Engine lifting system suitable for on-wing engine changing and engine posture adjusting control method

Abstract

The invention relates to an engine lifting system suitable for on-wing engine changing and an engine posture adjusting control method. The engine lifting system comprises an engine lifting device, a sensor group and an electronic control unit, wherein the electronic control unit realizes six-degree-of-freedom adjustment of an engine in a space attitude through differential motion of four lifting positioners based on a received detection signal. According to the engine lifting system suitable for on-wing hair changing and the engine posture adjusting control method, on-wing hair changing can be effectively achieved, the hair changing efficiency is improved, and safety is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of aircraft engine replacement operation, and in particular to an engine lifting system and an engine attitude adjustment control method suitable for on-wing engine replacement. Background Art

[0002] In the field of aviation engines, in order to ensure the continued airworthiness and safe operation of aircraft, when an engine fails or reaches restricted use conditions, it is necessary to carry out on-wing engine replacement. Due to the large weight and volume of the engine, complex external layout, and small installation space, the engine replacement cycle is long and difficult.

[0003] In the existing technology, on-wing engine replacement requires the use of guiding tools, including thorn chains, tension scales and other tools, and the engine is raised and lowered by tightening or loosening the thorn chains with a wrench. According to research, it usually takes 8 people more than 6 hours to complete the on-wing engine replacement of an engine. The on-wing engine replacement process is highly dependent on the operator, has low work efficiency, poor reliability, and poses safety hazards. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above problems in the prior art, the present invention proposes an engine lifting system and an engine attitude control method suitable for on-wing engine replacement, which can effectively realize on-wing engine replacement, improve the efficiency of engine replacement and have high safety.

[0005] Specifically, the present invention proposes an engine lifting system suitable for on-wing engine replacement, comprising:

[0006] An engine lifting device comprises a mounting bracket, four lifting positioners and four process adapters, wherein the mounting bracket is used to carry the engine, the four lifting positioners include a main lifting positioner and three auxiliary lifting positioners, which are respectively arranged at a corner of the mounting bracket, each lifting positioner is connected to the mounting bracket through one process adapter, and each lifting positioner can move on the X / Y / Z axis of the engine to drive the engine to generate displacement through the process adapter;

[0007] A sensor group, including a force sensor, a non-contact displacement sensor and a photoelectric displacement sensor, wherein one force sensor is arranged on each of the lifting positioners to obtain the pulling force of the lifting positioner driving the process adapter, and multiple non-contact displacement sensors are arranged on each of the lifting positioners to detect the displacement of the lifting positioner on the X / Y / Z axis of the engine, and photoelectric displacement sensors are respectively arranged at the connection position between the engine mounting system and the aircraft hanger to detect the relative position information between the mounting system and the aircraft hanger;

[0008] An electronic control unit is arranged in the lifting main positioner, and the electronic control unit includes a data acquisition control module, which is used to receive the detection signal obtained by the sensor group. The electronic control unit realizes 6-degree-of-freedom adjustment of the engine's spatial posture through the differential of four lifting positioners based on the received detection signal; wherein, the signal of the non-contact displacement sensor received by the data acquisition control module should meet the displacement setting condition, and the signal of the force sensor received by the data acquisition control module should meet the force setting condition.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of non-contact displacement sensors are arranged on each of the lift positioners, and two non-contact displacement sensors are arranged on any axis of the X / Y / Z axis of the engine to detect the displacement of the lift positioner on the axis, and the displacement signals obtained are P1 and P2;

[0010] The displacement setting conditions are:

[0011] If the P1 and P2 signals are normal and satisfy |P1-P2|<10%×min{P1, P2}, the mean value P3 of the signal is used as the displacement value of the axis, P3=(P1+P2) / 2;

[0012] If one of the signals in P1 or P2 is normal, the normal signal is used as the displacement value of the axis;

[0013] If the P1 and P2 signals are normal and |P1-P2|≥10%×min{P1, P2}, the sensor needs to be calibrated;

[0014] If both P1 and P2 signals are abnormal, the corresponding non-contact displacement sensor needs to be replaced and calibrated.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, assuming that the four tension signals are F1, F2, F3, and F4, the force setting condition is:

[0016] If max{F1, F2, F3, F4}-min{F1, F2, F3, F4}<10%×min{F1, F2, F3, F4}, it means that the tension signal is normal;

[0017] If max{F1, F2, F3, F4}-min{F1, F2, F3, F4}≥10%×min{F1, F2, F3, F4}, the electronic control unit or the data acquisition control module triggers a safety alarm.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present invention, each of the lifting positioners comprises:

[0019] A base module, comprising a base assembly, a first slide rail, a first motor and a motor fixing plate, wherein the first slide rail is fixedly arranged on the base assembly, the first motor is fixed on the motor fixing plate, and the first motor is used to drive the motor fixing plate to move along the first slide rail;

[0020] A ram module, comprising a mounting plate assembly, a ram moving assembly, a second slide rail, a second motor and a flexible connector, wherein the second slide rail is fixed to the ram moving assembly, the second motor is fixed to the mounting plate assembly, the second motor is used to drive the ram moving assembly to move along the length direction of the second slide rail, one end of the flexible connector is connected and fixed to the ram moving assembly, and the other end is connected and fixed to the process adapter;

[0021] The column module comprises a column assembly, a third slide rail, a third motor and a ball screw, wherein the bottom of the column assembly is fixed to the motor fixing plate, the ball screw cooperates with the mounting plate assembly, and the third motor is used to drive the ball screw to rotate, thereby driving the entire slide module to move along the length direction of the third slide rail through the mounting plate assembly;

[0022] The length directions of the first slide rail, the second slide rail and the third slide rail correspond to the X direction, the Y direction and the Z direction of the engine.

