Control system for simulating real-time propeller blade attitude motion

Abstract

The invention provides a control system for simulating real-time propeller blade attitude motion, which comprises a test bench, an electric control cabinet and a control board which are interconnected through a CAN (Controller Area Network) bus, the test bench comprises a power motor, a variable pitch motor, a position encoder, a tension sensor and a proximity switch; the electric control cabinet comprises a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller); a power supply and a motor driver; the console comprises a control handle, a control switch, a buzzer, an indicating lamp and a PC terminal display interface. According to the invention, through dual-mode cooperative control of the power motor and the variable pitch motor, dominant control variables can be switched according to a test scene, the strong coupling problem of torque-rotating speed-pitch angle in a dynamic simulation test of the propeller is solved, and a solution is provided for real-time dynamic simulation of the variable pitch propeller.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of simulation technology, and in particular to a control system for simulating real-time propeller blade attitude motion. Background Art

[0002] As a key propulsion component for fixed-wing aircraft, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, and specialized aircraft, propellers' aerodynamic efficiency directly impacts an aircraft's fuel economy (which can be improved by 15%-30%), take-off and landing distance (reduced by 20%-40%), and maneuverability. Modern high-performance propellers commonly utilize real-time variable pitch technology (such as constant-speed pitch and reverse pitch), dynamically adjusting the blade angle of attack during flight to ensure the engine always operates within the optimal power range. However, the implementation of this technology relies on the blade's dynamic response accuracy under complex aerodynamic loads, placing extremely high demands on the blade's structural strength, fatigue life, and control algorithms. Therefore, it is particularly important to simulate and control the propeller blade's attitude motion to test performance.

[0003] Existing propeller test benches are mostly limited to static tensile testing (such as the JC-100 tensile test bench), which cannot simulate the coupling of alternating aerodynamic loads (such as eddy current impact and flutter) and centrifugal force during flight. In particular, for variable pitch systems, there is no test equipment that supports real-time pitch adjustment and synchronous simulation of rotational motion. As a result, the dynamic stress distribution and vibration mode of the blades cannot be verified by actual measurement; the reliability of the variable pitch mechanism (such as actuator life and bearing wear) can only rely on theoretical calculations; and the control algorithm (such as PID parameter tuning) lacks a ground closed-loop verification environment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention is made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a control system for simulating real-time propeller blade attitude motion. Through dual-mode collaborative control of the power motor and the variable pitch motor, the dominant control variable can be switched according to the test scenario, thereby solving the problem of strong coupling of "torque-speed-pitch angle" in the dynamic simulation test of the propeller, and providing a solution for the real-time dynamic simulation of the variable pitch propeller.

[0005] Specifically, a first aspect of the present invention provides a control system for simulating real-time propeller blade attitude motion, comprising: The test bench, electric control cabinet and operating console are interconnected via CAN bus; The test bench includes: a power motor for driving the propeller to simulate rotational motion, a variable pitch motor for adjusting the pitch angle of the propeller blades, a position encoder, a tension sensor and a proximity switch; The electric control cabinet includes: a PLC controller that receives console commands and test bench sensor data via the CAN bus and performs coordinated control of the power motor and the variable pitch motor; a power supply and a motor driver; The control console includes: a control handle, a control switch, a buzzer, an indicator light and a PC display interface.

[0006] The position encoder is used to measure the motor speed (RPM) and rotation angle in real time at the power motor end, and to accurately detect pitch angle changes at the variable pitch motor end; the tension sensor is used to measure the thrust / pull generated by the propeller; and the proximity switch is used to detect whether the blade rotation range exceeds the limit to prevent the blade from colliding with the test stand.

[0007] The motor driver receives PLC instructions, drives the motor to operate in the target mode (torque / speed / position mode), and transmits the motor's current, temperature data, and fault code back to the PLC. The power supply provides a stable DC bus voltage for the motor driver.

[0008] Furthermore, the PLC controller determines the flight phase of the aircraft based on the operating handle and the operating switch.

[0009] Furthermore, the aircraft flight phases include standby, takeoff preparation, liftoff, cruising, descent, landing reverse thrust, and stop.

[0010] The PLC controller's judgment of the aircraft flight phase is shown in Table 1 below: Table 1. Flight phase correspondence table

[0011] The joystick of this invention uses a single-axis Hall effect damping handle. The handle's neutral position is defined as 1B (with a noticeable gear shifting sensation). Upward is the positive direction, the highest position is 2nd gear, downward is the negative direction, and the lowest position is -1st gear. The handle can remain in a fixed position. The normally open position of the joystick is defined as 0th gear, and the closed position is defined as 1A.

