhaust temperature and oxygen concentration are much lower than the target value under the current working conditions, the ECU confirms that the current state of the aircraft engine is stalled, and will send the engine misfire or stall status to the ground station.

[0073] 103. Determine whether the aircraft engine is in a windmill state based on the current rotation speed of the variable torque propeller of the aircraft engine. If so, execute step 104.

[0074] In this embodiment of the present application, if all operating parameters of the aircraft engine meet operating standards, the ECU confirms that the aircraft engine is currently operating properly, and no further operations are required, and the aircraft engine's operating status continues to be monitored. If the ECU confirms that the aircraft engine is currently misfired or flamed out, the ECU determines whether the aircraft engine is in a windmill state based on the current speed of the aircraft engine's variable torque propeller, and transmits information indicating whether the aircraft engine is in a "windmill state" to the ground station.

[0075] It should be noted that if the windmill state is not met, other diagnostic operations are required. For details, see Figure 2-1 and Figure 2-2 Example.

[0076] It should also be noted that the specific instructions for determining whether the windmill state is met can also be found in Figure 2-1 and Figure 2-2 Examples: The examples of this application will not be explained for the time being.

[0077] 104. Determine whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine meets the start-up condition. If so, execute step 105.

[0078] In an embodiment of the present application, the ECU determines whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine meets the starting conditions based on the target position of the current "windmill state" of the aircraft engine, the altitude, the blade angle, the injection management, the preheating function of the glow plug, the oxygen supply system, etc. If so, step 105 is executed.

[0079] It should be noted that for details on determining whether the start conditions are met, see Figure 2-1 and Figure 2-2 Examples: The examples of this application will not be explained for the time being.

[0080] 105. issuing a windmill-state air start command for the aircraft engine;

[0081] It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, the ECU sends a signal to the ground station as to whether the aircraft engine is in a "windmill state". If it is in the target position of the "windmill state", the ground station staff will give a "windmill state" start-up state instruction in real time based on the altitude. Specifically, for example, the blade angle of the torque-converting propeller is adjusted to the minimum, the injection management starts three injections (two pre-injections plus one main injection), the preheating function of the glow plug is turned on, the oxygen supply system is turned on, etc. Since the temperature of the coolant and lubricating fluid is relatively high at this time, it is conducive to a secondary start in the air.

[0082] 106. Determine whether the second start of the aircraft engine is successful. If so, execute step 107.

[0083] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, after the ECU controls the adjustment of each functional module, it sends feedback information to the ground station. The flight control operator gives the air start instruction in real time based on the actual situation, attempts to start the engine in the air, and determines whether the second air start is successful. If successful, execute step 107.

[0084] 107. Control the aircraft engine to enter a desired operating condition.

[0085] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, if the start is successful, the ground station operator will quickly bring the engine into the desired operating condition. Otherwise, the air start will be attempted again based on the specific situation until the start is successful.

[0086] In an embodiment of the present application, a control method for secondary in-flight starting of an aircraft engine is designed to monitor the operating status of the aircraft engine in real time, determine whether the current state of the aircraft engine is flameout, and if so, determine whether the aircraft engine is in a windmill state based on the current speed of the variable torque propeller of the aircraft engine; if so, determine whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine meets the starting conditions; if so, issue an in-flight windmill state starting instruction for the aircraft engine; determine whether the secondary start of the aircraft engine is successful; if so, control the aircraft engine to enter the desired operating condition.

[0087] While accurately identifying the engine's flameout state, this method further identifies the current rate of change or speed of the aircraft engine and variable-torque propeller, further determining whether the aircraft engine is in a windmilling state and selecting different starting strategies based on the situation. This method systematically considers the in-flight secondary start methods of aircraft engines under different state modes and starter configurations, optimizing data related to in-flight secondary start calibration at different altitudes. This method can address the current problem of in-flight secondary starts for piston compression-ignition heavy fuel aircraft engines that stall in unusual circumstances in the air, providing a final safeguard for aircraft safety.

