Electric flight control system for controlling an aircraft and associated aircraft

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electric flight control system (5, 15, 25, 35, 45) for controlling an aircraft (1), the flight control system (5, 15, 25, 35, 45) comprising at least one flight control input subset (2) for acquiring said flight control input from a maneuver of an associated control element (20) maneuverable by a pilot of said aircraft (1) along at least one control axis, said flight control system (5, 15, 25, 35, 45) comprising at least three position sensors per control axis generating position information for said control element (20) and communicating with said at least one input subset (2). Each input subset (2) comprises at least three simplex computers, each having a single processing channel connected to one of said at least three position sensors. Abbreviated figure: Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Electric flight control system for controlling an aircraft and associated aircraft

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric flight control system for controlling an aircraft and an aircraft equipped with such a system.

[0002] An aircraft may include movable aerodynamic control surfaces steered by an electric flight control system to direct the aircraft. Such aerodynamic control surfaces may include rotor blades, propeller blades, elevators or rudders, for example.

[0003] An electric flight control system may include several pilot command acquisition subsets to acquire this command from a maneuver of a piloting device maneuverable by a pilot and / or a co-pilot of the aircraft.

[0004] Each flight control acquisition subset can be wholly or partially integrated within a pilot-operable control device. Such a pilot-operable control device may, in particular, include a movable part, such as a joystick, a mini-joystick, or a lever, articulated relative to a support. Furthermore, the flight control system also includes a processing subset that determines a positional command to be achieved in order to position one or more aerodynamic control surfaces as required, based on at least one command generated by a flight control acquisition subset and the aircraft's current situational state. Such a positional command may be a blade pitch angle, a flap deflection angle, or a rotor or propeller rotational speed, for example.Finally, the flight control system includes at least one actuation subset controlling an actuator acting on one or more aerodynamic control surfaces according to a positional command determined by the processing subset.

[0005] Early fly-by-wire aircraft included a fly-by-wire system arranged in parallel with a backup mechanical fly-by-wire system to allow for manual landing in the event of a failure of the fly-by-wire system. While effective, such an architecture can have the disadvantage of being heavy and bulky.

[0006] Alternatively, an aircraft may include a high-availability and high-safety electrical flight control system so as not to require mechanical redundancy.

[0007] Certification regulations require for such a flight control system a failure occurrence rate less than or equal to 10 flight hours, which leads to a failure occurrence rate less than or equal to 10 10 / flight hour for each subset.

[0008] In particular, an electric flight control system may include one or more position sensors generating position information from the control unit and communicating with an acquisition subset.

[0009] In this context, a conventional acquisition subset may include several acquisition computers enabling the acquisition of commands generated according to the different control axes of the control unit.

[0010] Each acquisition computer is also a synchronous duplex computer and has two computing channels, each connected to one of the position sensors of this control axis.

[0011] The term "duplex computer" refers, here and hereafter, to a computer that has two independent processing channels whose execution is synchronized, unlike a simplex computer, which has only one processing channel. The term "processing channel" refers to a digital and / or analog processing unit that performs calculations on quantities represented digitally and / or analogically. The processing unit can perform digital processing with a processor or other forms of integrated circuit, including logic circuits. The processing unit can perform analog processing with analog components, whether integrated or not, in integrated circuits, such as operational amplifiers. The term "processor" can refer to a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller, etc.For example, a duplex computer may include two computing channels, each with its own processor, whereas a simplex computer has a single computing channel, for example with one processor.

[0012] A synchronous duplex computer includes a computing channel, hereafter referred to as the "control computing channel", used to generate the desired output, and a computing channel, hereafter referred to as the "monitoring computing channel", responsible for monitoring the operation of the parallel control computing channel and for invalidating it if a fault is detected.

[0013] Document WO2023 / 209335 Al does not belong to the technical field by describing a system comprising two control elements, one control element intended to be operated by a pilot and the other intended to be operated by the co-pilot.