[0012] Furthermore, the coordinated control of the power motor and the variable pitch motor includes the following two control modes: Mode 1: The power motor adopts torque control mode, and the variable pitch motor adopts position control mode. The power motor determines the output torque according to the handle opening, and the variable pitch motor determines the position change according to the power motor torque and actual parameter requirements to perform real-time PID adjustment. The handle is a self-resetting handle and will output different signals in different positions.

[0013] When the handle opening changes, the force on the blades changes due to the change in the power motor torque, and the power motor speed will change. For example, in the lifting stage, the torque becomes larger. Since the resistance remains unchanged, the motor speed will increase. Under the conventional control strategy, the power motor speed is required to remain unchanged. At this time, the variable pitch motor follows the set required speed as the target, and adjusts the pitch angle in real time based on the PID algorithm to increase the blade resistance, thereby reducing the power motor speed and achieving coordinated control.

[0014] This mode is used to simulate actual flight process control.

[0015] Mode 2: The power motor adopts speed control mode, and the variable pitch motor adopts position control mode. The variable pitch motor determines the position change according to the handle opening, and the power motor determines the speed change according to the variable pitch motor position and speed requirement parameters for real-time PID adjustment.

[0016] The handle output is the same as mode 1. In control mode 2, different handle openings directly correspond to the corresponding pitch angles. During operation, due to changes in the pitch angle and blade resistance, the blade speed will change. The power motor follows the required speed based on the PID algorithm to maintain the blade speed.

[0017] This mode does not simulate the actual flight process, but can be used to test the characteristics of the active blade changes.

[0018] The motor's speed control, torque control (torque control), and position control are the three basic control modes of the servo system. The control goal of the speed control mode is to control the motor's rotational angular velocity, the control goal of the torque control mode is to control the motor's output torque, and the control goal of the position control mode is to control the motor's rotation angle.

[0019] The selection of the two cooperative control modes of the present invention is based on the priority requirements of thrust or speed in the current test phase. If thrust is prioritized, mode one is selected, and if speed is prioritized, mode two is selected.

[0020] Furthermore, the control handle is provided with: a neutral 1B gear, a forward 2 gear and a reverse -1 gear.

[0021] Furthermore, the operating handle and the operating switch are provided with a safety interlock function, specifically: when the operating switch is adjusted to the closed position, it automatically detects whether the handle is in the middle position 1B, and if not, the motor is not allowed to start.

[0022] Furthermore, the system also includes a three-level fault protection strategy: Warning level: trigger conditions include motor temperature or torque exceeding the first threshold, indicating abnormality on the display but not interrupting operation; Alarm level, trigger conditions include motor temperature or torque exceeding the second threshold, prohibiting dangerous actions and triggering audible and visual alarms; Cut-off level, triggered by loss of system heartbeat or electrical short circuit, immediately shuts down and reduces motor speed to zero.

[0023] For early warning level faults, the trigger conditions include the motor temperature or torque exceeding the first threshold, a warning indication is displayed on the display, and the warning point is prompted, and the action is not cut off; For alarm-level faults, the trigger conditions include the motor temperature or torque exceeding the second threshold. An alarm indication is displayed on the monitor, and the alarm point is prompted. At this time, dangerous actions (such as motor acceleration and deceleration operations) are prohibited, and a buzzer alarm and warning light prompt are issued.

[0024] For a cut-off level fault, the triggering conditions include loss of system heartbeat or electrical short circuit. The display shows a cut-off indication, prompting the fault point, and sends a command to stop the action, and the motor speed drops to 0 rpm.

[0025] Furthermore, the display interface is used to dynamically display the speed-torque curve and the pitch angle-thrust curve, and provides sub-interfaces for parameter setting, sensor calibration, system self-test status display and alarm history query.

[0026] Furthermore, the system also includes a self-check function, specifically real-time monitoring of each sensor and device. Before simulation, the system needs to pass self-check, and simulation can only be carried out if the self-check is normal.

[0027] The system uses real-time self-checking to monitor various sensors, equipment and other components in real time. The monitoring scope includes all components of the system, including but not limited to power motors, variable pitch motors, display circuits and displays, encoders, power supplies, and controllers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present drawings or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present drawings. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0029] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a control flow chart of Mode 1 of the collaborative control of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a control flow chart of Mode 2 of the collaborative control of the present invention.