[0023] The present invention also provides an on-wing engine attitude control method for engine replacement, which is applicable to the aforementioned engine lifting system. The spatial attitude adjustment process of the engine includes the electronic control unit solving the specified posture of the engine, decomposing the spatial position and attitude of the specified posture into the motion stroke of each lifting positioner on the X / Y / Z axis, and synchronously driving the lifting positioner linkage through the electronic control unit to make the engine reach the specified posture.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the lifting methods of the engine include single-point movement, linear movement and non-linear movement;

[0025] The single-point movement means that the electronic control unit controls a certain lifting positioner to move along the X-axis, Y-axis or Z-axis according to actual needs;

[0026] The linear movement means that the electronic control unit performs linear synchronous control on the three lifting auxiliary positioners and the lifting main positioner, and the three-axis movement of the three lifting auxiliary positioners is synchronized with the three-axis movement of the lifting main positioner in a linear relationship so that the engine reaches the specified position at the set time;

[0027] The nonlinear movement means that the electronic control unit performs nonlinear synchronous control on the three lifting auxiliary positioners and the lifting main positioner, and the three-axis movement of the three lifting auxiliary positioners is synchronized with the three-axis movement of the lifting main positioner according to a nonlinear relationship so that the engine reaches the specified position at a set time;

[0028] The electronic control unit calculates nonlinear movement parameters, and the electronic control unit uses the nonlinear movement parameters to control the actions of the four lifting positioners. The nonlinear movement parameters are calculated according to the cam coupling quintuplets, and the formulas for calculating position, velocity and acceleration are:

[0029] Position: f(x)=a0+a1×x+a2×x^2+a3×x^3+a4×x^4+a5×x^5;

[0030] Speed: f'(x)=a1+2×a2×x+3×a3×x^2+4×a4×x^3+5×a5×x^4;

[0031] Acceleration: f”(x) = 2×a2+6×a3×x+12×a4×x^2+20×a5×x^3;

[0032] Among them, x is time, f(x) is the position of a certain axis at a certain point in time, velocity is the first-order derivative, acceleration is the second-order derivative, and a0~a5 are nonlinear movement parameters.

[0033] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the process of the electronic control unit solving the specified posture of the engine comprises the steps of:

[0034] S1, setting the engine virtual coordinate system on the data acquisition control module;

[0035] S2, measuring the position information of the aircraft hanger, and forming a position vector based on the engine virtual coordinate system Entering the data acquisition control module;

[0036] S3, calculating the theoretical optimal posture information of the lifting installation of the installation system, and forming a theoretical optimal lifting position vector based on the virtual coordinate system Entering the data acquisition control module;

[0037] S4, adjust and calibrate the position information of the lifting main positioner and the three lifting auxiliary positioners Entering the data acquisition control system;

[0038] S5, calibrate the non-contact displacement sensor information in the three-axis direction of the lifting positioner, and Feedback to the data acquisition control system;

[0039] S6, collect lift positioner position information Position information of the lift positioner in three axes The actual position characteristics of the engine are calculated by geometry Calculate the theoretical attitude adjustment movement vector of the engine:

[0040] S7, after the engine adjustment is completed, the actual ground posture information before vertical lift Calculate the actual attitude adjustment movement vector of the engine: The actual posture information during lifting and the theoretical optimal lifting position vector The deviation should meet the set deviation conditions;

[0041] S8, if the set deviation condition is met, the ground attitude adjustment of the engine is completed;

[0042] S9, the electronic control unit controls the four lifting positioners to synchronously lift the engine along the Z-axis direction.

[0043] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the setting deviation condition is:

[0044] -2°≤α angle≤2°, -3°≤β angle≤4°, -5°≤γ angle≤5°, -10cm≤X deviation≤10cm, -5cm≤Y deviation≤5cm;

[0045] Among them, the aircraft heading is the X direction of the coordinate system, the aircraft vertical direction is the Y direction of the coordinate system, and the aircraft span direction is the Z direction of the coordinate system, which respectively correspond to the X / Y / Z directions of the engine. The rotation around the X axis of the aircraft coordinate system is an angle of α, the rotation around the Y axis of the aircraft coordinate system is an angle of β, and the rotation around the Z axis of the aircraft coordinate system is an angle of γ.

[0046] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the following operations are performed before step S1, including the steps of:

[0047] T1, installing the engine on the mounting bracket and fixing it securely;

[0048] T2, install the four process adapters to the designated positions of the mounting bracket to ensure a reliable connection between the two;

[0049] T3, move a main lift positioner and three auxiliary lift positioners to the surroundings of the mounting bracket;

[0050] T4, adjust the position of the lifting main positioner and the lifting auxiliary positioner. Each lifting positioner is connected and fixed to the process adapter through a flexible connector.

[0051] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in step S9, before synchronous lifting, a synchronous flexible shaft is used to connect the output shaft of the third motor of each lifting positioner, and the synchronous flexible shaft is used to ensure that the four lifting positioners synchronously lift the engine through their respective third motors. When the Z-direction distance between the mounting system and the aircraft hanger is less than the set distance, the synchronous flexible shaft is removed.

[0052] The present invention provides an engine lifting system and an engine attitude control method suitable for on-wing engine replacement. The specified posture of the engine is solved by an electronic control unit, and the spatial position and attitude of the specified posture are decomposed into the motion stroke of each lifting positioner on the X / Y / Z axis. The electronic control unit synchronously drives the lifting positioners to link so that the engine reaches the specified posture, which can effectively realize on-wing engine replacement, improve the efficiency of engine replacement and increase safety.

