Electronic throttle valve with fault redundancy function and method

Abstract

The invention discloses an electronic throttle valve with a fault redundancy function and a method, and belongs to the field of unmanned aerial vehicles. Comprising a throttle valve body, an opening degree control module and an adjustable mechanical redundancy module, the opening degree control module and the adjustable mechanical redundancy module are installed on the throttle valve body, the opening degree of a throttle valve in a normal state is controlled through the opening degree control module, and the opening degree of the throttle valve in a fault state is controlled through the adjustable mechanical redundancy module; the adjustable mechanical redundancy module adjusts the opening degree of the throttle valve to a preset safety position in a mechanical active control mode. The problem that in the prior art, due to the fact that the return position is fixed (such as the minimum / maximum opening degree), the engine stops or is overheated is solved, normal work of the engine is guaranteed, and the reliability of the engine and even an unmanned aerial vehicle system is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and in particular relates to an electronic throttle with a fault redundancy function and a method. Background Art

[0002] Most of the current UAVs use internal combustion engines as direct power, and the electronic throttle is an important component for engine power control. The engine's air intake is controlled by adjusting the opening of the electronic throttle, thereby controlling the engine's speed and output power.

[0003] There are two common electronic throttle valves:

[0004] 1. No redundant functions, purely relying on reliability to ensure normal operation. When the electronic throttle motor fails, control cannot be performed; when the sensor fails, the actual position of the electronic throttle cannot be known, resulting in abnormal adjustment, causing the engine fuel injection volume and intake volume to not match, resulting in engine shutdown, endangering the safety of the drone;

[0005] 2. A return spring is installed, but the position of the return spring cannot be adjusted. In abnormal situations, the throttle can only return to the minimum opening or maximum opening. When the throttle is at the minimum opening, the engine cannot work stably and is very likely to stop. Or, although the engine is in working condition, it cannot meet the power requirements of the drone, causing the drone to stall and crash. If the throttle is always at the maximum opening, the engine will always work at high horsepower, which will cause the engine to overheat and fail, so it has no practical value. Summary of the invention

[0006] Technical issues to be solved:

[0007] In order to avoid the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides an electronic throttle with a fault redundancy function, and applies an adjustable mechanical redundancy design to the electronic throttle of a UAV. When a motor failure or a sensor failure occurs, the position of the electronic throttle can be controlled, which solves the problem of engine shutdown or overheating caused by a fixed return position (such as minimum / maximum opening) in the prior art, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the engine and greatly improving the reliability of the engine and even the UAV system.

[0008] The technical solution of the present invention is: an electronic throttle with fault redundancy function, comprising a throttle valve body and an opening control module and an adjustable mechanical redundancy module installed thereon, wherein the opening control module controls the throttle opening in a normal state, and the adjustable mechanical redundancy module controls the throttle opening in a fault state;

[0009] The adjustable mechanical redundancy module adjusts the throttle opening to a preset safety position by means of mechanical active control.

[0010] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the throttle valve body includes a throttle body and a throttle shaft, a butterfly plate, and a position sensor installed thereon; the butterfly plate is rotatably connected to the step hole of the throttle body through the throttle shaft; the position sensor is used to collect the opening of the butterfly plate and send the collected information to the engine controller to achieve closed-loop control.

[0011] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the opening control module includes a driving motor, a pinion and a large gear, the large gear is installed at one end of the throttle shaft, and meshes with the pinion installed on the output shaft of the driving motor. The driving motor controls the rotation angle of the pinion and the large gear, thereby controlling the rotation angle of the throttle shaft.

[0012] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the adjustable mechanical redundancy module is connected to the rotation center of the large gear, and can control the large gear to rotate to a preset safe position in a fault state, and write the safe position parameter into the engine controller to ensure that the controller uses this value to maintain power output in the event of a fault.

[0013] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the adjustable mechanical redundancy module includes a return spring and a dynamic balancing assembly; one end of the return spring is connected to the large gear, and the other end is connected to the execution end of the dynamic balancing assembly; the initial tension of the return spring is adjusted by the dynamic balancing assembly to set the safe opening to which the electronic throttle is reset in the event of a fault.

