Front wheel turning system and front wheel turning control method for keeping ground taxiing course of airplane

Abstract

The invention discloses a front wheel turning system and a front wheel turning control method for keeping the ground taxiing course of an aircraft, which can detect taxiing deviation of the aircraft and realize automatic correction of tiny and continuous deviation by adjusting a front wheel turning angle aiming at tiny disturbance occurring in medium-low-speed ground taxiing, so that the control load of a pilot can be reduced. The front wheel turning system (100) can control the taxiing direction of an aircraft by selectively adopting an active deviation correction mode for actively correcting the deviation of the front wheels and an automatic deviation correction mode for autonomously correcting the deviation of the front wheels, and the front wheel turning system (100) can control the taxiing direction of the aircraft in a taxiing stage when the current taxiing speed of the aircraft is smaller than a specified speed value. And under the condition that no turning instruction active control input exists, deviation caused by external disturbance to linear sliding of the aircraft in the sliding stage of the aircraft is automatically compensated, and linear running of the aircraft is kept by controlling the turning angle of the front wheel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the technical field of aircraft nose wheel steering control, and more specifically to a nose wheel steering system and nose wheel steering control method for maintaining the ground taxiing heading of an aircraft. Background Technology

[0002] Typically, during low- to medium-speed taxiing on the ground, pilots need to precisely control the aircraft's direction to keep it along a predetermined path (such as the taxiway or runway centerline). However, in actual operation, various external disturbances, such as crosswinds, runway unevenness, and potential trim deviations in the nose wheel steering system itself, can cause the aircraft to deviate from the intended taxiing line. In such cases, pilots need to make frequent adjustments to keep the aircraft taxiing in a straight line, which significantly increases the pilot's operational burden.

[0003] Furthermore, traditional aircraft ground taxiing relies primarily on manual control by the pilot using the nose wheel steering handwheel or rudder pedals. To cope with the aforementioned yaw disturbances, the pilot needs to continuously apply the rudder or turn the handwheel to make fine adjustments to the heading, which undoubtedly increases their workload, especially during long taxiing trips or in complex airport environments (such as crosswinds). Additionally, while aircraft are typically equipped with trim systems to reduce pilot workload, these systems are mainly used to counteract unbalanced forces during flight; the correction of directional deviations during ground taxiing still requires pilot intervention.

[0004] Patent document CN10464863A discloses a method for guiding an aircraft along a fixed heading on the ground using an airport ILS beam, thereby achieving automatic centering and ground guidance for the aircraft on the runway. However, this method requires support from airport equipment and cannot be used at airports that do not meet the requirements, resulting in poor versatility.

[0005] Therefore, developing a technology to maintain the heading of an aircraft during ground taxiing without requiring specific equipment support from the airport, and which can give the aircraft limited authority to automatically correct minor disturbances such as sideslip disturbances that occur during low-to-medium speed ground taxiing, has become an urgent technical problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure is made to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art. Its purpose is to provide a nose wheel turning system and nose wheel turning control method for maintaining the ground taxiing heading of an aircraft. It can detect the aircraft's taxiing deviation and automatically correct minor, persistent deviations by adjusting the nose wheel turning angle for minor disturbances that occur during low-to-medium speed ground taxiing, thereby reducing the pilot's control load.

[0007] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, this disclosure provides a nose wheel steering system for maintaining the ground taxiing heading of an aircraft. This system can control the aircraft's taxiing direction by selectively employing an active correction mode (actively correcting the nose wheel) and an automatic correction mode (autonomously correcting the nose wheel). The system is characterized in that, during taxiing phases where the aircraft's current taxiing speed is less than a predetermined speed value, and without any active control input of a turning command, the nose wheel steering system automatically compensates for deviations caused by external disturbances during the taxiing phase, maintaining the aircraft's straight-line taxiing by controlling the nose wheel turning angle.

[0008] Preferably, the nose wheel steering system includes: a steering controller for determining which mode, the active correction mode or the automatic correction mode, is used to control the nose wheel steering of the aircraft and how; and a steering command input unit for inputting steering commands to the steering controller. The steering command input unit inputs received pedal steering command signals representing the amount of nose wheel steering generated by rudder pedals, handwheel steering command signals representing the amount of nose wheel steering generated by handwheel rotation, and automatic flight steering command signals representing the amount of nose wheel steering generated by autonomous control of the aircraft to the steering controller. The steering controller superimposes the received pedal steering command signals, handwheel steering command signals, and automatic flight steering command signals into a superimposed command signal representing a superimposed steering angle α. The active control input without steering commands includes a complete absence of active control input, where the nose wheel steering handwheel and pedals are fully released and there is no automatic flight steering command input. That is, the superimposed steering angle α represented by the superimposed command signal is a specified maximum permissible entry angle value ±β that allows the steering controller to control the aircraft in the automatic correction mode. min Within.