[0088] The above briefly describes the control method for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in the air. The following will provide a detailed introduction to the control method for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in the air.

[0089] See also Figure 2-1 and Figure 2-2 Another embodiment of the control method for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in mid-flight in the embodiment of the present application includes:

[0090] 201. Real-time monitoring of the operating status of aircraft engines;

[0091] It's important to note that while aircraft engines normally operate within their flight envelope and are protected against flameout and stall, if they suddenly shut down for some reason during flight, they must be restarted within a short period of time to restore the engine to its pre-flight operating state without a significant drop in altitude. Therefore, a secondary in-flight restart is a safety measure for aircraft engines during flight.

[0092] In an embodiment of the present application, in order to solve the problem of current piston compression ignition heavy oil aircraft engines stalling when encountering special circumstances in the air, ground station staff need to monitor the operating status of the aircraft engine in real time through the engine control unit, i.e., ECU, while the aircraft engine is running.

[0093] 202. Collecting the current speed, in-cylinder pressure, cylinder head temperature, turbine exhaust temperature, and oxygen concentration of the aircraft engine;

[0094] 203. Determine whether the aircraft engine is currently flameout based on whether the operating parameters of the current speed, the in-cylinder pressure, the cylinder head temperature, the turbine exhaust temperature, and the oxygen concentration are lower than preset target values ​​under the current operating conditions;

[0095] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, according to different working conditions, preset target limits of various operating parameters under different working conditions are set in advance. For example, the minimum speed limit under the first working condition is A1, and the minimum in-cylinder pressure is B1; the minimum speed limit under the second working condition is A2, and the minimum in-cylinder pressure is B2, etc.

[0096] In order to determine whether the current aircraft engine is flameout, it is necessary to collect the current speed, cylinder pressure, cylinder head temperature, turbine exhaust temperature and oxygen concentration of the aircraft engine, and determine whether these operating parameters are lower than the preset target values ​​under the current operating conditions. If all operating parameters are lower than the preset target values, the ECU confirms that the current state of the aircraft engine is flameout and requires a second restart.

[0097] 204. Determine whether the aircraft engine is in a windmill state based on the current rotation speed of the variable torque propeller of the aircraft engine. If so, execute step 205; if not, execute step 209.

[0098] In this embodiment of the present application, if all operating parameters of the aircraft engine meet operating standards, the ECU confirms that the aircraft engine is currently operating properly, and no further operations are required, and the aircraft engine's operating status continues to be monitored. If the ECU confirms that the aircraft engine is currently misfired or flamed out, the ECU determines whether the aircraft engine is in a windmill state based on the current speed of the aircraft engine's variable torque propeller, and transmits information indicating whether the aircraft engine is in a "windmill state" to the ground station.

[0099] If the windmill state is not satisfied, then execute step 209; if it is satisfied, then execute step 205.

[0100] It should be noted that the ECU determines whether the aircraft engine is in a windmill state based on the current aircraft engine speed, cylinder pressure, cylinder head temperature, turbine pre-exhaust temperature, oxygen concentration and the current speed of the aircraft engine's variable torque propeller. If all operating parameters are lower than the preset target values, the ECU confirms that the aircraft engine is in a windmill state.

[0101] 205. Collect the current altitude of the aircraft engine;

[0102] 206. Adjusting the preheating function of the glow plug, the oxygen supply function of the oxygen supplementation system, the position of the windmill state, the fuel injection management function, and the blade angle of the variable torque propeller according to the current altitude;

[0103] 207. Determine whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine meets the start-up conditions by determining whether the aircraft engine is at a target position of the windmill state, whether the current altitude is lower than a preset altitude, whether the preheating function of the glow plug is normal, whether the oxygen supply function of the oxygen supplementation system is enabled, whether the secondary pre-injection function of the injection management is enabled, and whether the blade angle of the torque-converting propeller is adjusted to a minimum. If so, execute step 208.