[0014] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the dynamic balancing assembly includes an adjusting screw, a locking spring and a spring seat; the rod of the adjusting screw is provided with an external thread, which is screwed onto the throttle body through the thread, and the end of the adjusting screw is hinged to the return spring through the spring seat, and the head of the adjusting screw is located outside the throttle body, and a locking spring is sleeved on the rod between the adjusting screw and the throttle body; the spring seat is a circular ring structure sleeved on the end of the adjusting screw, and the lug arranged on the outer periphery is hinged to the other end of the return spring, the spring seat and the adjusting screw are clearance-fitted, can rotate relative to each other, and the axial displacement of the spring seat when the adjusting screw rotates is limited by the retaining spring; by rotating the adjusting screw, the axial position of the spring seat is changed, thereby adjusting the initial tension of the return spring; by applying continuous axial pressure through the locking spring, it is ensured that the adjusting screw does not rotate or displace after setting.

[0015] A method for adjusting the throttle opening of an electronic throttle with a fault redundancy function under normal working conditions, the specific steps are as follows:

[0016] The current position angle of the throttle shaft is collected by the position sensor to determine the position of the butterfly plate;

[0017] By comparing the preset throttle opening with the current throttle opening position, the rotation direction and angle of the drive motor are determined;

[0018] The driving motor overcomes the elastic force of the return spring and drives the small gear and the large gear to rotate at the same time, and then the large gear drives the throttle shaft and the butterfly plate to rotate to complete the opening adjustment;

[0019] The butterfly valve opening is detected in real time by the position sensor. When the preset opening is reached, the throttle opening control is completed and the engine works normally.

[0020] A method for adjusting a safe position of an electronic throttle with a fault redundancy function, the specific steps are as follows:

[0021] When on the ground, the drive motor is powered off, the position sensor remains in working state, and the throttle shaft returns to the initial default position under the action of the return spring;

[0022] Turn the adjusting screw as needed until the throttle opening reaches the desired safe position;

[0023] The throttle opening in the safety position is written into the engine controller.

[0024] A method for adjusting the throttle opening of an electronic throttle with a fault redundancy function in a fault redundancy state: when a driving motor fails and loses power, it is in a free state; a return spring is used to control a large gear to rotate to a preset safe position; a position sensor measures the current position angle of a throttle shaft and outputs it to an engine controller; the engine controller controls the engine normally according to the received throttle opening information to ensure the normal flight of a UAV.

[0025] A method for adjusting the throttle opening of an electronic throttle with a fault redundancy function in a fault redundancy state: when a position sensor fails, the fault information is transmitted back to an engine controller; the engine controller controls the drive motor to cut off power and maintain a free state; the return spring is used to control the large gear to rotate to a preset safety position; the engine controller uses the preset safety position to control the engine to ensure the normal flight of the UAV.

[0026] Beneficial Effects

[0027] The beneficial effect of the present invention is that the present invention combines mechanical redundancy with an adjustable safety position, solving the core problem that the traditional electronic throttle cannot be flexibly controlled in the event of a failure. It has high reliability, ease of operation and environmental adaptability, and provides a breakthrough solution for the safety of UAV power systems.

[0028] 1. When the motor fails or the sensor fails, the present invention ensures that the throttle automatically resets to a preset opening (such as the middle position) through a mechanical return spring and an adjustable safety position design, thereby avoiding engine shutdown or overheating, significantly improving the fault tolerance of the UAV power system, and having a high-reliability fault redundancy function.

[0029] 2. The present invention can preset the safety opening according to different flight requirements (such as emergency hovering, return) by adjusting the cooperation between the screw and the locking spring. The safety position is flexibly adjustable, which solves the problem of engine stalling or overload caused by the fixed minimum / maximum opening in the traditional solution and has stronger adaptability.

[0030] 3. The mechanical structure (return spring, gear transmission) designed in the present invention operates independently of the electronic system. Even if the electronic control fails completely, the basic function of the throttle can still be guaranteed. It is suitable for harsh environments such as high temperature and vibration, and the system robustness is significantly improved.

[0031] 4. The safety position calibration of the present invention only requires rotating the adjustment screw and writing it into the controller during ground debugging, without the need for complex equipment or frequent maintenance, reducing the difficulty and cost of operation and maintenance. And through the automated fault recovery process (such as automatic power off and reset when the sensor fails), the need for manual intervention is reduced.

[0032] 5. The present invention uses a locking spring and a retaining spring to ensure that the position of the adjustment screw is fixed, which can effectively prevent the problem of safe opening deviation caused by vibration or impact, and has high stability in long-term use. The dynamic balance mechanism of the tension of the return spring takes into account both the control accuracy of normal operation and the rapid response in the event of a fault.