[0030] The purpose, features and advantages of this drawing will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in conjunction with the embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is described and illustrated below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Based on the embodiments provided by the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] Obviously, the drawings described below are merely examples or embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can apply the present invention to other similar scenarios based on these drawings without inventive effort. Furthermore, it is understood that while the effort involved in such a development process may be complex and lengthy, for those skilled in the art related to the disclosure of the present invention, any design, manufacturing, or production changes based on the technical content disclosed in the present invention are merely conventional technical means and should not be construed as an inadequacy of the disclosure of the present invention.

[0033] Unless otherwise specified, all embodiments and optional embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other to form new technical solutions.

[0034] Unless otherwise specified, all technical features and optional technical features of the present invention can be combined with each other to form a new technical solution.

[0035] Unless otherwise specified, all steps of the present invention may be performed sequentially or randomly, preferably sequentially. For example, the method includes steps (a) and (b), which means that the method may include steps (a) and (b) performed sequentially, or may include steps (b) and (a) performed sequentially. For example, the method may further include step (c), which means that step (c) may be added to the method in any order, for example, the method may include steps (a), (b) and (c), or may include steps (a), (c) and (b), or may include steps (c), (a) and (b), etc.

[0036] Unless otherwise specified, the terms "include" and "comprising" used in the present invention may be open-ended or closed-ended. For example, "include" and "comprising" may mean that other components not listed may also be included or that only the listed components are included.

[0037] Unless otherwise specified, the term "or" is inclusive in this disclosure. For example, the phrase "A or B" means "A, B, or both A and B." More specifically, the condition "A or B" is satisfied if any of the following conditions are met: A is true (or exists) and B is false (or does not exist); A is false (or does not exist) and B is true (or exists); or both A and B are true (or exist).

[0038] In this embodiment, Figure 1 As shown, a control system for simulating real-time propeller blade attitude motion includes: The test bench, electric control cabinet and operating console are interconnected via CAN bus; The test bench includes: a power motor for driving the propeller to simulate rotational motion, a variable pitch motor for adjusting the pitch angle of the propeller blades, a position encoder, a tension sensor, and a proximity switch; The electric control cabinet includes: a PLC controller that receives console commands and test bench sensor data via the CAN bus to coordinately control the power motor and variable pitch motor; a power supply and motor driver; The control panel includes: control handle, control switch, buzzer, indicator light and PC display interface.

[0039] The position encoder is used to measure the motor speed (RPM) and rotation angle in real time at the power motor end, and to accurately detect pitch angle changes at the variable pitch motor end; the tension sensor is used to measure the thrust / pull generated by the propeller; and the proximity switch is used to detect whether the blade rotation range exceeds the limit to prevent the blade from colliding with the test stand.

[0040] The motor driver receives PLC instructions, drives the motor to operate in the target mode (torque / speed / position mode), and transmits the motor's current, temperature data, and fault code back to the PLC. The power supply provides a stable DC bus voltage for the motor driver.

[0041] Furthermore, the PLC controller determines the flight phase of the aircraft based on the control handle and the control switch.

[0042] Furthermore, the aircraft flight phases include standby, takeoff preparation, liftoff, cruise, descent, landing reverse thrust, and stop.

[0043] The PLC controller's judgment of the aircraft flight phase is shown in Table 1 below: Table 1. Flight phase correspondence table

[0044] The joystick of this invention uses a single-axis Hall effect damping handle. The handle's neutral position is defined as 1B (with a noticeable gear shifting sensation). Upward is the positive direction, the highest position is 2nd gear, downward is the negative direction, and the lowest position is -1st gear. The handle can remain in a fixed position. The normally open position of the joystick is defined as 0th gear, and the closed position is defined as 1A.

[0045] Furthermore, the power motor and the variable pitch motor are controlled in a coordinated manner, including the following two control modes: Mode 1: The power motor adopts torque control mode, and the variable pitch motor adopts position control mode. The power motor determines the output torque according to the handle opening, and the variable pitch motor determines the position change according to the power motor torque and actual parameter requirements to perform real-time PID adjustment. The handle is a self-reset handle and will output different signals at different positions. In this embodiment, the self-reset position is set to 300, the highest setting in the positive direction is 1000, and the highest setting in the negative direction is 0.