[0104] In an embodiment of the present application, the ECU determines whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine meets the start-up conditions based on the current target position of the aircraft engine's "windmill state," the altitude, the blade angle, the fuel injection management, the glow plug preheating function, the supplemental oxygen system, and the like. Specifically, the ECU collects the current altitude of the aircraft engine and adjusts the glow plug preheating function, the supplemental oxygen system's oxygen supply function, the windmill state position, the fuel injection management function, and the blade angle of the variable torque propeller based on the current altitude. For example, the blade angle of the variable torque propeller is adjusted to the minimum, the fuel injection management activates three injections (two pilot injections plus one main injection), the glow plug preheating function is enabled, and the supplemental oxygen system is enabled. Whether the aircraft engine's windmill state meets the start-up conditions is determined by determining whether the aircraft engine is at the target position of the windmill state, whether the current altitude is below a preset altitude, whether the glow plug preheating function is normal, whether the supplemental oxygen system's oxygen supply function is enabled, whether the fuel injection management's second pilot injection function is enabled, and whether the blade angle of the variable torque propeller is adjusted to the minimum.

[0105] When the aircraft engine is in the target position of the windmill state, the current altitude is lower than the preset altitude, the preheating function of the preheating plug is normal, the oxygen supply function of the oxygen supplementation system is turned on, the injection management secondary pre-injection function is turned on, and the blade angle of the torque-converting propeller is adjusted to the minimum, it is confirmed that the windmill state of the aircraft engine meets the starting conditions, and step 208 is executed at this time.

[0106] 208. Issue a windmill-state air start command for the aircraft engine, and directly execute step 217;

[0107] It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, the ECU sends a signal to the ground station as to whether the aircraft engine is in a "windmill state". If it is in the target position of the "windmill state", the ground station staff will give a "windmill state" start-up state instruction in real time based on the altitude. Specifically, for example, the blade angle of the torque-converting propeller is adjusted to the minimum, the injection management starts three injections (two pre-injections plus one main injection), the preheating function of the glow plug is turned on, the oxygen supply system is turned on, etc. Since the temperature of the coolant and lubricating fluid is relatively high at this time, it is conducive to a secondary start in the air.

[0108] 209. Determine whether the aircraft engine has a starter-starter integrated unit. If yes, execute step 210; if no, execute step 213.

[0109] It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, if the ECU determines that the engine is not in the "windmill state", the ECU continues to determine whether the aircraft engine is equipped with an ISG starter. If the piston aircraft engine is equipped with an ISG starter, step 210 is executed; if not, step 213 is executed.

[0110] 210. Determine whether the starting machine meets the starting state. If so, execute step 211.

[0111] 211. Issue an air start command for the starting and launching integrated machine;

[0112] 212. Use the starting and starting machine to tow the aircraft engine, and directly execute step 217;

[0113] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, if the aircraft engine is matched with an ISG starter, there is almost no requirement for the current operating speed of the engine to attempt a second start in the air. It is only necessary to determine whether the aircraft engine is in a parked state, whether the battery voltage and power meet the starting drag requirements, whether the blade angle of the torque-converting propeller is adjusted to the minimum, whether the current altitude of the aircraft engine is lower than the preset altitude, whether the preheating function of the glow plug is normal, whether the secondary pre-injection function of the injection management is turned on, and whether the oxygen supply function of the oxygen supplementation system is turned on to confirm whether the starter meets the starting state.

[0114] When the following conditions are simultaneously met: a) the engine is in the parked state, b) the battery voltage and charge level meet the starting and dragging requirements, c) the torque converter propeller blade angle is adjusted to the minimum setting, d) the aircraft's altitude is below 5,000 meters, d) the preheating function of the glow plug is functioning normally, f) the fuel injection management secondary pre-injection is enabled, and g) the oxygen supply system is enabled, the ECU sends a command to the ground station indicating that the starter and generator have met the starting and dragging conditions. The flight control operator, taking into account the actual situation, issues an in-flight start command in real time and attempts to start the engine in-flight. Since the coolant and lubricant temperatures are relatively high at this point, a second in-flight start is facilitated. If the start is successful, the ground station flight control operator quickly brings the engine to the desired operating conditions. Otherwise, a second in-flight start is attempted, taking into account the power supply and other conditions.