[0033] 6. The technical solution of the present invention is not only applicable to the field of UAVs, but can also be extended to other scenarios that require high-reliability throttle control (such as unmanned vehicles and industrial engines), and has universal application value. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 This is a front view of an electronic throttle with a fault redundancy function according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 This is a rear view of an electronic throttle with a fault redundancy function according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 3 It is a bottom view of an electronic throttle with a fault redundancy function in an embodiment of the present invention (without the cover plate);

[0037] Figure 4 It is a partial schematic diagram of a return spring of an electronic throttle with a fault redundancy function in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Explanation of the reference numerals: 1—throttle valve body, 2—butterfly piece, 3—position sensor, 4—drive motor, 5—motor bracket, 6—cover plate, 7—throttle shaft, 8—small gear, 9—large gear, 10—adjusting screw, 11—locking spring, 12—return spring, 13—circlip, 14—spring seat. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present invention, but should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0040] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0041] Based on the engine shutdown or overheating problem caused by the fixed return position (such as minimum / maximum opening) in the prior art, the present invention provides an electronic throttle with a fault redundancy function, including a throttle valve body and an opening control module and an adjustable mechanical redundancy module installed thereon. The throttle opening in a normal state is controlled by the opening control module, and the throttle opening in a fault state is controlled by the adjustable mechanical redundancy module; the adjustable mechanical redundancy module adjusts the throttle opening to a preset safe position by mechanical active control.

[0042] Preferably, the throttle valve body includes a throttle body and a throttle shaft, a butterfly plate, and a position sensor installed thereon. The butterfly plate is rotatably connected to the step hole of the throttle body through the throttle shaft. The position sensor is used to collect the opening of the butterfly plate and send the collected information to the engine controller to achieve closed-loop control.

[0043] Preferably, the opening control module includes a drive motor, a pinion and a gear. The gear is mounted on one end of the throttle shaft and meshes with a pinion mounted on the output shaft of the drive motor. The drive motor controls the rotation angle of the pinion and the gear, thereby controlling the rotation angle of the throttle shaft.

[0044] Preferably, the adjustable mechanical redundancy module is connected to the rotation center of the large gear, and can control the large gear to rotate to a preset safe position in a fault state, and write the safe position parameter into the engine controller to ensure that the controller uses this value to maintain power output in the event of a fault.

[0045] Preferably, the adjustable mechanical redundancy module includes a return spring and a dynamic balancing assembly; one end of the return spring is connected to the large gear, and the other end is connected to the actuator end of the dynamic balancing assembly; the initial tension of the return spring is adjusted by the dynamic balancing assembly to set the safe opening to which the electronic throttle is reset in the event of a fault.

[0046] Preferably, the dynamic balancing assembly includes an adjusting screw, a locking spring and a spring seat; the rod of the adjusting screw is provided with an external thread, which is screwed onto the throttle body through the thread, and the end of the adjusting screw is hinged to the return spring through the spring seat, and the head of the adjusting screw is located on the outside of the throttle body, and a locking spring is mounted on the rod between the adjusting screw and the throttle body; the spring seat is a circular ring structure mounted on the end of the adjusting screw, and the lug arranged on the outer periphery is hinged to the other end of the return spring, the spring seat and the adjusting screw are clearance-fitted, can rotate relative to each other, and the axial displacement of the spring seat when the adjusting screw rotates is limited by the retaining spring; by rotating the adjusting screw, the axial position of the spring seat is changed, thereby adjusting the initial tension of the return spring; by applying continuous axial pressure through the locking spring, it is ensured that the adjusting screw does not rotate or displace after setting.

[0047] The above technical solution is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples:

[0048] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 1 , 2 As shown, an electronic throttle with a fault redundancy function in this embodiment includes a throttle body 1, a butterfly piece 2, a position sensor 3, a drive motor 4, a motor bracket 5, and a cover plate 6. The butterfly piece 2 is installed in the step hole of the throttle body 1 through the throttle shaft 7, the position sensor 3 is installed on the flange at the top of the throttle body 1, the drive motor 4 is installed on the throttle body 1 through the motor bracket 5, and the cover plate 6 is encapsulated at the opening end of the cavity of the throttle body 1 where the pinion 8 and the large gear 9 are installed.

[0049] Specifically, the throttle body of the throttle valve body 1 is the main housing, and the butterfly plate 2 is used to adjust the air flow entering the engine, thereby achieving engine power control.

[0050] Specifically, the position sensor 3 is used to detect the position of the butterfly piece 2 and transmit the position signal to the engine controller.

[0051] Specifically, the driving motor 3 provides rotational power to adjust the position of the butterfly plate 2 and is installed on the housing below the throttle valve body 1 through the motor bracket 5.