[0009] The front wheel steering system further includes: a taxi speed input unit for inputting a taxi speed signal representing the current taxi speed of the aircraft to the steering controller; a magnetic heading angle input unit for inputting a magnetic heading angle signal representing the current magnetic heading angle of the aircraft to the steering controller; and a front wheel steering mechanism for steering the front wheels.

[0010] Preferably, the turning controller includes a command judgment unit, an automatic correction mode activation unit, a magnetic heading deviation angle conversion unit, and a turning closed-loop control law module. The command judgment unit checks whether the superimposed turning angle α represented by the superimposed command signal is less than or equal to the specified maximum permissible entry angle value |±β|. min |, i.e., -β min ≤α≤+β min The determination is made that the superimposed turning angle α represented by the superimposed command signal is greater than the maximum allowable entry angle value, that is, α > + β. min or α < -βmin If the automatic correction mode is not allowed, then the active correction mode will be entered. This is because the superimposed turning angle α represented by the superimposed command signal is less than or equal to the maximum allowable entry angle value, i.e., -β. min ≤α≤+β min At this point, automatic course correction mode is allowed, but the automatic course correction mode activation unit further determines whether to activate the automatic course correction mode or disable the active course correction mode and enter active course correction mode based on the taxi speed signal input by the taxi speed input unit, the magnetic heading deviation angle calculated by the magnetic heading angle input unit based on the current magnetic heading angle of the aircraft input unit, and the automatic course correction command converted by the magnetic heading deviation angle by the magnetic heading deviation angle conversion unit.

[0011] In the active correction mode described above, the turn controller processes the received pedal turn command signal, handwheel turn command signal, and automatic flight turn command signal to form an active correction command. Additionally, in the automatic correction mode described above, the turn controller, based on the magnetic heading angle signal representing the aircraft's current magnetic heading angle from the magnetic heading angle input unit, and recording the initial magnetic heading angle at the moment of entering the automatic correction mode, calculates the deviation between the real-time magnetic heading angle and the initial magnetic heading angle as the magnetic heading deviation angle. The magnetic heading deviation angle is then converted into an automatic correction command by the magnetic heading deviation angle conversion unit. The turn closed-loop control law module generates a control command to activate the turn control valve based on the difference between the active correction command or the automatic correction command and the turn feedback signal fed back to the turn controller by the front wheel steering mechanism, thereby achieving closed-loop control of the front wheel steering mechanism.

[0012] This disclosure also provides a nose wheel steering control method, executed by a nose wheel steering system for maintaining the aircraft's ground taxiing heading. The method controls the aircraft's taxiing direction by selectively employing an active correction mode that actively corrects the nose wheel's steering and an automatic correction mode that autonomously corrects the nose wheel's steering. Its characteristic feature is that...

[0013] The nose wheel steering system includes: a steering controller for determining which mode, the active correction mode or the automatic correction mode, is used to control the nose wheel steering of the aircraft and how; a steering command input unit for inputting steering commands to the steering controller; a taxi speed input unit for inputting a taxi speed signal representing the current taxi speed of the aircraft to the steering controller; a magnetic heading angle input unit for inputting a magnetic heading angle signal representing the current magnetic heading angle of the aircraft to the steering controller; and a nose wheel steering mechanism for steering the nose wheels.

[0014] The front wheel steering control method includes:

[0015] Step 1: Input the pedal turning command signal, which indicates the amount of front wheel turning generated by rudder pedaling, the handwheel turning command signal, which indicates the amount of front wheel turning generated by handwheel rotation, and the automatic flight turning command signal, which indicates the amount of front wheel turning generated by the aircraft's autonomous control, received by the turning command input unit, into the turning controller.

[0016] Step 2: Detect whether there is a turning command. If a turning command is detected, proceed to Step 3; otherwise, proceed to Step 4.

[0017] Step 3: Enter the active takeover mechanism and immediately enter the active correction mode to actively correct the front wheels;

[0018] Step 4: Enter the automatic correction mechanism and determine whether the current taxiing speed of the aircraft input by the taxiing speed input unit is less than the preset speed value. If the current taxiing speed is greater than or equal to the preset speed value, proceed to step 3; otherwise, proceed to step 5.

[0019] Step 5: Activate the automatic course correction mode, and record the initial magnetic course angle at the moment the automatic course correction mode is activated by the magnetic course angle input unit. Then calculate the magnetic course deviation angle between the real-time magnetic course angle and the initial magnetic course angle. If the magnetic course deviation angle is greater than the preset magnetic course deviation value, exit the automatic course correction mechanism and proceed to step 3; otherwise, proceed to step 6.

[0020] Step 6: The magnetic heading deviation angle is converted into an automatic correction command by the magnetic heading deviation angle conversion unit. When the automatic correction command converted from the magnetic heading deviation angle Δψ is greater than the preset automatic correction command value, the automatic correction mechanism is exited and the process proceeds to step 3; otherwise, the process proceeds to step 7.