[0115] For details, see step 217.

[0116] 213. Confirm that the aircraft engine is only equipped with a starter;

[0117] 214. Determine whether the starter meets the intervention start condition. If so, execute step 215.

[0118] 215. Issue an air start command for the starter;

[0119] 216. Driving the aircraft engine by controlling the starter to engage;

[0120] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, if the ECU determines that the engine is not in a "windmilling state" and is only equipped with a conventional starter, an in-flight secondary start attempt is required to confirm whether the starter meets the intervention start conditions by determining whether the aircraft engine is in a stopped state, whether the aircraft engine speed is below a preset speed, whether the battery voltage and charge level meet the starting drag requirements, whether the torque converter propeller blade angle is set to minimum, whether the aircraft engine's current altitude is below a preset altitude, whether the preheating function of the glow plug is functioning properly, whether the fuel injection management secondary pre-injection function is enabled, and whether the oxygen supply function of the supplemental oxygen system is enabled. This is done when the following conditions are simultaneously met: a) the engine speed is below 20 r / min, b) the engine is in a stopped state, c) the battery voltage and charge level meet the starting drag requirements, d) the torque converter propeller blade angle is set to minimum, e) the aircraft's altitude is below 5000 meters, f) the preheating function of the glow plug is functioning properly, g) the fuel injection management secondary pre-injection function is enabled, and h) the supplemental oxygen system is enabled. When the above conditions are met, the ECU sends a starter intervention conditional command to the ground station. The flight control operator, taking into account the actual situation, issues a real-time in-flight start command, attempting to start the engine in-flight. Since the coolant and lubricant temperatures are relatively high at this point, this facilitates a second in-flight start. If the start is successful, the ground station flight control operator quickly brings the engine to the desired operating conditions. Otherwise, a second in-flight start attempt is attempted, taking into account the specific circumstances.

[0121] For details, see step 217.

[0122] 217. Determine whether the second start of the aircraft engine is successful;

[0123] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, after the ECU controls the adjustment of each functional module, it sends feedback information to the ground station. The flight control operator gives the air start instruction in real time based on the actual situation, attempts to start the engine in the air, and determines whether the second air start is successful. If successful, execute step 218.

[0124] 218. If so, control the aircraft engine to enter the required operating conditions and end the process.

[0125] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, if the start is successful, the ground station operator will quickly bring the engine into the desired operating condition. Otherwise, the air start will be attempted again based on the specific situation until the start is successful.

[0126] This embodiment of the application identifies the current engine operating state, namely, whether the engine is stalled, based on real-time feedback from in-cylinder pressure and parameters such as the engine's transient speed change rate. It then uses propeller and engine speeds to determine whether the engine is in a "windmilling state." Different startup strategies are employed for different engine operating states, depending on the current configuration of the engine powertrain and the aircraft's altitude.

[0127] When the starting conditions are met, the ground station flight control operator will attempt to start the engine at a suitable altitude at the appropriate aircraft altitude. After a successful start, the aircraft will quickly enter normal flight mode.

[0128] The embodiment of the present application systematically considers the secondary start strategy in the air under different state modes of the engine and different starter configurations. Under the premise of accurately identifying the engine flameout state, this method further identifies the current rate of change or speed of the engine and propeller, further determines whether the engine is in a windmill state, and selects different start strategies in combination with the configuration of the starter. This method can optimize the data related to the secondary start calibration in the air at different altitudes through a high-altitude simulation chamber or a plateau simulated secondary start scenario; in addition, by carrying a multi-engine power system drone, it simulates flameout in the air and attempts to start in the air, and further optimizes the data in combination with the actual start of the engine in the air. This method can solve the problem of secondary start in the air when the current piston compression ignition heavy oil aircraft engine encounters special circumstances in the air (missile launch, stall protection failure, etc.) and flames out, providing the final guarantee for aircraft safety.