[0053] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as described. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application. The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the present invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the present invention.

[0055] In the attached figure:

[0056] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an engine lifting system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0057] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a lifting positioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0058] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a lift positioner according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0059] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a base module of a lifting positioner according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 .

[0060] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a base module of a lifting positioner according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 .

[0061] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a ram module of a lift positioner according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 .

[0062] Figure 7A schematic diagram showing the structure of a ram module of a lift positioner according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 .

[0063] Figure 8 A schematic structural diagram of a column module of a lifting positioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0064] Fig. 9 A flowchart showing a process for an electronic control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention to solve a specified posture of an engine.

[0065] The above drawings include the following reference numerals:

[0066] Engine Lift System 100

[0067] Mounting bracket 101

[0068] Lifting positioner 102

[0069] Lifting master positioner 1021

[0070] Lifting auxiliary positioner 1022

[0071] Process adapter 103

[0072] Base module 200

[0073] Base assembly 201

[0074] First slide rail 202

[0075] The first motor 203

[0076] Motor fixing plate 204

[0077] First meshing rack 205

[0078] First slider 206

[0079] Moving wheel 207 The first limit block 208 The first non-contact displacement sensor 209 Ram module 300 Mounting plate assembly 301 First horizontal board 3011 Second horizontal board 3012 Vertical board 3013 Ram moving assembly 302

[0080] Second slide rail 303 The second motor 304 Flexible connector 305

[0081] Second meshing rack 306

[0082] Second slider 307 The second limit block 308 The second non-contact displacement sensor 309 Screw limit block 310 Force Sensor 311 Column module 400 Column assembly 401

[0083] The third slide rail 402 The third motor 403 Ball Screw 404 The third slider 405 Bearing 406 The third non-contact displacement sensor 407 The third limit block 408 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0084] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application may be combined with each other.

[0085] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is actually merely illustrative and is by no means intended to limit the present application and its application or use. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0086] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, it indicates the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0087] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions and numerical values ​​of the parts and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present application. At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship. The technology, method and equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant field may not be discussed in detail, but in appropriate cases, the technology, method and equipment should be considered as a part of the authorization specification. In all examples shown and discussed here, any specific value should be interpreted as being merely exemplary, rather than as a limitation. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following drawings, so that once a certain item is defined in an accompanying drawing, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0088] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the directions or positional relationships indicated by directional words such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "lateral, vertical, perpendicular, horizontal" and "top, bottom" are usually based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise specified, these directional words do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction or be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present application; the directional words "inside and outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the contours of each component itself.

[0089] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above", "above", "on the upper surface of", "above", etc. may be used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship between a device or feature and other devices or features as shown in the figure. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation described in the figure. For example, if the device in the accompanying drawings is inverted, the device described as "above other devices or structures" or "above other devices or structures" will be positioned as "below other devices or structures" or "below other devices or structures". Thus, the exemplary term "above" may include both "above" and "below". The device may also be positioned in other different ways, rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations, and the spatially relative descriptions used herein are interpreted accordingly.

[0090] In addition, it should be noted that the use of words such as "first" and "second" to define components is only for the convenience of distinguishing the corresponding components. If not otherwise stated, the above words have no special meaning and cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of this application. In addition, although the terms used in this application are selected from well-known and commonly used terms, some terms mentioned in the specification of this application may be selected by the applicant at his or her discretion, and their detailed meanings are explained in the relevant parts of the description of this article. In addition, it is required to understand this application not only by the actual terms used, but also by the meaning implied by each term.

[0091] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an engine lifting system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a lifting positioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a lift positioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 1 An engine lifting system 100 suitable for on-wing engine replacement includes a mounting bracket 101, four lifting positioners 102 and four process adapters 103. The mounting bracket 101 is used to carry the engine, and the four lifting positioners 102 include a main lifting positioner 1021 and three auxiliary lifting positioners 1022, which are respectively arranged at a corner of the mounting bracket 101. Each lifting positioner 102 is connected to the mounting bracket 101 through a process adapter 103. Each lifting positioner 102 can move on the X / Y / Z axis of the engine to drive the engine to generate displacement through the process adapter 103.

[0092] Furthermore, the engine lifting system 100 also includes a sensor group. The sensor group includes a force sensor, a non-contact displacement sensor and a photoelectric displacement sensor. A force sensor is arranged on each lifting positioner 102 to obtain the pulling force of the lifting positioner 102 to drive the process adapter 103. A plurality of non-contact displacement sensors are arranged on each lifting positioner 102 to detect the displacement of the lifting positioner on the X / Y / Z axis of the engine. Photoelectric displacement sensors are respectively arranged at the connection position between the engine mounting system and the aircraft hanger to detect the relative position information between the mounting system and the aircraft hanger.

[0093] The engine lifting system 100 also includes an electronic control unit (not shown). The electronic control unit is arranged at the lifting main positioner 1021. The electronic control unit includes a data acquisition control module for receiving the detection signal acquired by the sensor group. The electronic control unit realizes the 6-DOF adjustment of the engine's spatial posture through the four lifting positioners 102 differentially based on the received detection signal. Among them, the signal of the non-contact displacement sensor received by the data acquisition control module should meet the displacement setting condition, and the signal of the force sensor received by the data acquisition control module should meet the force setting condition.