[0021] Step 7: In the automatic correction mode, the nose wheel is automatically corrected, and the magnetic heading angle of the aircraft after the automatic correction is recorded by the magnetic heading angle input unit, and then the process returns to step 5.

[0022] Preferably, after exiting the automatic correction mechanism in step 5 and / or step 6, and before entering step 3, an alarm is triggered accordingly.

[0023] Preferably, after the conditions in steps 2 and 4 are met, in step 5, the front wheel steering system automatically activates the automatic correction mode using automatic logic, or remains in standby mode and is activated by further manual operation.

[0024] Based on the above-described configuration, the front wheel steering system and control method of this disclosure can have active control input for turning commands during the taxiing phase (taxiing speed less than or equal to a preset speed value), and can select an active correction mode to actively correct the front wheels when outside the taxiing phase (taxiing speed greater than a preset speed value), ensuring that the pilot can fully actively control the aircraft's taxiing direction. During the taxiing phase (taxiing speed less than or equal to a preset speed value), there is no active control input for turning commands (including virtually no active control input, i.e., 0 < |α| ≤ |±β) min In situations where the aircraft is in a certain condition, the automatic steering correction mode is selected to autonomously correct the nose wheel, granting the aircraft limited autonomy to control its taxiing direction. This reduces the pilot's workload during ground taxiing and improves the safety and comfort of ground taxiing.

[0025] Furthermore, in the taxiing phase, under specific conditions where the pilot releases the handwheel and rudder pedals, the data acquisition module acquires the aircraft's current motion state information (such as heading angle, angular velocity, wheel speed, etc.) and inputs it through various input units. The turning controller generates a nose wheel turning command signal based on the acquired aircraft deviation information. The authority of this command is limited to a preset small correction range (such as a maximum of ±3°). The nose wheel steering mechanism receives the signal command (active correction command or the automatic correction command and the turning feedback signal fed back from the nose wheel steering mechanism to the turning controller) to correct the heading deviation, thereby achieving directional control of the aircraft during the taxiing phase.

[0026] Furthermore, the nose wheel steering system disclosed herein can strictly limit the automatic compensation authority (e.g., a maximum magnetic heading deviation of ±3°), ensuring system safety and preventing unexpected large-angle turns caused by excessive automatic system authority, which could lead to runway deviation accidents. This limited authority design allows the system to handle only minor disturbances, ensuring the pilot's primary control over the aircraft.

[0027] Finally, the front wheel steering system and control method disclosed herein determine whether to activate system functions through physical interaction with steering commands and judgment of condition states. This mode-switching logic based on the pilot's explicit intentions enhances the naturalness of human-machine interaction and the predictability of the system, helping to increase the pilot's trust and acceptance of automated assistance functions. Furthermore, compared to existing technologies that guide aircraft along a fixed course on the ground via airport ILS beamguides, this eliminates the limitations imposed by airport equipment support. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is an architecture diagram illustrating the system architecture of the nose wheel turning system for maintaining the ground taxiing heading of an aircraft as disclosed in this disclosure.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the nose wheel steering control method performed by the nose wheel steering system of this disclosure for maintaining the ground taxiing heading of an aircraft.

[0030] (Symbol Explanation) 100 Front wheel steering system; 110 Turning command input unit; 120 Coasting speed input unit; 130° Magnetic heading angle input unit; 140 Turn Controller; 141 Instruction Decision Unit; 142 Automatic correction mode activation unit; 143 Magnetic heading deviation angle conversion unit; 144 Turning closed-loop control law module; 150 Front wheel steering mechanism; 160° turn control valve; ψ0 Initial magnetic heading angle; ψ t Magnetic heading angle; Δψ t Magnetic heading deviation angle; S1 is the pedal turning command signal; S2 Handwheel Turning Command Signal; S3 Automatic Flight Turn Command Signal; S1-3 Superimposed command signals; S4 taxiing speed signal; S5 Magnetic heading angle signal; S active Active correction instruction; S auto Automatic correction command; S feedback Turning feedback signal. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The following will describe the nose wheel steering system 100 and nose wheel steering control method disclosed herein for maintaining the ground taxiing heading of an aircraft.

[0032] First, use Figure 1 The nose wheel steering system 100 for maintaining the heading of an aircraft on the ground will be described in this disclosure. Figure 1 This is an architecture diagram illustrating the system architecture of the nose wheel turning system 100 for maintaining the ground taxiing heading of an aircraft as disclosed herein.