[0052] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 3 , 4As shown, a pinion 8, a large gear 9, an adjusting screw 10, a locking spring 11, a return spring 12, a retaining spring 13, and a spring seat 14 are installed in the lower cavity of the throttle valve body 1. The pinion 8 is installed on the output shaft of the driving motor, and the large gear 9 is installed on one end of the throttle shaft 7 and meshes with the pinion 8; the adjusting screw 10 is screwed on the cavity wall below the throttle valve body 1 through a thread, and a step mechanism is provided at the end thereof, and a spring seat 14 is mounted on the step surface, and the axial displacement of the spring seat 14 is limited by the retaining spring 13 and the step surface; the outer periphery of the spring seat 14 is connected to the return spring 12 by setting a lug; one end of the return spring 12 is connected to the large gear 9, and the other end is connected to the lug of the return spring 12; the locking spring 11 is mounted between the head of the adjusting screw 10 and the cavity wall of the throttle valve body 1.

[0053] Specifically, the spring seat 14 and the end of the adjusting screw 10 are clearance-matched, and the spring seat 14 will not rotate with the adjusting screw 10 to prevent the return spring 12 from twisting. The axial position of the spring seat 14 is fixed by the circlip 13 and the step on the adjusting screw 10, so that the spring seat 14 moves up and down with the adjusting screw 10 ( Figure 3 view direction) movement.

[0054] Specifically, the locking spring 11 ensures that the adjusting screw 10 is always in a tightened state and will not become loose or displaced due to vibration.

[0055] In one embodiment, a method for adjusting the throttle opening of an electronic throttle with a fault redundancy function under normal working conditions comprises the following specific steps:

[0056] Step 1: Collect the current position angle of the throttle shaft through the position sensor to determine the position of the butterfly;

[0057] Step 2: Determine the rotation direction and angle of the drive motor by comparing the preset throttle opening with the current throttle opening position;

[0058] Step 3: The driving motor overcomes the elastic force of the return spring and drives the small gear and the large gear to rotate at the same time. The large gear then drives the throttle shaft and the butterfly plate to rotate to complete the opening adjustment.

[0059] Step 4: The position sensor is used to detect the butterfly valve opening in real time. When the preset opening is reached, the throttle valve opening control is completed and the engine works normally.

[0060] In one embodiment, a method for adjusting a safe position of an electronic throttle with a fault redundancy function is provided. The safe position refers to a preset throttle opening that can ensure the safety of the drone and prevent it from stalling when an abnormal situation occurs, such as when the throttle opening cannot be adjusted, while ensuring that the engine does not overheat during long-term operation. The size of the safe position is obtained through flight experience and design experience, and theoretically only needs to be set once. The specific steps are as follows:

[0061] Step 1: When on the ground, turn off the power to the drive motor, keep the position sensor in working state, and the throttle shaft returns to the initial default position under the action of the return spring;

[0062] Step 2: Turn the adjusting screw as needed until the throttle opening reaches the desired safe position;

[0063] Step 3: Write the throttle opening of the safety position into the engine controller.

[0064] Technical principle: The spring seat position is moved up and down by rotating the adjusting screw, thereby changing the initial position of the return spring. When the drive motor is powered off, the large gear will rotate to the equilibrium position under the action of the spring force, which is the above-mentioned safe position.

[0065] In one embodiment, a method for adjusting the throttle opening of an electronic throttle with a fault redundancy function in a fault redundancy state: when the drive motor fails and loses power, it is in a free state; the return spring controls the large gear to rotate to a preset safe position (balance position); at the same time, the position sensor measures the current position angle of the throttle shaft and outputs it to the engine controller; the engine controller controls the engine normally according to the received throttle opening information to ensure the normal flight of the UAV.

[0066] In one embodiment, a method for adjusting the throttle opening of an electronic throttle with a fault redundancy function in a fault redundancy state: when the position sensor fails (the collected amount exceeds the maximum or minimum range, etc.), the fault information is transmitted back to the engine controller; the engine controller controls the drive motor to cut off power and maintain a free state; the return spring is used to control the large gear to rotate to a preset safety position (balance position); the engine controller uses the preset safety position to control the engine to ensure the normal flight of the UAV.

[0067] Safety Warning

[0068] This mechanism is an electronic throttle with a fault redundancy function. Before use, the safety position must be preset according to the needs of the drone to avoid the safety redundancy function being invalid.