[0046] In this embodiment, a dead zone of 50 is set, 275-325 is judged as the handle 1B state, 0-275 is set to -1 gear, the smaller the value, the larger the negative torque setting value, 325-950 is set to the lifting / falling gear, and the larger the torque value is determined according to the opening, the larger the positive torque setting value is, and 950-1000 is set to 2 gear, at which time the positive torque is the largest.

[0047] When the handle opening changes, the force on the blades changes due to the change in the power motor torque, and the power motor speed will change. For example, in the lifting stage, the torque becomes larger. Since the resistance remains unchanged, the motor speed will increase. Under the conventional control strategy, the power motor speed is required to remain unchanged. At this time, the variable pitch motor follows the set required speed as the target, and adjusts the pitch angle in real time based on the PID algorithm to increase the blade resistance, thereby reducing the power motor speed and achieving coordinated control.

[0048] This mode is used to simulate actual flight process control.

[0049] The control flow chart of mode 1 is as follows Figure 2 As shown, the enabling starts, that is, the motor enters the enabling state and can respond to external commands and perform actions; the system self-checks and checks whether the handle position and knob position are normal. If abnormal, a corresponding alarm is issued according to the three-level fault protection strategy; the power motor adopts the torque control mode, determines the output torque according to the handle opening, and detects whether the thrust and speed after control are within the preset range. If not, the variable pitch motor determines the position change according to the power motor torque and actual parameter requirements to perform real-time PID adjustment until the preset torque is output.

[0050] Mode 2: The power motor adopts speed control mode, and the variable pitch motor adopts position control mode. The variable pitch motor determines the position change according to the handle opening, and the power motor determines the speed change according to the variable pitch motor position and speed requirement parameters for real-time PID adjustment.

[0051] The handle output is the same as mode 1. In control mode 2, different handle openings directly correspond to the corresponding pitch angles. During operation, due to changes in the pitch angle and blade resistance, the blade speed will change. The power motor follows the required speed based on the PID algorithm to maintain the blade speed.

[0052] This mode does not simulate the actual flight process, but can be used to test the characteristics of the active blade changes.

[0053] The control flow chart of mode 2 is as follows Figure 3 As shown, the enabling starts, that is, the motor enters the enabling state and can respond to external commands and perform actions; the system self-checks and checks whether the handle position and knob position are normal. If abnormal, a corresponding alarm is issued according to the three-level fault protection strategy; the variable pitch motor adopts the position control mode, and the corresponding pitch angle corresponds to the handle opening, which brings about changes in thrust and speed. After the change, the power motor is compared to see whether it reaches the required speed. If not, the power motor determines the speed change according to the variable pitch motor position and speed requirement parameters to perform real-time PID adjustment until the power motor speed reaches the requirement, and detects whether the current position meets the requirement. If not, the variable pitch motor is readjusted.

[0054] The motor's speed control, torque control (torque control), and position control are the three basic control modes of the servo system. The control goal of the speed control mode is to control the motor's rotational angular velocity, the control goal of the torque control mode is to control the motor's output torque, and the control goal of the position control mode is to control the motor's rotation angle.

[0055] The selection of the two cooperative control modes of the present invention is based on the priority requirements of thrust or speed in the current test phase. If thrust is prioritized, mode one is selected, and if speed is prioritized, mode two is selected.

[0056] Furthermore, the operating handle is provided with: neutral 1B gear, forward 2 gears and reverse -1 gear.

[0057] Furthermore, the operating handle and the operating switch are provided with a safety interlock function, specifically: when the operating switch is adjusted to the closed position, it automatically detects whether the handle is in the middle position 1B, and if not, the motor is not allowed to start.

[0058] Furthermore, the system also includes a three-level fault protection strategy: Warning level: trigger conditions include motor temperature or torque exceeding the first threshold, indicating abnormality on the display but not interrupting operation; Alarm level, trigger conditions include motor temperature or torque exceeding the second threshold, prohibiting dangerous actions and triggering audible and visual alarms; Cut-off level, triggered by loss of system heartbeat or electrical short circuit, immediately shuts down and reduces motor speed to zero.

[0059] For early warning level faults, the trigger conditions include the motor temperature or torque exceeding the first threshold, a warning indication is displayed on the display, and the warning point is prompted, and the action is not cut off; For alarm-level faults, the trigger conditions include the motor temperature or torque exceeding the second threshold. An alarm indication is displayed on the monitor, and the alarm point is prompted. At this time, dangerous actions (such as motor acceleration and deceleration operations) are prohibited, and a buzzer alarm and warning light prompt are issued.