[0033] The nose wheel steering system 100 disclosed herein for maintaining an aircraft's ground taxiing heading can automatically compensate for deviations in straight-line taxiing caused by external disturbances during the taxiing phase, without active control input of a turning command. It maintains straight-line flight by controlling the nose wheel turning angle. Furthermore, the nose wheel steering system 100 ensures that the pilot has complete active control over the aircraft's taxiing direction, both during taxiing with active control input of a turning command and outside of taxiing. Therefore, it grants the aircraft limited autonomy in controlling its taxiing direction, thereby reducing the pilot's operational burden during ground taxiing and improving safety and comfort.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, the nose wheel steering system 100 for maintaining the ground taxiing heading of an aircraft disclosed herein can control the aircraft's taxiing direction by selectively employing an active correction mode that actively corrects the nose wheel and an automatic correction mode that autonomously corrects the nose wheel. It includes a turning command input unit 110, a taxiing speed input unit 120, a magnetic heading angle input unit 130, a turning controller 140, a nose wheel steering mechanism 150, and a turning control valve 160.

[0035] The turning command input unit 110 is a component used to input turning commands to the turning controller 140. It inputs the received pedal turning command signal S1, which indicates the amount of front wheel turning generated by rudder pedaling, the handwheel turning command signal S2, which indicates the amount of front wheel turning generated by handwheel rotation, and the automatic flight turning command signal S3, which indicates the amount of front wheel turning generated by the autonomous control of the aircraft, into the turning controller 140 respectively.

[0036] The taxiing speed input unit 120 is a component used to input the current taxiing speed of the aircraft to the turn controller 140. It inputs the received taxiing speed signal S4, which represents the current taxiing speed of the aircraft, into the turn controller 140.

[0037] The magnetic heading angle input unit 130 is a component used to input the current magnetic heading angle of the aircraft to the turn controller 140. It inputs the received magnetic heading angle signal S5, which represents the current magnetic heading angle of the aircraft, into the turn controller 140.

[0038] The turning controller 140 is a component that determines whether to use an active correction mode or an automatic correction mode, and how to control the turning of the aircraft's nose wheel and issue control commands to the nose wheel steering mechanism 150. It includes a command judgment unit 141, an automatic correction mode activation unit 142, a magnetic heading deviation angle conversion unit 143, and a turning closed-loop control law module 144.

[0039] The front wheel steering mechanism 150 steers the front wheels and sends a steering feedback signal S to the steering controller 140. feedback The mechanism is based on the correction command (active correction command or automatic correction command) issued by the turning controller 140 and the turning feedback signal S. feedback The steering amount of the front wheels, which is achieved by the front wheel steering mechanism 150, is controlled by the steering control valve 160.

[0040] Specifically, the command judgment unit 141 of the turning controller 140 superimposes the pedal turning command signal S1, the handwheel turning command signal S2, and the automatic flight turning command signal S3 received from the turning command input unit 110. Then, it checks whether the superimposed turning angle α (°) represented by the superimposed command signals S1-3 is the maximum permissible entry angle value ±β that allows the turning controller 140 to control the automatic correction mode that autonomously corrects the front wheels. min Within (°), where β min ≥0 (e.g., β) min =3°), that is, -β min ≤α≤+β min Make a judgment.

[0041] Theoretically, only when no turn command signal is detected—that is, when the pilot fully releases the nose wheel turn wheel and rudder pedals, and there is no automatic flight turn command input (the superimposed turn angle α (°) represented by the superimposed command signals S1-3 = 0)—can the turn controller 140 control the aircraft's taxiing direction in an automatic correction mode that autonomously corrects the nose wheel. However, considering the existence of errors in reality (e.g., even when the pilot fully releases the nose wheel turn wheel and rudder pedals, and there is no automatic flight turn command input, the superimposed turn angle α (°) represented by the superimposed command signals S1-3 is still ≠ 0) or differences in pilot operating habits (e.g., the pilot habitually slightly depresses the rudder pedals or slightly touches the turn wheel), it is preferable to set a maximum permissible entry angle value |±β. min |(°)

[0042] If the superimposed turning angle α represented by the superimposed command signal S1-3 (foot pedal turning command signal S1, handwheel turning command signal S2, and automatic flight turning command signal S3) is greater than the maximum permissible entry angle, i.e., α > + β min or α < -β min If the signal is not received, it is determined that automatic correction mode is not allowed, and active correction mode is entered instead. In active correction mode, the turning controller 140 processes the received pedal turning command signal S1, handwheel turning command signal S2, and automatic flight turning command signal S3 to form an active correction command S. activeNext, the turning closed-loop control law module 144, according to the active correction command S, active and the cornering feedback signal S fed back from the front wheel steering mechanism 150 to the cornering controller 140 feedback The difference between them generates a control command that activates the steering control valve 160, thereby achieving closed-loop control of the front wheel steering mechanism 150.