[0094] Preferably, multiple non-contact displacement sensors are arranged on each lifting positioner 102, and two non-contact displacement sensors are arranged on any axis of the X / Y / Z axis of the engine to detect the displacement of the lifting positioner 102 on the axis, and the displacement signals obtained are P1 and P2. The displacement setting conditions are:

[0095] If the P1 and P2 signals are normal and satisfy |P1-P2|<10%×min{P1,P2}, the mean value P3 of the signal is used as the displacement value of the axis, P3=(P1+P2) / 2;

[0096] If one of the signals P1 or P2 is normal, the normal signal P1 or P2 is used as the displacement value of the axis;

[0097] If the P1 and P2 signals are normal and |P1-P2|≥10%×min{P1, P2}, the non-contact displacement sensor needs to be calibrated;

[0098] If both P1 and P2 signals are abnormal, the corresponding non-contact displacement sensor needs to be replaced and calibrated.

[0099] According to the displacement setting conditions, the non-contact displacement sensor with measurement error is replaced or calibrated to ensure the lifting operation of the engine.

[0100] Preferably, the four tension signals are set to be F1, F2, F3, and F4, and the force setting conditions are:

[0101] If max{F1, F2, F3, F4}-min{F1, F2, F3, F4}<10%×min{F1, F2, F3, F4}, it means that the tension signal is normal;

[0102] If max{F1, F2, F3, F4}-min{F1, F2, F3, F4}≥10%×min{F1, F2, F3, F4}, the electronic control unit or the data acquisition control module triggers a safety alarm.

[0103] According to the force setting conditions, it is ensured that the four lifting positioners 102 maintain a balanced pulling force during the lifting process to prevent the engine from turning over or tilting.

[0104] Preferably, reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 Each lift positioner 102 includes a base module 200 , a ram module 300 and a column module 400 .

[0105] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a base module of a lifting positioner according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 . Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a base module of a lifting positioner according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the base module 200 includes a base assembly 201, a first slide rail 202, a first motor 203 and a motor fixing plate 204. The first slide rail 202 is fixedly arranged on the base assembly 201. The first motor 203 is fixed on the motor fixing plate 204. The first motor 203 is used to drive the motor fixing plate 204 to move along the first slide rail 202. It should be noted that Figure 5 The motor fixing plate 204 is removed to facilitate observation of the internal structure.

[0106] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a ram module of a lift positioner according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 . Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a ram module of a lift positioner according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the ram module 300 includes a mounting plate assembly 301, a ram moving assembly 302, a second slide rail 303, a second motor 304 and a flexible connector 305. The second slide rail 303 is fixed to the ram moving assembly 302. The second motor 304 is fixed to the mounting plate assembly 301. The second motor 304 is used to drive the ram moving assembly 302 to move along the length direction of the second slide rail 303. One end of the flexible connector 305 is connected and fixed to the ram moving assembly 302, and the other end is connected and fixed to the process adapter 103.

[0107] Figure 8 The structure diagram of the column module of the lifting positioner according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 3As shown, the column module 400 includes a column assembly 401, a third slide rail 402 in the vertical direction, a third motor 403 and a ball screw 404. The bottom of the column assembly 401 is fixed on the motor fixing plate 204, that is, the entire column module 400 can move on the first slide rail 202 following the motor fixing plate 204. The ball screw 404 is arranged in the vertical direction and is threadedly matched with the mounting plate assembly 301. The third motor 403 is used to drive the ball screw 404 to rotate, and the ball screw 404 drives the entire ram module 300 to move along the length direction of the third slide rail 402 through the mounting plate assembly 301.

[0108] The length directions of the first slide rail 202, the second slide rail 303 and the third slide rail 402 correspond to the X direction, Y direction and Z direction of the engine. The heading of the aircraft is the X direction of the coordinate system, the vertical direction of the aircraft is the Y direction of the coordinate system, and the span direction of the aircraft is the Z direction of the coordinate system, which is consistent with the X / Y / X axis direction of the engine. It is easy to understand that the lifting positioner 102 controls the ram moving assembly 302 in the ram module 300 to move in the X / Y / X axis direction through the first motor 203, the second motor 304 and the third motor 403. The flexible connector 305 is used to connect the ram moving assembly 302 and the process adapter 103. Therefore, the lifting positioner 102 can cause the process adapter 103 to be displaced through the ram moving assembly 302, and the synchronous operation of the four lifting positioners 102 can drive the engine set on the mounting bracket 101 to adjust the posture to reach the installation position. The movement of the lifting positioner 102 in the X / Y / X axis direction mentioned below means that the lifting positioner 102 controls the movement of the ram moving assembly 302 in the X / Y / X axis direction, thereby acting on the process adapter 103 through the flexible connector 305. Since the lifting positioner 102 is driven by a motor, it can replace the complicated method of manually tightening the thorn chain with a wrench to lift the engine in the prior art, which greatly saves manpower, improves the work efficiency of the on-wing engine replacement process, and reduces safety hazards.

[0109] Preferably, reference Figure 5, the base module 200 also includes a first meshing rack 205 and a first slider 206. The first meshing rack 205 is fixedly arranged on the base assembly 201, and its length direction is consistent with the first slide rail 202. The first slider 206 is fixedly arranged on the motor fixing plate 204, and the first slider 206 is slidably matched with the first slide rail 202. The output end of the first motor 203 cooperates with the first meshing rack 205, and the first motor 203 is started. The first motor 203 moves along the length direction of the first meshing rack 205 under the action of the first meshing rack 205, and then drives the motor fixing plate 204 to move along the first slide rail 202 under the cooperation of the first slider 206 and the first slide rail 202. In this embodiment, two parallel first slide rails 202 and four first sliders 206 are arranged to ensure that the motor fixing plate 204 moves smoothly on the X axis. More preferably, a moving wheel 207 is provided on one side of the bottom of the base assembly 201 to facilitate moving the entire lifting positioner 102 to a designated location.