[0129] The above describes the control method for the secondary in-flight start of an aircraft engine. The following describes the control device for the secondary in-flight start of an aircraft engine.

[0130] See also Figure 3 In one embodiment of the present application, a control device for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in mid-air comprises:

[0131] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a control device for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in mid-flight, comprising:

[0132] A real-time monitoring unit 301 is used to monitor the operating status of the aircraft engine in real time;

[0133] The first determining unit 302 is configured to determine whether the aircraft engine is currently shut down.

[0134] A second determining unit 303 is configured to, if yes, determine whether the aircraft engine is in a windmill state according to a current rotation speed of a variable torque propeller of the aircraft engine;

[0135] The third judgment unit 304 is configured to judge whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine satisfies a start-up condition if yes;

[0136] The sending unit 305 is configured to send a windmill state air start instruction for the aircraft engine if yes;

[0137] The fourth determining unit 306 is configured to determine whether the second start of the aircraft engine is successful;

[0138] The control unit 307 is configured to control the aircraft engine to enter a desired operating condition if yes.

[0139] In an embodiment of the present application, a control device for secondary in-flight starting of an aircraft engine is designed. A real-time monitoring unit 301 monitors the operating status of the aircraft engine in real time. A first judgment unit 302 judges whether the current state of the aircraft engine is flameout. If it is flameout, a second judgment unit 303 judges whether the aircraft engine is in a windmill state based on the current speed of the variable torque propeller of the aircraft engine. If it is in the windmill state, a third judgment unit 304 judges whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine meets the starting conditions. If the starting conditions are met, a sending unit 305 issues an in-flight windmill state starting instruction for the aircraft engine. A fourth judgment unit 306 judges whether the secondary start of the aircraft engine is successful. If the secondary start is successful, a control unit 307 controls the aircraft engine to enter the desired operating condition.

[0140] While accurately identifying the engine's flameout status, the device further identifies the current rate of change or speed of the aircraft engine and variable-torque propeller, further determining whether the aircraft engine is in a windmilling state and selecting different starting strategies based on the situation. The device systematically considers the in-flight secondary start methods of aircraft engines under different state modes and starter configurations, optimizing data related to in-flight secondary start calibration at different altitudes. This device can solve the current problem of in-flight secondary starts for piston compression-ignition heavy fuel aircraft engines that stall in special circumstances in the air, providing a final guarantee for aircraft safety.

[0141] The above briefly describes the functions of the various units of the control device for secondary in-flight starting of an aircraft engine. The following describes the functions of the various units of the control device for secondary in-flight starting of an aircraft engine in detail.

[0142] See also Figure 4In the embodiment of the present application, another embodiment of the control device for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in mid-air includes:

[0143] A real-time monitoring unit 401 is used to monitor the operating status of the aircraft engine in real time;

[0144] The first determining unit 402 is configured to determine whether the aircraft engine is currently shut down.

[0145] Optionally, the first determining unit 402 includes:

[0146] The acquisition module 4021 is used to acquire the current speed, cylinder pressure, cylinder head temperature, turbine exhaust temperature, and oxygen concentration of the aircraft engine;

[0147] The first judgment module 4022 is used to determine whether the current state of the aircraft engine is flameout based on whether the operating parameters of the current speed, the in-cylinder pressure, the cylinder head temperature, the turbine exhaust temperature, and the oxygen concentration are lower than the preset target values ​​under the current operating conditions.