[0043] If the superimposed turning angle α represented by the superimposed command signal S1-3 (foot pedal turning command signal S1, handwheel turning command signal S2, and automatic flight turning command signal S3) is less than or equal to the maximum permissible entry angle, i.e., -β min ≤α≤+β min At this point, automatic course correction mode is allowed, but the automatic course correction mode activation unit 142 still needs to input the aircraft's current taxi speed (taxi speed signal S4) from the taxi speed input unit 120 and the aircraft's current magnetic heading angle ψ from the magnetic heading angle input unit 130. t The calculated magnetic heading deviation angle Δψ t And the magnetic heading deviation angle Δψ is converted by the magnetic heading deviation angle conversion unit 143. t The converted automatic correction command S auto The system determines whether to activate the automatic course correction mode or disable the active automatic course correction mode, and then enters the active course correction mode. Specifically, if the aircraft's current taxiing speed is less than a preset speed value, the automatic course correction mode activation unit 142 determines that the activation conditions for the automatic course correction mode have been met, and activates the automatic course correction mode. In automatic course correction mode, the turn controller 140 uses the magnetic heading angle ψ from the magnetic heading angle input unit 130 to determine whether to activate the automatic course correction mode or disable the active course correction mode. t The magnetic heading angle signal S5 is recorded, and the initial magnetic heading angle ψ0 at the moment of entering automatic correction mode is recorded. The real-time magnetic heading angle ψ is then calculated. t The deviation Δψ between (ψ1, ψ2, ...) and the initial magnetic heading angle ψ0 1-0 , Δψ 2-0 ...as the magnetic heading deviation angle Δψ t The magnetic heading deviation angle Δψ is converted by the magnetic heading deviation angle conversion unit 143. t Convert to automatic correction command S auto If the magnetic heading deviation angle Δψ t The deviation is greater than the preset magnetic heading deviation value, or is determined by the magnetic heading deviation angle Δψ. t The converted automatic correction command S autoIf the value exceeds the preset allowable automatic correction command value, the automatic correction mode activation unit 142 determines that the automatic correction mode failure condition has been met. At this point, the automatic correction mode is disconnected, and active correction mode is entered. If the automatic correction mode continues to execute at this time, the turning closed-loop control law module 144 executes the automatic correction command S. auto and the cornering feedback signal S fed back from the front wheel steering mechanism 150 to the cornering controller 140 feedback The difference between them generates a control command that activates the steering control valve 160, thereby achieving closed-loop control of the front wheel steering mechanism 150.

[0044] Conversely, in determining whether the automatic correction mode is activated, even if the current turning command is determined to allow entry into the automatic correction mode, the automatic correction mode activation unit 142 will not activate the automatic correction mode if the aircraft's current taxiing speed is greater than or equal to the preset speed value.

[0045] Therefore, the nose wheel steering system 100 disclosed herein for maintaining the aircraft's ground taxiing heading can have active control input for turning commands during the taxiing phase (taxiing speed less than or equal to a preset speed value), and can select an active correction mode to actively correct the nose wheel when outside the taxiing phase (taxiing speed greater than a preset speed value), ensuring that the pilot can have complete active control over the aircraft's taxiing direction, while during the taxiing phase (taxiing speed less than or equal to a preset speed value), there is no active control input for turning commands (including no active control input in fact, i.e., 0 < |α| ≤ |±β). min In situations where the aircraft is in a certain condition, the automatic steering correction mode is selected to autonomously correct the nose wheel, granting the aircraft limited autonomy to control its taxiing direction. This reduces the pilot's workload during ground taxiing and improves the safety and comfort of ground taxiing.

[0046] Next, refer to Figure 2 The method for front wheel steering control performed by the front wheel steering system 100 for maintaining the ground taxiing heading of an aircraft disclosed herein will be described. Figure 2 It is by Figure 1 The flowchart illustrates the nose wheel steering control method performed by the nose wheel steering system 100 for maintaining the aircraft's ground taxiing heading.

[0047] The turning command input unit 110 continuously receives the pedal turning command signal S1, which indicates the amount of front wheel turning generated by rudder pedaling; the handwheel turning command signal S2, which indicates the amount of front wheel turning generated by handwheel rotation; and the automatic flight turning command signal S3, which indicates the amount of front wheel turning generated by the autonomous control of the aircraft. It then inputs each turning command signal S1, S2, and S3 into the turning controller 140.

[0048] like Figure 2 As shown, the command determination unit 141 of the turn controller 140 first detects whether there is a turn command (step S100). The detection of the turn command involves superimposing the pedal turn command signal S1, the handwheel turn command signal S2, and the automatic flight turn command signal S3 received from the turn command input unit 110, and checking whether the superimposed turn angle α (°) represented by the superimposed command signals S1-3 is less than or equal to a predetermined maximum allowable entry angle value (e.g., |±β|). min The process of judging whether there is a turning instruction (°), where β≥0), is as follows. That is to say, the absence of a turning instruction in the judgment of whether there is a turning instruction also includes the active control input where there is no actual turning instruction, i.e., 0<|α|≤|±β. min The case is not limited to the case where there is no turning command and the active control input α = 0 in an absolute sense.