[0110] Preferably, the base module 200 further includes a first limit block 208 and a first non-contact displacement sensor 209 disposed on the base assembly 201. The first limit block 208 has an anti-collision sensor, and the first limit block 208 and the first non-contact displacement sensor 209 are combined to limit the displacement of the motor fixing plate 204 to prevent the column module 400 from colliding when displacing on the X-axis, and to avoid the engine from flipping or tilting, thereby affecting the lifting operation. Conventionally, at least two first limit blocks 208 and two first displacement sensors 209 are provided, and are respectively arranged on both sides of the length direction (engine X-axis) of the first slide rail 206.

[0111] Preferably, reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 , the ram module 300 also includes a second meshing rack 306 and a second slider 307. The second meshing rack 306 is fixedly arranged on the bottom surface of the ram moving assembly 302. The second slider 307 is fixedly arranged on the mounting plate assembly 301, and the second slider 307 is slidably matched with the second slide rail 303. The output end of the second motor 304 is matched with the second meshing rack 306. When the second motor 304 is started, under the action of the meshing rack and the cooperation of the second slider 307 and the second slide rail 303, the ram moving assembly 302 can move in the Y-axis direction. Specifically, the mounting plate assembly 301 is riveted or welded into one by the first transverse plate 3011, the second transverse plate 3012 and the vertical plate 3013. The second motor 304 is arranged at the bottom of the second transverse plate 3012, and the second slider 307 is arranged on the bottom surface of the first transverse plate 3011. The ram moving assembly 302 is penetrated on the vertical plate 3013.

[0112] Preferably, the ram module 300 further includes a second limit block 308 disposed on the ram moving assembly 302, and a second non-contact displacement sensor 309 disposed on the mounting plate assembly 301. The second limit block 308 has an anti-collision sensor, and the second limit block 308 and the second non-contact displacement sensor 309 are combined to limit the displacement of the ram moving assembly 302 to prevent the ram moving assembly 302 from colliding when displacing on the Y axis, thereby preventing the engine from flipping or tilting, thereby affecting the lifting operation. Conventionally, at least two second limit blocks 308 and two second displacement sensors 309 are provided, and are respectively arranged on both sides of the length direction of the second slide rail 303 (engine Y axis).

[0113] Preferably, the ram module 300 further includes a screw stopper 310 disposed on the ram moving assembly 302. The screw stopper 310 is a hollow structure, the outer side of which is fixedly connected to the mounting plate assembly 301, and the inner side of which penetrates the ball screw 404 and is threadedly engaged with the ball screw 404. The ball screw 404 drives the mounting plate assembly 301 and the ram moving assembly 302 to move along the length direction of the third slide rail 402 through the screw stopper 310.

[0114] Preferably, the ram module 300 further includes a force sensor 311, which is disposed on the flexible connector 305 and is used to detect the tension borne by the flexible connector 305. The flexible connector 305 can avoid the rigid connection between the ram moving assembly 302 and the process adapter 103, and the tension value (tension signal) is obtained through the force sensor 311 to ensure that the tension of the four flexible connectors 305 is balanced, that is, the force setting conditions of the four tension signals mentioned above need to be met.

[0115] refer to Figure 7 and Figure 3 The column module 400 further includes a third slider 405 and a bearing 406. The third slider 405 is slidably matched with the third slide rail 402. The third slider 405 is fixed to the vertical plate 3013 of the mounting plate assembly 301. The ball screw 404 is fixed to the column assembly 401 through the bearing 406. The third slider 405 is slidably matched with the third slide rail 402 to ensure that the ram module 300 moves smoothly in the direction of the third slide rail 402.

[0116] Preferably, reference Figures 5 to 7, the column module 400 also includes a third non-contact displacement sensor 407 and a third stopper 408. The third non-contact displacement sensor 407 is arranged on the column assembly 401, and the third stopper 408 is arranged on the mounting plate assembly 301. The third stopper 408 has an anti-collision sensor, and the third stopper 408 and the third non-contact displacement sensor 407 are combined to limit the displacement of the ram module 300 in the length direction of the third slide rail 402 to prevent the ram moving assembly 302 from colliding when it is displaced on the Z axis, so as to avoid the engine from flipping and tilting, thereby affecting the lifting operation. It should be noted that each lifting positioner 102 needs to be provided with two first stoppers 208 and two first non-contact displacement sensors 209 in the X-axis direction, two second stoppers 308 and two second non-contact displacement sensors 309 in the Y-axis direction, and two third stoppers 408 and two third non-contact displacement sensors 407 in the Z-axis direction. The combination of the limit block and the non-contact displacement sensor is used to detect the displacement of the slide moving component 302 of the lifting positioner 102 in the X / Y / X axis direction. The displacement signal obtained should meet the above-mentioned displacement setting conditions.

[0117] In summary, the lifting positioner 102 is characterized by a compact structure, convenient displacement control of the ram moving assembly 302 on the X / Y / Z axis, and is also an important guarantee for lifting the engine.