[0014] These control elements allow the collective pitch control of the blades of a rotorcraft. Each control element is equipped with two motors, so that the force feedback applied to each control element can be controlled both by a control unit specific to that control element and by another remote control unit using a communication bus.

[0015] Such an architecture having subsets comprising synchronous duplex computers can prove to be cumbersome.

[0016] Furthermore, equipment within the sub-assemblies of an aircraft's fly-by-wire flight control system may be included in a reference equipment list known in English as the "Master Minimum Equipment List (MMEL)." This list defines the equipment that may be inoperative for flight, the conditions to be met to allow flight in accordance with the objectives of the certification authorities, and the number of flight days or hours authorized from the discovery of the failure. This additional condition imposes further constraints and, in particular, requires that the failure rate for the flight control system be less than or equal to a value between 10⁷ and 10⁸ per flight hour with a reference equipment failure, or that the failure rate at the sub-assembly level be less than or equal to a value between 10⁸ and 10⁹ per flight hour with a reference equipment failure.It should be noted that equipment with a failure probability below an acceptable threshold, typically 10⁵ / flight hour, is not considered. In other words, it is accepted that the failure of equipment with a failure rate below the acceptable threshold will result in the aircraft being grounded.

[0017] Consequently, each sub-assembly must therefore have a failure occurrence rate of 10 10 / flight hour under normal conditions and where applicable of 108 to 10 flight hours under MMEL conditions, namely if the flight is authorized for a certain number of flight hours in the event of failure of a reference equipment of the sub-assembly.

[0018] The present invention then aims to provide an innovative electric flight control system.

[0019] The invention therefore relates to an electric flight control system for controlling an aircraft, the flight control system comprising at least one pilot control acquisition subset for acquiring this pilot control from a maneuver of an associated piloting element maneuverable by a pilot of the aircraft along at least one piloting axis, the flight control system comprising at least three position sensors per piloting axis, each position sensor generating a position information of the piloting element and being in communication with said at least one acquisition subset.

[0020] This system is remarkable in that each acquisition subset comprises at least three simplex computers, each having a single computing channel connected to one of said at least three position sensors, and in that at least two computers among said at least three simplex computers are dissimilar and at least two position sensors among said at least three position sensors are dissimilar.

[0021] Therefore, each simplex computer in such an acquisition subset typically has a failure occurrence rate less than or equal to 10⁴ / flight hour, which induces a failure occurrence rate less than or equal to 10¹⁰ / flight hour under normal conditions for this subset.

[0022] In addition, the at least two computers of each acquisition subset may include at least one so-called "primary" computer and at least one so-called "secondary" computer that are dissimilar, which contributes to obtaining the desired failure occurrence rates by taking into consideration the probability of occurrence of a common mode failure.

[0023] Dissimilarities are dissimilarities of a “physical” type, for example through the use of different component suppliers, different printed circuit board manufacturers, or others, and of a “software” type, for example through different instruction sets, different algorithms, different programming languages, or others.

[0024] To improve dissimilarities, the links with the other subsets of each of the primary and secondary computers of a subset can travel on different routes within the aircraft to avoid common failure modes.

[0025] Such an acquisition subset can also meet the constraints related to the MMEL conditions as explained later.

[0026] Thus, each acquisition subset can exhibit a failure rate of less than 1010 per flight hour, while also offering an optimized level of dissimilarity, and even optimized cost and / or size. Such an acquisition subset can then optimize the cost, volume, and / or mass of the system, particularly due to the use of simplex computers.

[0027] The electric flight control system may also include one or more of the following features, taken alone or in combination.

[0028] In practice, the flight control system may include at least two motors configured to jointly apply a force law to a moving part of the steering mechanism.

[0029] Such motors are controlled by the at least three simplex computers of the corresponding acquisition subset.

[0030] These motors thus make it possible to generate a force on the moving part of the control mechanism when this moving part is displaced by an aircraft pilot relative to a support. Such control mechanisms are generally referred to as "active." Furthermore, it is then possible to modify characteristics of the force law, such as a force gradient, damping, inertia, or even to implement a stop, using a closed-loop control system of at least two motors.