[0049] In step S100, if a turning command is detected (the judgment in step S100 is "yes"), then the turning controller 140 of the front wheel turning system 100 enters the active takeover mechanism (step S200). Under the active takeover mechanism, it immediately enters the active correction mode (step S210) and, according to the active correction command S... active and the cornering feedback signal S fed back from the front wheel steering mechanism 150 to the cornering controller 140 feedback The difference between them generates a control command to activate the steering control valve 160, thereby realizing closed-loop control of the front wheel steering mechanism 150, that is, enabling the pilot to actively correct the front wheel (step S220).

[0050] On the other hand, if no turning command is detected in step S100 (the judgment in step S100 is "none"), then the turning controller 140 of the front wheel turning system 100 enters the automatic correction mechanism (step S300). Under the automatic correction mechanism, it does not immediately enter the automatic correction mode, but first judges whether the current taxiing speed of the aircraft (taxiing speed signal S4) input by the taxiing speed input unit 120 is less than the preset speed value (step S310).

[0051] If the current taxiing speed of the aircraft is greater than or equal to the preset speed value (i.e., the judgment in step S310 is "no"), that is, it is considered that the current taxiing speed of the aircraft is too fast and should not be automatically controlled but should still be actively controlled by the pilot. At this time, the steering controller 140 of the nose wheel steering system 100 exits the automatic correction mechanism and enters the active takeover mechanism (step S200).

[0052] Conversely, if the aircraft's current taxiing speed is less than the preset speed value (i.e., the judgment in step S310 is "yes"), that is, it is considered that the aircraft's current taxiing speed is suitable for automatic control. At this time, the automatic correction mode is activated (step S320), and the initial magnetic heading angle ψ0 at the moment of activation of the automatic correction mode is recorded by the magnetic heading angle input unit 130 (step S330). Then, the real-time magnetic heading angle ψ0 is calculated. t The deviation Δψ between (ψ1, ψ2, ...) and the initial magnetic heading angle ψ0 1-0 , Δψ 2-0 ...as the magnetic heading deviation angle Δψ t (Step S340).

[0053] If the magnetic heading deviation angle Δψ t Less than or equal to a preset magnetic heading deviation value (e.g., ≤|±3°|, i.e., -3°≤Δψ). t If the judgment in step S350 is "yes" (≤3°), then the magnetic heading deviation angle conversion unit 143 will convert the magnetic heading deviation angle Δψ t Convert to automatic correction command S auto (Step S360), and the magnetic heading deviation angle Δψ t The converted automatic correction command S auto When the judgment in step S370 is "yes" (the value is less than or equal to the preset automatic correction command value), the turning closed-loop control law module 144 determines the automatic correction command S according to the value. auto and the cornering feedback signal S fed back from the front wheel steering mechanism 150 to the cornering controller 140 feedback The difference between the values ​​generates a control command that activates the turn control valve 160, i.e., performs automatic correction of the front wheel turn (step S380). At the same time, the magnetic heading angle input unit 130 records the aircraft's magnetic heading angle ψ after the automatic correction is performed. t+1 (Step S390), and return to step S340.

[0054] When the magnetic heading deviation angle Δψ t Greater than the preset magnetic heading deviation value (e.g., >|±3°|, i.e., Δψ) t <-3° or Δψ t >3° (the judgment in step S350 is "No"), or when the magnetic heading deviation angle Δψ t The converted automatic correction command S auto When the value of the correction instruction is greater than the preset value that allows automatic correction (the judgment in step S370 is "No"), the automatic correction mode activation unit 142 determines that the failure condition of the automatic correction mode has been met. At this time, the automatic correction mechanism is exited, and after triggering an alarm accordingly (step S400), the active takeover mechanism is entered (step S200).

[0055] Finally, the following is a summary of each step in the front wheel steering control method described above:

[0056] (1) First, regarding the conditions for executing the automatic correction mode, in the process described above, the condition for entering the automatic correction mechanism is that no turn command signal is detected, and the condition for activation is that the current taxiing speed of the aircraft is lower than the specified speed. It is also illustrated that the front wheel turning system 100 automatically activates the automatic correction mode by automatic logic after the aforementioned conditions are met. However, this disclosure is not limited to this. The front wheel turning system 100 may also be in a standby state after the conditions for entering the automatic correction mechanism and the activation conditions are met, and may be activated by the pilot by, for example, pressing the automatic correction mode activation button.

[0057] (2) After activating the automatic correction mode, a reference taxiing path is established. That is, at the instant the automatic correction mode is activated, the nose wheel steering system 100 records the aircraft's current initial magnetic heading angle ψ0 as the reference for the desired straight path, and during the control process, the nose wheel steering system 100 will continuously collect the aircraft's real-time magnetic heading angle ψ0. t (ψ1, ψ2, ...), and the magnetic heading deviation angle Δψ is calculated from the initial magnetic heading angle ψ0. t (deviation value Δψ) 1-0 , Δψ 2-0 ...).

[0058] (3) Regarding the automatic correction command S auto The magnetic heading deviation angle conversion unit 143 calculates the compensation control amount that needs to be applied to the front wheel steering mechanism 150 based on the calculated magnetic heading deviation angle data. In the automatic correction mode, the compensation control amount must not exceed a specified threshold, i.e., a pre-set correction command value that allows automatic correction.