[0118] The present invention also provides an engine attitude control method suitable for on-wing engine replacement, which is suitable for the aforementioned engine lifting system 100. It is easy to understand that the aircraft heading is the coordinate system X direction, the aircraft vertical direction is the coordinate system Y direction, the aircraft span direction is the coordinate system Z direction, the rotation around the aircraft coordinate system X axis is an angle of α, the rotation around the aircraft coordinate system Y axis is an angle of β, and the rotation around the aircraft coordinate system Z axis is an angle of γ. The electronic control unit realizes the 6-degree-of-freedom adjustment of the engine's spatial attitude through the differential of four lifting positioners 102. The 6 degrees of freedom are the degrees of freedom of movement along the X / Y / Z axis direction and the degrees of freedom of rotation around the three axes. The attitude control method for the engine includes the electronic control unit solving the specified posture of the engine according to the Jacobian matrix conversion, decomposing the spatial position and attitude of the specified posture into the motion stroke of each lifting positioner 102 on the X / Y / Z axis, and driving the lifting positioner 102 to link according to the motion stroke by the electronic control unit to make the engine reach the specified posture.

[0119] Preferably, the lifting methods of the engine include single-point movement, linear movement and non-linear movement, so as to achieve precise adjustment of the engine position and spatial posture.

[0120] Among them, single-point movement means that the electronic control unit controls a certain lifting positioner 102 to move along the X-axis, Y-axis or Z-axis according to actual needs. Single-point movement can include positioning operation, stop, emergency stop, brake release, reset zero point and other operations.

[0121] Linear movement refers to the electronic control unit performing linear synchronous control on the three lifting auxiliary positioners 1022 and the lifting main positioner 1021. The three-axis movement of the three lifting auxiliary positioners 1022 is synchronized with the three-axis movement of the lifting main positioner 1021 in a linear relationship so that the engine reaches the specified position at the set time.

[0122] Non-linear movement refers to the non-linear synchronous control of the three lifting auxiliary positioners 1022 and the lifting main positioner 1021 by the electronic control unit. The three-axis movement of the three lifting auxiliary positioners 1022 is synchronized with the three-axis movement of the lifting main positioner 1021 according to a non-linear relationship so that the engine reaches the specified position at the set time.

[0123] The electronic control unit calculates the nonlinear movement parameters, and the electronic control unit uses the nonlinear movement parameters to control the actions of the four lifting positioners 102. The nonlinear movement parameters (cam synchronization coefficient) are calculated according to the cam coupling quintuple formula, and the formula for calculating position, speed and acceleration is:

[0124] Position: f(x)=a0+a1×x+a2×x^2+a3×x^3+a4×x^4+a5×x^5;

[0125] Speed: f'(x)=a1+2×a2×x+3×a3×x^2+4×a4×x^3+5×a5×x^4;

[0126] Acceleration: f”(x) = 2×a2+6×a3×x+12×a4×x^2+20×a5×x^3;

[0127] Among them, x is time, f(x) is the position of a certain axis at a certain point in time, velocity is the first-order derivative, acceleration is the second-order derivative, and a0~a5 are the nonlinear motion parameters that need to be solved.

[0128] Preferably, Fig. 9 A flowchart of a process for an electronic control unit to solve a specified position and posture of an engine according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. As shown in the figure, the process for the electronic control unit to solve the specified position and posture of the engine includes the following steps:

[0129] S1, setting the engine virtual coordinate system on the data acquisition control module;

[0130] S2, measure the position information of the aircraft hanger and form a position vector based on the engine virtual coordinate system Input data acquisition control module;

[0131] S3, calculate the theoretical optimal posture information of the lifting installation of the installation system, and form the theoretical optimal lifting position vector based on the virtual coordinate system Input data acquisition control module;

[0132] S4, adjust and calibrate the position information of the lifting main positioner 1021 and the three lifting auxiliary positioners 1022 Input data acquisition control system;

[0133] S5, calibrate the non-contact displacement sensor information in the three-axis direction of the lifting positioner 102, and convert the position information Feedback data acquisition control system;

[0134] S6, collecting the position information of the lifting positioner 102 Position information of the lifting positioner 102 in three axes Calculate the actual position characteristics of the engine through geometry Calculate the theoretical attitude adjustment movement vector of the engine:

[0135] S7, after the engine adjustment is completed, the actual ground posture information before vertical lift Calculate the actual attitude adjustment movement vector of the engine: The actual posture information during lifting and the theoretical optimal lifting position vector The deviation should meet the set deviation conditions;

[0136] S8: If the set deviation condition is met, the ground attitude adjustment of the engine is completed. Based on the existing experience of on-wing engine replacement, the engine is first adjusted to a position where the engine mounting system is completely parallel to the aircraft suspension structure before vertical lifting.

[0137] S9, the electronic control unit controls the four lifting positioners 102 to synchronously lift the engine along the Z-axis direction.

[0138] Preferably, the setting deviation condition in step S7 is:

[0139] -2°≤α angle≤2°, -3°≤β angle≤4°, -5°≤γ angle≤5°, -10cm≤X deviation≤10cm, -5cm≤Y deviation≤5cm;

[0140] Among them, the aircraft heading is the X direction of the coordinate system, the aircraft vertical direction is the Y direction of the coordinate system, and the aircraft span direction is the Z direction of the coordinate system, which correspond to the X / Y / Z directions of the engine respectively. The rotation around the X axis of the aircraft coordinate system is an angle of α, the rotation around the Y axis of the aircraft coordinate system is an angle of β, and the rotation around the Z axis of the aircraft coordinate system is an angle of γ.