[0031] Such engines may be identical or dissimilar.

[0032] According to a first variant of the control system, said at least three simplex computers may comprise two identical primary simplex computers and two identical secondary simplex computers and dis similar to the two primary simplex computers.

[0033] The terms "primary" and "secondary" in the expressions "primary computer" and "secondary computer" are used to distinguish the two dissimilar types of simplex computers. The expressions "primary simplex computer" and "secondary simplex computer" can be replaced respectively by "simplex computer of a first type" and "simplex computer of a second type".

[0034] According to a first embodiment of the first variant, said at least two motors may comprise four motors, two motors being individually connected to two primary simplex computers via two control connections and two other motors being individually connected to two secondary simplex computers via two other control connections in order to receive a control signal representative of the effort law to be applied to the moving part of the control member, each motor being connected either to two primary monitoring connections of the two primary simplex computers, or to two secondary monitoring connections of the two secondary simplex computers in order to emit a monitoring signal representative of a motor state.

[0035] In this first example, each motor is thus controlled by a dedicated simplex computer but is monitored by two simplex computers of the same type.

[0036] This architecture allows each simplex computer to cut off the engine control of the other simplex computer of the same type.

[0037] Identical simplex computers communicate with each other to harmonize the controlled effort laws and prevent the motors from generating opposing forces against each other.

[0038] Contrary to the prior art, the invention proposes an active architecture with the use of four identical motors and four simplex computers, These two simplex computers are similar in pairs, implementing a COM / MON type architecture. This architecture allows each simplex computer to simultaneously generate COM control instructions to generate a first order in a conventional manner, for example, a force law to be applied by one motor, and execute MON monitoring instructions to monitor a force law to be applied by another motor.

[0039] This architecture therefore presents a more optimized footprint, meets the dissimilarity constraints and is compatible with the safety constraints of the function under MMEL conditions.

[0040] According to a second embodiment of the first variant, said at least two motors may comprise: • a first motor connected to a first control connection of a first primary simplex computer in order to receive a first control signal representative of the force law to be applied to the control unit, • a second motor connected to a second control connection of a second primary simplex computer in order to receive a second control signal representing the force law to be applied to the control unit, and • a third motor connected on command either to a first control connection of a first simplex secondary computer, or to a second control connection of a second simplex secondary computer in order to be able to receive a third control signal representative of the effort law to be applied to the control unit.

[0041] In this case, the various simplex computers no longer operate according to a COM / MON type architecture as in the first embodiment of the first variant. The simplex computers can, however, self-monitor through a hardware monitoring module called "HM," an acronym for "Hardware Monitoring." Such a module can then be simple to implement and integrated into each of the simplex computers.

[0042] Each primary simplex computer always controls one motor. However, the third motor can be controlled by either of the secondary simplex computers in order to improve the availability of the control command acquisition subset.

[0043] This second example of the first variant has the advantage of being less bulky compared to the first example thanks to the removal of a motor.

[0044] Such a hardware monitoring component can be implemented by a continuous testing process generally referred to by the English expression "Continuous Build In" Test » or its acronym « CBIT ». Such a CBIT process is then secured, for example, with an independent power supply and / or a watchdog timer and a verification of the consistency of the motor command and a motor position achieved.

[0045] In this case, the first motor can be connected to the first two primary monitoring connections of the first simplex primary computer so that it can emit a first monitoring signal representative of a motor state of the first motor, the second motor can be connected to the two second primary monitoring connections of the second simplex primary computer so that it can emit a second monitoring signal representative of a motor state of the second motor, and the third motor can be connected to both the first two secondary monitoring connections of the first simplex secondary computer and the two second secondary monitoring connections of the second simplex secondary computer so that it can emit a third monitoring signal representative of a motor state of the third motor.

[0046] More specifically, one of the first two primary monitoring connections is linked with a first hardware monitoring brick of the first primary simplex computer. Thus, the first two primary monitoring connections are independent.