[0059] (4) Regarding the exit condition of the automatic correction mechanism, when the front wheel steering system 100 executes the automatic correction mode, if the current taxiing speed is greater than or equal to the preset speed value, the magnetic heading deviation angle Δψ t The magnetic heading deviation is greater than the preset value (|±3°|), and the magnetic heading deviation angle Δψ t The converted automatic correction command S autoWhen the value exceeds any of the preset automatic correction command values, the automatic correction mode activation unit 142 determines that the failure condition of the automatic correction mode has been met, and the front wheel steering system 100 will exit the automatic correction mechanism and enter the active takeover mechanism. If necessary, an alarm will also be triggered accordingly; that is, step S400 is not required in the flowchart above. Furthermore, although not shown in the flowchart above, it is self-evident that the front wheel steering system 100 will exit the automatic correction mechanism after detecting a related fault during the automatic correction mode.

[0060] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present disclosure, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A nose wheel steering system (100) for maintaining the ground taxiing heading of an aircraft, capable of controlling the aircraft's taxiing direction by selectively employing an active correction mode that actively corrects the nose wheel and an automatic correction mode that autonomously corrects the nose wheel, characterized in that, The nose wheel steering system (100) automatically compensates for deviations caused by external disturbances during the taxiing phase when the aircraft's current taxiing speed is less than a specified speed value and in the absence of active control input for turning commands. It maintains the aircraft's straight-line travel by controlling the nose wheel turning angle.

2. The nose wheel steering system (100) for maintaining the aircraft's ground taxiing heading as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The front wheel steering system (100) includes: a steering controller (140) for determining which mode, the active correction mode or the automatic correction mode, is used to control the steering of the aircraft's front wheels; and a steering command input unit (110) for inputting steering commands to the steering controller (140). The turning command input unit (110) inputs the received pedal turning command signal (S1) indicating the amount of front wheel turning generated by pedaling, the handwheel turning command signal (S2) indicating the amount of front wheel turning generated by handwheel rotation, and the automatic flight turning command signal (S3) indicating the amount of front wheel turning generated by the autonomous control of the aircraft into the turning controller (140), respectively. The turning controller (140) superimposes the received pedal turning command signal (S1), handwheel turning command signal (S2), and automatic flight turning command signal (S3) into a superimposed command signal (S1-3) representing the superimposed turning angle α. The active control input without turning command includes a complete absence of active control input, where the front wheel turning handwheel and pedals are fully released and there is no automatic flight turning command input. That is, the superimposed turning angle α represented by the superimposed command signal (S1-3) is the maximum permissible entry angle value ±β that allows the turning controller (140) to control in the automatic correction mode. min Within.

3. The nose wheel steering system (100) for maintaining the aircraft's ground taxiing heading as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The front wheel steering system (100) further includes: a taxi speed input unit (120) for inputting a taxi speed signal (S4) representing the current taxi speed of the aircraft to the steering controller (140), and a taxi speed input unit (120) for inputting a magnetic heading angle (ψ) representing the current taxi speed of the aircraft to the steering controller (140). t The magnetic heading angle input section (130) for the magnetic heading angle signal (S5) and the front wheel steering mechanism (150) for steering the front wheels.

4. The nose wheel steering system (100) for maintaining the aircraft's ground taxiing heading as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The turning controller (140) includes a command judgment unit (141), an automatic correction mode activation unit (142), a magnetic heading deviation angle conversion unit (143), and a turning closed-loop control law module (144). The instruction judgment unit (141) determines whether the superimposed turning angle α represented by the superimposed instruction signal (S1-3) is less than or equal to the specified maximum allowable entry angle value |±β. min |, i.e., -β min ≤α≤+β min Make a judgment. The superimposed turning angle α represented by the superimposed command signal (S1-3) is greater than the maximum allowable entry angle value, that is, α > + β. min or α < -β min If the condition is not met, it is determined that automatic correction mode is not allowed, and active correction mode is entered instead. The superimposed turning angle α represented by the superimposed command signal (S1-3) is less than or equal to the maximum permissible entry angle value, i.e., -β. min ≤α≤+β min At this time, automatic course correction mode is allowed, but the automatic course correction mode activation unit (142) further uses the taxi speed signal (S4) input by the taxi speed input unit (120) and the current magnetic heading angle (ψ) of the aircraft input by the magnetic heading angle input unit (130) as input by the automatic course correction mode activation unit (142). t The calculated magnetic heading deviation angle (Δψ) t ) and the magnetic heading deviation angle (Δψ) is converted by the magnetic heading deviation angle conversion unit (143). t The automatic correction command (S) is converted into the automatic correction command. auto This is used to determine whether to activate the automatic correction mode or disable the active correction mode and enter the active correction mode.