[0141] Preferably, the following operations are performed before step S1, including the steps of:

[0142] T1, install the engine on the mounting bracket 101 and fix it firmly;

[0143] T2, installing four process adapters 103 to the designated positions of the mounting bracket 101, so that the two are reliably connected;

[0144] T3, move a lifting main positioner 1021 and three lifting auxiliary positioners 1022 to be placed around the mounting bracket 101;

[0145] T4, adjust the positions of the lifting main positioner 1021 and the lifting auxiliary positioner 1022, and each lifting positioner is connected and fixed to the process adapter 103 through a flexible connector 305.

[0146] Preferably, in step S9, before synchronous lifting, a synchronization flexible shaft is used to connect the third motor 403 of each lifting positioner 102, and the synchronization flexible shaft is used to ensure that the four lifting positioners 102 accurately and synchronously lift the engine through their respective third motors 403. As an example and not a limitation, the output shafts of the four third motors 403 can be connected in pairs through synchronization flexible shafts, or the four third motors 403 can be divided into two groups, and the two groups are connected in parallel through synchronization flexible shafts, and accurate synchronization can be achieved. When the Z-direction distance between the mounting system and the aircraft hanger is less than the set distance, the synchronization flexible shaft is removed. More preferably, the set distance is preferably ≤100mm. After removing the synchronization flexible shaft, the engine is finely adjusted to achieve docking between the mounting system and the aircraft hanger.

[0147] The present invention provides an engine lifting system and an engine attitude control method suitable for on-wing engine replacement. The specified posture of the engine is solved by an electronic control unit, and the spatial position and posture of the specified posture are decomposed into the movement stroke of each lifting positioner on the X / Y / Z axis, that is, each lifting positioner can adjust its slide moving assembly to move smoothly on the X / Y / Z axis square of the engine, and the lifting positioner is synchronously driven by the electronic control unit to make the engine reach the specified posture. A sensor group is also provided on the lifting positioner to avoid deflection, tilt and other situations that may exist in the process of engine attitude control, and can trigger a safety warning in time. Therefore, the present invention provides an engine lifting system and an engine attitude control method suitable for on-wing engine replacement, which greatly improves the accuracy, safety and work efficiency of the on-wing engine replacement process.

[0148] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made to the above exemplary embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, it is intended that the present invention covers modifications and variations of the present invention that fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalent technical solutions.

Claims

1. An engine lifting system suitable for on-wing engine replacement, characterized in that: include: An engine lifting device comprises a mounting bracket, four lifting positioners and four process adapters, wherein the mounting bracket is used to carry the engine, the four lifting positioners include a main lifting positioner and three auxiliary lifting positioners, which are respectively arranged at a corner of the mounting bracket, each lifting positioner is connected to the mounting bracket through one process adapter, and each lifting positioner can move on the X / Y / Z axis of the engine to drive the engine to generate displacement through the process adapter; A sensor group, including a force sensor, a non-contact displacement sensor and a photoelectric displacement sensor, wherein one force sensor is arranged on each of the lifting positioners to obtain the pulling force of the lifting positioner driving the process adapter, and multiple non-contact displacement sensors are arranged on each of the lifting positioners to detect the displacement of the lifting positioner on the X / Y / Z axis of the engine, and photoelectric displacement sensors are respectively arranged at the connection position between the engine mounting system and the aircraft hanger to detect the relative position information between the mounting system and the aircraft hanger; An electronic control unit is arranged in the lifting main positioner, and the electronic control unit includes a data acquisition control module, which is used to receive the detection signal obtained by the sensor group. The electronic control unit realizes 6-degree-of-freedom adjustment of the engine's spatial posture through the differential of four lifting positioners based on the received detection signal; wherein, the signal of the non-contact displacement sensor received by the data acquisition control module should meet the displacement setting condition, and the signal of the force sensor received by the data acquisition control module should meet the force setting condition.

2. The engine lifting system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Arrange a plurality of non-contact displacement sensors on each of the lift positioners, and arrange two non-contact displacement sensors on any axis of the X / Y / Z axis of the engine to detect the displacement of the lift positioner on the axis, and obtain displacement signals P1 and P2; The displacement setting conditions are: If the P1 and P2 signals are normal and satisfy |P1-P2|<10%×min{P1, P2}, the mean value P3 of the signal is used as the displacement value of the axis, P3=(P1+P2) / 2; If one of the signals in P1 or P2 is normal, the normal signal is used as the displacement value of the axis; If the P1 and P2 signals are normal and |P1-P2|≥10%×min{P1, P2}, the sensor needs to be calibrated; If both P1 and P2 signals are abnormal, the corresponding non-contact displacement sensor needs to be replaced and calibrated.

3. The engine lifting system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Assuming that the four tension signals are F1, F2, F3, and F4, the force setting conditions are: If max{F1, F2, F3, F4}-min{F1, F2, F3, F4}<10%×min{F1, F2, F3, F4}, it means that the tension signal is normal; If max{F1, F2, F3, F4}-min{F1, F2, F3, F4}≥10%×min{F1, F2, F3, F4}, the electronic control unit or the data acquisition control module triggers a safety alarm.