[0069] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and are not to be construed as limitations on the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention without departing from the principles and purpose of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electronic throttle with fault redundancy function, characterized in that: It includes a throttle valve body and an opening control module and an adjustable mechanical redundancy module installed thereon, wherein the opening control module controls the throttle opening in a normal state, and the adjustable mechanical redundancy module controls the throttle opening in a fault state; The adjustable mechanical redundancy module adjusts the throttle opening to a preset safety position by means of mechanical active control.

2. The electronic throttle with fault redundancy function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The throttle valve body includes a throttle body and a throttle shaft, a butterfly plate, and a position sensor installed thereon. The butterfly plate is rotatably connected to the step hole of the throttle body through the throttle shaft. The position sensor is used to collect the opening of the butterfly plate and send the collected information to the engine controller to achieve closed-loop control.

3. The electronic throttle with fault redundancy function according to claim 2, characterized in that: The opening control module includes a drive motor, a pinion and a gear. The gear is mounted on one end of the throttle shaft and meshes with a pinion mounted on the output shaft of the drive motor. The drive motor controls the rotation angles of the pinion and the gear, thereby controlling the rotation angle of the throttle shaft.

4. The electronic throttle with fault redundancy function according to claim 3, characterized in that: The adjustable mechanical redundancy module is connected to the rotation center of the large gear, and can control the large gear to rotate to a preset safe position in a fault state, and write the safe position parameter into the engine controller to ensure that the controller uses this value to maintain power output in the event of a fault.

5. The electronic throttle with fault redundancy function according to claim 4, characterized in that: The adjustable mechanical redundancy module includes a return spring and a dynamic balancing component; one end of the return spring is connected to the large gear, and the other end is connected to the execution end of the dynamic balancing component; the initial tension of the return spring is adjusted by the dynamic balancing component to set the safe opening to which the electronic throttle is reset in the event of a fault.

6. The electronic throttle with fault redundancy function according to claim 5, characterized in that: The dynamic balancing assembly includes an adjusting screw, a locking spring and a spring seat; the rod of the adjusting screw is provided with an external thread, which is screwed onto the throttle body through the thread, and the end of the adjusting screw is hinged to the return spring through the spring seat, and the head of the adjusting screw is located outside the throttle body, and a locking spring is mounted on the rod between the adjusting screw and the throttle body; the spring seat is a circular ring structure mounted on the end of the adjusting screw, and the lug arranged on the outer periphery is hinged to the other end of the return spring, the spring seat and the adjusting screw are clearance-matched, can rotate relative to each other, and the axial displacement of the spring seat when the adjusting screw rotates is limited by the retaining spring; by rotating the adjusting screw, the axial position of the spring seat is changed, thereby adjusting the initial tension of the return spring; by applying continuous axial pressure through the locking spring, it is ensured that the adjusting screw does not rotate or displace after setting.

7. A method for adjusting the throttle opening of the electronic throttle with fault redundancy function as claimed in claim 6 under normal working conditions, characterized in that The specific steps are as follows: The current position angle of the throttle shaft is collected by the position sensor to determine the position of the butterfly plate; By comparing the preset throttle opening with the current throttle opening position, the rotation direction and angle of the drive motor are determined; The driving motor overcomes the elastic force of the return spring and drives the small gear and the large gear to rotate at the same time, and then the large gear drives the throttle shaft and the butterfly plate to rotate to complete the opening adjustment; The butterfly valve opening is detected in real time by the position sensor. When the preset opening is reached, the throttle opening control is completed and the engine works normally.

8. A method for adjusting a safe position of an electronic throttle with a fault redundancy function as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that The specific steps are as follows: When on the ground, the drive motor is powered off, the position sensor remains in working state, and the throttle shaft returns to the initial default position under the action of the return spring; Turn the adjusting screw as needed until the throttle opening reaches the desired safe position; The throttle opening in the safety position is written into the engine controller.

9. A method for adjusting the throttle opening of the electronic throttle with fault redundancy function in a fault redundancy state as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: When the drive motor fails and loses power, it is in a free state; the return spring controls the large gear to rotate to a preset safe position; at the same time, the position sensor measures the current position angle of the throttle shaft and outputs it to the engine controller; the engine controller controls the engine normally according to the received throttle opening information to ensure the normal flight of the UAV.

10. A method for adjusting the throttle opening of the electronic throttle with fault redundancy function according to claim 6 in a fault redundancy state, characterized in that: When the position sensor fails, the fault information is transmitted back to the engine controller; the engine controller controls the drive motor to cut off power and maintain a free state; the return spring controls the large gear to rotate to a preset safe position; the engine controller uses the preset safe position to control the engine to ensure the normal flight of the UAV.

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