[0047] Similarly, one of the two second primary monitoring connections is linked with a second hardware monitoring brick of the second primary simplex computer and the two second primary monitoring connections are independent.

[0048] One of the first two secondary monitoring connections is linked with a third hardware monitoring brick of the first simplex secondary computer. Thus, the first two secondary monitoring connections are independent.

[0049] Similarly, one of the two second secondary monitoring connections is linked with a fourth hardware monitoring brick of the second simplex secondary computer and the two second secondary monitoring connections are independent.

[0050] Furthermore, the third motor can be electrically connected to a switching device, the switching device being electrically connected to the first simplex secondary control unit and the second simplex secondary control unit and being configured to connect the third motor either to the first simplex secondary control unit or to the second simplex secondary control unit, the first simplex secondary control unit and the second simplex secondary control unit being self-monitored and communicating a first validity signal and a second validity signal respectively to, on the one hand, a first switch and a second switch connected in series and, on the other hand, a third switch and a fourth switch connected in series of the switching device.

[0051] Such a control switch can be carried out for example by means of relays forming the first, second, third and fourth switches, or other types of system.

[0052] In the case corresponding to this first variant of the control system, said at least three position sensors may comprise two identical primary position sensors and two identical secondary position sensors dissimilar to the two primary position sensors.

[0053] For example, the two primary position sensors can be chosen according to a first technology and the two secondary position sensors can be chosen according to a second technology different from the first technology.

[0054] These first and second different technologies can be chosen from among Hall effect position sensors, electromagnetic transducer or "resolver" type sensors, or rotary variable differential transformer type sensors also designated by the acronym "RVDT" from the English expression "Rotary Variable Differential Transformer".

[0055] According to a second variant of the control system, said at least three simplex computers may comprise a primary simplex computer, a secondary simplex computer and a tertiary simplex computer, all dissimilar to each other.

[0056] This second variant has the advantage of being less bulky than the first variant since it only integrates three motors and three simplex computers.

[0057] Each simplex computer includes a hardware monitoring brick called "HM" so that each computer can control one motor and monitor another motor and acquires a position using a dedicated sensor.

[0058] This architecture can be described as triplex, making it the most compact architecture. Complete dissimilarity at the computer level eliminates the common failure mode on these computers.

[0059] According to a third variant of the control system, said at least three simplex computers may comprise two identical primary simplex computers, two identical secondary simplex computers dissimilar to the two primary simplex computers and two identical and dissimilar tertiary simplex computers both dissimilar to the two primary simplex computers and to the two secondary simplex computers.

[0060] This third variant thus comprises six simplex computers, dissimilar in threes. These six computers do not have a COM / MON type architecture, nor an architecture equipped with a hardware monitoring brick called "HM".

[0061] However, a vote can be taken at the level of each engine to decide which computer will control and monitor that engine.

[0062] This architecture has the advantage of having only two engines, and of ensuring a high level of availability thanks to the three simplex computers for one engine.

[0063] In this embodiment, each motor is controlled by three processing units with three different primary, secondary, and tertiary channels. The actual control of each motor is achieved by switching between the three control signals. The position sensors are also defined by three different channels.

[0064] In a case corresponding to the second or third variant of the control system, said at least three position sensors may include a primary position sensor, a secondary position sensor dissimilar to the primary position sensor and a tertiary position sensor dissimilar to both the primary position sensor and the secondary position sensor.

[0065] More specifically, the primary position sensor can be chosen according to a first technology, the secondary position sensor can be chosen according to a second technology different from the first technology and the tertiary position sensor can be chosen according to a third technology different from the first and second technologies.

[0066] These first, second and third different technologies can be chosen from Hall effect position sensors, electromagnetic transducer or resolver type sensors, or rotary variable differential transformer type sensors also designated by the acronym "RVDT" from the English expression "Rotary Variable Differential Transformer.

[0067] In practice, the acquisition subset can be integrated into the control unit.

[0068] More specifically, this acquisition subset can be integrated into the control unit such as a control stick for a collective pitch or cyclic pitch of the blades of a rotor or a rotorcraft propeller.