4. The engine lifting system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the lift positioners comprises: A base module, comprising a base assembly, a first slide rail, a first motor and a motor fixing plate, wherein the first slide rail is fixedly arranged on the base assembly, the first motor is fixed on the motor fixing plate, and the first motor is used to drive the motor fixing plate to move along the first slide rail; A ram module, comprising a mounting plate assembly, a ram moving assembly, a second slide rail, a second motor and a flexible connector, wherein the second slide rail is fixed to the ram moving assembly, the second motor is fixed to the mounting plate assembly, the second motor is used to drive the ram moving assembly to move along the length direction of the second slide rail, one end of the flexible connector is connected and fixed to the ram moving assembly, and the other end is connected and fixed to the process adapter; The column module comprises a column assembly, a third slide rail, a third motor and a ball screw, wherein the bottom of the column assembly is fixed to the motor fixing plate, the ball screw cooperates with the mounting plate assembly, and the third motor is used to drive the ball screw to rotate, thereby driving the entire slide module to move along the length direction of the third slide rail through the mounting plate assembly; The length directions of the first slide rail, the second slide rail and the third slide rail correspond to the X direction, the Y direction and the Z direction of the engine.

5. An on-wing engine attitude control method, applicable to the engine lifting system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The spatial attitude adjustment process of the engine includes the electronic control unit solving the specified posture of the engine, decomposing the spatial position and posture of the specified posture into the movement stroke of each lifting positioner on the X / Y / Z axis, and synchronously driving the lifting positioner linkage through the electronic control unit to make the engine reach the specified posture.

6. The engine attitude control method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The lifting modes of the engine include single-point movement, linear movement and non-linear movement; The single-point movement means that the electronic control unit controls a certain lifting positioner to move along the X-axis, Y-axis or Z-axis according to actual needs; The linear movement means that the electronic control unit performs linear synchronous control on the three lifting auxiliary positioners and the lifting main positioner, and the three-axis movement of the three lifting auxiliary positioners is synchronized with the three-axis movement of the lifting main positioner in a linear relationship so that the engine reaches the specified position at the set time; The nonlinear movement means that the electronic control unit performs nonlinear synchronous control on the three lifting auxiliary positioners and the lifting main positioner, and the three-axis movement of the three lifting auxiliary positioners is synchronized with the three-axis movement of the lifting main positioner according to a nonlinear relationship so that the engine reaches the specified position at a set time; The electronic control unit calculates nonlinear movement parameters, and the electronic control unit uses the nonlinear movement parameters to control the actions of the four lifting positioners. The nonlinear movement parameters are calculated according to the cam coupling quintuplets, and the formulas for calculating position, velocity and acceleration are: Position: f(x) = a0 + a1×x + a2×x^2 + a3×x^3 + a4×x^4 + a5×x^5; Speed: f'(x) = a1 + 2×a2×x + 3×a3×x^2 + 4×a4×x^3 + 5×a5×x^4; Acceleration: f”(x) = 2×a2+6×a3×x+12×a4×x^2+20×a5×x^3; Among them, x is time, f(x) is the position of a certain axis at a certain point in time, velocity is the first-order derivative, acceleration is the second-order derivative, and a0~a5 are nonlinear movement parameters.

7. The engine attitude control method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The process of the electronic control unit solving the specified posture of the engine comprises the steps of: S1, setting the engine virtual coordinate system on the data acquisition control module; S2, measuring the position information of the aircraft hanger, and forming a position vector based on the engine virtual coordinate system Entering the data acquisition control module; S3, calculating the theoretical optimal posture information of the lifting installation of the installation system, and forming a theoretical optimal lifting position vector based on the virtual coordinate system Entering the data acquisition control module; S4, adjust and calibrate the position information of the lifting main positioner and the three lifting auxiliary positioners Entering the data acquisition control system; S5, calibrate the non-contact displacement sensor information in the three-axis direction of the lifting positioner, and Feedback to the data acquisition control system; S6, collect lift positioner position information Position information of the lift positioner in three axes The actual position characteristics of the engine are calculated by geometry Calculate the theoretical attitude adjustment movement vector of the engine: S7, after the engine adjustment is completed, the actual ground posture information before vertical lift Calculate the actual attitude adjustment movement vector of the engine: The actual posture information during lifting and the theoretical optimal lifting position vector The deviation should meet the set deviation conditions; S8, if the set deviation condition is met, the ground attitude adjustment of the engine is completed; S9, the electronic control unit controls the four lifting positioners to synchronously lift the engine along the Z-axis direction.

8. The engine attitude control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The setting deviation condition is: -2°≤α angle≤2°, -3°≤β angle≤4°, -5°≤γ angle≤5°, -10cm≤X deviation≤10cm, -5cm≤Y deviation≤5cm; Among them, the aircraft heading is the X direction of the coordinate system, the aircraft vertical direction is the Y direction of the coordinate system, and the aircraft span direction is the Z direction of the coordinate system, which respectively correspond to the X / Y / Z directions of the engine. The rotation around the X axis of the aircraft coordinate system is an angle of α, the rotation around the Y axis of the aircraft coordinate system is an angle of β, and the rotation around the Z axis of the aircraft coordinate system is an angle of γ.

9. The engine attitude control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: Before step S1, the following operations are performed, including the steps of: T1, installing the engine on the mounting bracket and fixing it securely; T2, install the four process adapters to the designated positions of the mounting bracket to ensure a reliable connection between the two; T3, move a main lift positioner and three auxiliary lift positioners to the surroundings of the mounting bracket; T4, adjust the position of the lifting main positioner and the lifting auxiliary positioner. Each lifting positioner is connected and fixed to the process adapter through a flexible connector.

10. The engine attitude control method according to claim 9, characterized in that: In step S9, before synchronous lifting, a synchronous flexible shaft is used to connect the output shaft of the third motor of each lifting positioner, and the synchronous flexible shaft is used to ensure that the four lifting positioners synchronously lift the engine through their respective third motors. When the Z-direction distance between the mounting system and the aircraft hanger is less than the set distance, the synchronous flexible shaft is removed.

Images