5. The nose wheel steering system (100) for maintaining the aircraft's ground taxiing heading as described in claim 4, characterized in that, In the active correction mode, the turning controller (140) processes the received pedal turning command signal (S1), handwheel turning command signal (S2), and automatic flight turning command signal (S3) to form an active correction command (S40). active ), The turning closed-loop control law module (144) according to the active correction command (S active ) and the cornering feedback signal (S) fed back from the front wheel steering mechanism (150) to the cornering controller (140). feedback The difference between the values ​​of ...

6. The nose wheel steering system (100) for maintaining the ground taxiing heading of an aircraft as described in claim 4, characterized in that, In the automatic correction mode, the turn controller (140) uses the magnetic heading angle (ψ) from the magnetic heading angle input unit (130) to indicate the current magnetic heading angle of the aircraft. t The magnetic heading angle signal (S5) is recorded, and the initial magnetic heading angle (ψ0) at the moment of entering the automatic correction mode is recorded. The real-time magnetic heading angle (ψ0) is calculated. t The deviation between the magnetic heading angle (ψ0) and the initial magnetic heading angle (ψ0) is taken as the magnetic heading deviation angle (Δψ). t ), and the magnetic heading deviation angle (Δψ) is converted by the magnetic heading deviation angle conversion unit (143). t ) is converted into automatic correction command (S) auto ), The turning closed-loop control law module (144) according to the automatic correction command (S) auto ) and the cornering feedback signal (S) fed back from the front wheel steering mechanism (150) to the cornering controller (140). feedback The difference between the values ​​of ...

7. A nose wheel steering control method, executed by a nose wheel steering system (100) for maintaining the aircraft's ground taxiing heading, wherein the aircraft's taxiing direction is controlled by selectively employing an active correction mode that actively corrects the nose wheel and an automatic correction mode that autonomously corrects the nose wheel, characterized in that, The nose wheel steering system (100) includes: a steering controller (140) for determining which mode, the active correction mode or the automatic correction mode, is used to control the nose wheel steering of the aircraft and how; a steering command input unit (110) for inputting a steering command to the steering controller (140); a taxi speed input unit (120) for inputting a taxi speed signal (S4) representing the current taxi speed of the aircraft to the steering controller (140); and a steering controller (140) for inputting a magnetic heading angle (ψ) representing the current magnetic heading angle of the aircraft. t The magnetic heading angle input unit (130) for the magnetic heading angle signal (S5) and the front wheel steering mechanism (150) for steering the front wheels. The front wheel steering control method includes: Step 1: Input the pedal turning command signal (S1) received by the turning command input unit (110), which represents the amount of front wheel turning generated by pedaling, the handwheel turning command signal (S2) representing the amount of front wheel turning generated by handwheel rotation, and the automatic flight turning command signal (S3) representing the amount of front wheel turning generated by the autonomous control of the aircraft, into the turning controller (140). Step 2: Detect whether there is a turning command. If a turning command is detected, proceed to Step 3; otherwise, proceed to Step 4. Step 3: Enter the active takeover mechanism and immediately enter the active correction mode to actively correct the front wheels; Step 4: Enter the automatic correction mechanism and determine whether the current taxiing speed of the aircraft input by the taxiing speed input unit (120) is less than the preset speed value. If the current taxiing speed is greater than or equal to the preset speed value, proceed to step 3; otherwise, proceed to step 5. Step 5: Activate the automatic course correction mode, and record the initial magnetic course angle (ψ0) at the moment the automatic course correction mode is activated by the magnetic course angle input unit (130), and then calculate the real-time magnetic course angle (ψ0). t The magnetic heading deviation angle (Δψ) between the initial magnetic heading angle (ψ0) and the magnetic heading deviation angle (Δψ) t ), and in the magnetic heading deviation angle (Δψ) t If the magnetic heading deviation is greater than the preset value, the automatic correction mechanism will be exited and the process will proceed to step 3; otherwise, the process will proceed to step 6. Step 6: The magnetic heading deviation angle (Δψ) is converted by the magnetic heading deviation angle conversion unit (143). t ) is converted into automatic correction command (S) auto ), and in the automatic correction command (S) converted from the magnetic heading deviation angle Δψ. auto When the value exceeds the preset automatic correction instruction value, the automatic correction mechanism is exited and the process proceeds to step 3; otherwise, the process proceeds to step 7. Step 7: In the automatic correction mode, the nose wheel is autonomously corrected, and the magnetic heading angle (ψ) of the aircraft after the automatic correction is recorded by the magnetic heading angle input unit (130). t+1 ), then return to step 5.

8. The front wheel steering control method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, After exiting the automatic correction mechanism in step 5 and / or step 6, an alarm is triggered accordingly before proceeding to step 3.

9. The front wheel steering control method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, After the conditions in steps 2 and 4 are met, in step 5, the front wheel steering system (100) automatically activates the automatic correction mode by automatic logic, or is in a standby state and is activated by further manual operation.

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