[0148] A second determining unit 403 is configured to, if yes, determine whether the aircraft engine is in a windmill state according to a current rotation speed of a variable torque propeller of the aircraft engine;

[0149] A collecting unit 404 is configured to collect the current altitude of the aircraft engine if yes;

[0150] an adjustment unit 405 for adjusting the preheating function of the glow plug, the oxygen supply function of the oxygen supplementation system, the position of the windmill state, the fuel injection management function, and the blade angle of the torque-converting propeller according to the current altitude;

[0151] The third judgment unit 406 judges whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine meets the starting condition;

[0152] The third judgment unit 406 includes:

[0153] The second judgment module 4061 is used to confirm whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine meets the starting conditions by judging whether the aircraft engine is at the target position of the windmill state, whether the current altitude is lower than the preset altitude, whether the preheating function of the preheating plug is normal, whether the oxygen supply function of the oxygen supplementation system is turned on, whether the secondary pre-injection function of the injection management is turned on, and whether the blade angle of the torque-converting propeller is adjusted to the minimum.

[0154] The sending unit 407 is configured to send a windmill state air start instruction for the aircraft engine if yes;

[0155] The fourth determining unit 408 is configured to determine whether the second start of the aircraft engine is successful;

[0156] The control unit 409 is configured to control the aircraft engine to enter a desired operating condition if yes.

[0157] In the embodiment of the present application, the functions of each unit module are the same as those described above. Figure 1 The steps correspond to those in the embodiment shown in FIG2 and are not described again here.

[0158] See also Figure 5 Another embodiment of the control device for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in mid-air in the embodiment of the present application includes:

[0159] Processor 501, memory 502, input and output unit 503 and bus 504;

[0160] The processor 501 is connected to the memory 502, the input and output unit 503 and the bus 504;

[0161] The processor 501 performs the following operations:

[0162] Real-time monitoring of aircraft engine operating status;

[0163] determining whether the aircraft engine is currently flameout; if so, determining whether the aircraft engine is in a windmill state based on a current rotational speed of a variable torque propeller of the aircraft engine; if so, determining whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine satisfies a start condition; and if so, issuing an airborne start command for the aircraft engine in the windmill state;

[0164] Determine whether the second start of the aircraft engine is successful, and if so, control the aircraft engine to enter a desired operating state.

[0165] In this embodiment, the function of the processor 501 is the same as that of the aforementioned Figure 1 The steps correspond to those in the embodiment shown in FIG2 and are not described again here.

[0166] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0167] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0168] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0169] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The aforementioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional units.

[0170] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions to enable a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (ROM, read-only memory), random access memory (RAM, random access memory), disk or optical disk, and other media that can store program code.

Claims

1. A control method for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in mid-air, characterized in that: include: Real-time monitoring of aircraft engine operating status; determining whether the aircraft engine is currently in a stalled state, and if so, determining whether the aircraft engine is in a windmill state based on a current rotational speed of a variable torque propeller of the aircraft engine; If it is in the windmill state, collecting the current altitude of the aircraft engine; adjusting a glow plug preheating function, an oxygen supply function of an oxygen supplementation system, a position of a windmill state, an injection management function, and a blade angle of a variable-torque propeller according to the current altitude; determining whether a windmill state of the aircraft engine satisfies a start-up condition; If the start condition is met, issuing a windmill state air start instruction for the aircraft engine; determining whether the second start of the aircraft engine is successful, and if so, controlling the aircraft engine to enter a desired operating state; The determining whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine meets the starting condition includes: Whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine meets the starting conditions is confirmed by judging whether the aircraft engine is at the target position of the windmill state, whether the current altitude is lower than the preset altitude, whether the preheating function of the glow plug is normal, whether the oxygen supply function of the oxygen supplementation system is turned on, whether the secondary pre-injection function of the injection management is turned on, and whether the blade angle of the torque-converting propeller is adjusted to the minimum.

2. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Determining whether the current state of the aircraft engine is flameout includes: Collecting the current speed, in-cylinder pressure, cylinder head temperature, turbine exhaust temperature, and oxygen concentration of the aircraft engine; Whether the current state of the aircraft engine is flameout is determined based on whether the operating parameters of the current speed, the cylinder pressure, the cylinder head temperature, the turbine exhaust temperature and the oxygen concentration are lower than the preset target values ​​under the current working conditions.

3. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: After determining whether the aircraft engine is in a windmill state based on a current rotational speed of a variable torque propeller of the aircraft engine, the method further includes: If not, determining whether the aircraft engine has a starter, and if so, determining whether the starter meets the start state, and if so, issuing an air start command for the starter; Driving the aircraft engine through the starting and starting machine; Determine whether the second start of the aircraft engine is successful, and if so, control the aircraft engine to enter a desired operating state.

4. The control method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The step of determining whether the starting machine meets the startup state includes: Whether the starter meets the starting state is determined by judging whether the aircraft engine is in the parking state, whether the battery voltage and power meet the starting and dragging requirements, whether the blade angle of the torque-converting propeller is adjusted to the minimum, whether the current altitude of the aircraft engine is lower than the preset altitude, whether the preheating function of the glow plug is normal, whether the secondary pre-injection function of the injection management is turned on, and whether the oxygen supply function of the oxygen supplement system is turned on.

5. The control method according to claim 3, characterized in that: After determining whether the aircraft engine has a starter, the method further includes: If not, it is confirmed that the aircraft engine is only equipped with a starter; determining whether the starter meets an intervention start condition, and if so, issuing an air start command for the starter; Driving the aircraft engine by controlling the starter to engage; Determine whether the second start of the aircraft engine is successful, and if so, control the aircraft engine to enter a desired operating state.

6. The control method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The determining whether the starter meets the intervention starting condition includes: Whether the starter meets the intervention start conditions is confirmed by judging whether the aircraft engine is in a stopped state, whether the speed of the aircraft engine is lower than the preset speed, whether the battery voltage and power meet the starting drag requirements, whether the blade angle of the torque-converting propeller is adjusted to the minimum, whether the current altitude of the aircraft engine is lower than the preset altitude, whether the preheating function of the glow plug is normal, whether the secondary pre-injection function of the injection management is turned on, and whether the oxygen supply function of the oxygen supplement system is turned on.

7. A control device for secondary starting of an aircraft engine in mid-air, characterized in that: include: Real-time monitoring unit, used to monitor the operating status of the aircraft engine in real time; A first determining unit is configured to determine whether the aircraft engine is currently shut down; a second determining unit, configured to, if yes, determine whether the aircraft engine is in a windmill state according to a current rotation speed of a variable torque propeller of the aircraft engine; a collecting unit, configured to collect the current altitude of the aircraft engine if the aircraft engine is in a windmill state; a regulating unit, configured to regulate, according to the current altitude, a preheating function of a glow plug, an oxygen supply function of an oxygen supplementation system, a position of a windmill state, an injection management function, and a blade angle of a variable-torque propeller; a third judging unit, configured to judge whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine satisfies a starting condition; a sending unit, configured to send a windmill-state air start instruction for the aircraft engine if a start condition is met; a fourth determining unit, configured to determine whether the aircraft engine is successfully started a second time; a control unit, configured to control the aircraft engine to enter a desired operating condition if the condition is correct; The third judgment unit includes: The second judgment module is used to confirm whether the windmill state of the aircraft engine meets the starting conditions by judging whether the aircraft engine is at the target position of the windmill state, whether the current altitude is lower than the preset altitude, whether the preheating function of the preheating plug is normal, whether the oxygen supply function of the oxygen supplementation system is turned on, whether the secondary pre-injection function of the injection management is turned on, and whether the blade angle of the torque-converting propeller is adjusted to the minimum.

8. The control device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first judgment unit includes: An acquisition module is used to acquire the current speed, cylinder pressure, cylinder head temperature, turbine exhaust temperature and oxygen concentration of the aircraft engine; The first judgment module is used to determine whether the current state of the aircraft engine is flameout based on whether at least one operating parameter among the current speed, the in-cylinder pressure, the cylinder head temperature, the turbine exhaust temperature, and the oxygen concentration is lower than a preset target value under the current operating condition.

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