[0060] For a cut-off level fault, the triggering conditions include loss of system heartbeat or electrical short circuit. The display shows a cut-off indication, prompting the fault point, and sends a command to stop the action, and the motor speed drops to 0 rpm.

[0061] Furthermore, the display interface is used to dynamically display the speed-torque curve and the pitch angle-thrust curve, and provides sub-interfaces for parameter setting, sensor calibration, system self-test status display and alarm history query.

[0062] Furthermore, the system also includes a self-test function, which specifically monitors each sensor and device in real time. Before simulation, the system must pass self-test, and simulation can only be carried out if the self-test shows that it is normal.

[0063] The system uses real-time self-checking to monitor various sensors, equipment and other components in real time. The monitoring scope includes all components of the system, including but not limited to power motors, variable pitch motors, display circuits and displays, encoders, power supplies, and controllers.

[0064] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. The above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples, and any embodiments having substantially the same structure and effect as the technical concept within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention are all included in the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, without departing from the scope of the present invention, other embodiments that can be conceived by those skilled in the art and that combine some of the constituent elements in the embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control system for simulating real-time propeller blade attitude motion, characterized in that: include: The test bench, electric control cabinet and operating console are interconnected via CAN bus; The test bench includes: a power motor for driving the propeller to simulate rotational motion, a variable pitch motor for adjusting the pitch angle of the propeller blades, a position encoder, a tension sensor and a proximity switch; The electric control cabinet includes: a PLC controller that receives console commands and test bench sensor data via the CAN bus and performs coordinated control of the power motor and the variable pitch motor; a power supply and a motor driver; The control console includes: a control handle, a control switch, a buzzer, an indicator light and a PC display interface.

2. A control system for simulating real-time propeller blade attitude motion according to claim 1, characterized in that: The PLC controller is used to determine the flight phase of the aircraft based on the operating handle and the operating switch.

3. A control system for simulating real-time propeller blade attitude motion according to claim 2, characterized in that: The aircraft flight phases include standby, takeoff preparation, takeoff, cruising, descent, landing reverse thrust, and stop.

4. A control system for simulating real-time propeller blade attitude motion according to claim 1, characterized in that: The coordinated control of the power motor and the variable pitch motor includes the following two control modes: Mode 1: The power motor adopts torque control mode, and the variable pitch motor adopts position control mode. The power motor determines the output torque according to the handle opening, and the variable pitch motor determines the position change according to the power motor torque and actual parameter requirements to perform real-time PID adjustment. Mode 2: The power motor adopts speed control mode, and the variable pitch motor adopts position control mode. The variable pitch motor determines the position change according to the handle opening, and the power motor determines the speed change according to the variable pitch motor position and speed requirement parameters for real-time PID adjustment.

5. A control system for simulating real-time propeller blade attitude motion according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control handle is provided with: a neutral position 1B gear, a forward 2 gear and a reverse -1 gear.

6. A control system for simulating real-time propeller blade attitude motion according to claim 1, characterized in that: The operating handle and the operating switch are provided with a safety interlock function, specifically: when the operating switch is adjusted to the closed position, it automatically detects whether the handle is in the middle position 1B, and if not, the motor is not allowed to start.

7. A control system for simulating real-time propeller blade attitude motion according to claim 1, characterized in that: The system also includes a three-level fault protection strategy: Warning level: trigger conditions include motor temperature or torque exceeding the first threshold, indicating abnormality on the display but not interrupting operation; Alarm level, trigger conditions include motor temperature or torque exceeding the second threshold, prohibiting dangerous actions and triggering audible and visual alarms; Cut-off level, triggered by loss of system heartbeat or electrical short circuit, immediately shuts down and reduces motor speed to zero.

8. The control system for simulating real-time propeller blade attitude motion according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display interface is used to dynamically display the speed-torque curve and the pitch angle-thrust curve, and provides sub-interfaces for parameter setting, sensor calibration, system self-test status display and alarm history query.

9. The control system for simulating real-time propeller blade attitude motion according to claim 1, characterized in that: The system also includes a self-check function, specifically real-time monitoring of each sensor and device. Before simulation, the system must pass self-check, and simulation can only be carried out if the self-check is normal.

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