[0069] Thus, in the case where the piloting element is a control stick with a collective pitch, it then allows the aircraft to be controlled along an axis and the control system then includes three position sensors allowing a position of the moving part to be determined relative to the support of the piloting element.

[0070] On the other hand, when the control device is a cyclic control stick, it then allows the aircraft to be controlled along two axes, a pitch axis and a roll axis, and the control system then comprises three sensors Position sensors for the pitch axis and three position sensors for the roll axis. These six position sensors thus make it possible to determine the position of the moving part relative to the support of the steering mechanism.

[0071] The present invention also relates to an aircraft equipped with an electric flight control system for controlling the aircraft.

[0072] Such an aircraft is remarkable in that the flight control system is as described above.

[0073] In practice such an aircraft may be a rotorcraft and includes an electric flight control system to control a collective pitch or a cyclic pitch of the blades of a rotor or rotorcraft propeller.

[0074] The invention and its advantages will become apparent in more detail in the following description, with illustrative examples given by reference to the accompanying figures, which represent:

[0075] [Fig. 1], a schematic view of an aircraft having an electric flight control system according to the invention,

[0076] [Fig.2], a schematic view of an electric flight control system according to a first embodiment of a first variant according to the invention,

[0077] [Fig. 3], a schematic view of an electric flight control system according to a second embodiment of the first variant according to the invention,

[0078] [Fig. 4], a schematic view of an electric flight control system according to a third embodiment, the first variant according to the invention,

[0079] [Fig. 5], a schematic view of a tilting device of [Fig. 4], according to the invention,

[0080] [Fig. 6], a schematic view of an electric flight control system according to a second embodiment of the invention, and

[0081] [Fig.7], a schematic view of an electric flight control system according to a third variant according to the invention.

[0082] Elements present in several separate figures are assigned one and the same reference.

[0083] As already mentioned, the invention relates to an aircraft equipped with an electric flight control system to control this aircraft.

[0084] As shown in [Fig.1], such an aircraft 1 may be in the form of a rotorcraft comprising at least one rotor 3, 13 to control the lift and / or propulsion of this aircraft 1.

[0085] More generally, the aircraft 1 may include movable aerodynamic control surfaces 4, 14 steered by an electric flight control system 5, 15, 25, 35, 45 to direct the aircraft 1. Such aerodynamic control surfaces 4, 14 may include rotor blades 3, 13, propeller blades, elevator or rudder flaps for example.

[0086] Such a flight control system 5, 15, 25, 35, 45 then includes at least one acquisition subset 2 of a piloting command made by a pilot or co-pilot of the aircraft 1.

[0087] Such an acquisition subset 2 thus makes it possible to acquire this piloting command by moving an associated piloting element 20 maneuverable by the pilot of the aircraft 1 along at least one piloting axis.

[0088] Such a control element 20 can for example be in the form of a handle or a mini-handle allowing control of a cyclic pitch of the blades or of a lever allowing control of a collective pitch of the blades.

[0089] The control member 20 then includes a movable part 21 having at least one degree of mobility relative to a support 22. Each acquisition subset 2 thus makes it possible to generate an encoded command corresponding to a position of the movable part 21 according to each degree of mobility of this movable part 21.

[0090] The electric flight control system 5, 15, 25, 35, 45 includes a processing subset 6 generating at least one positional setpoint, to be reached by one or more aerodynamic control surfaces 3, 13 as a function of at least one command encoded by the acquisition subset(s) 2 of the piloting control and the current situational state of the aircraft 1.

[0091] In addition, such a flight control system 5, 15, 25, 35, 45 also includes at least one actuation subset 7, 8 controlling an actuator acting directly or indirectly on one or more aerodynamic control surfaces 3, 13 according to a positional setpoint determined by the processing subset 6.

[0092] As shown in Figures 2 to 7, such a flight control system 5, 15, 25, 35, 45 then comprises at least three position sensors SI, S2, S3, S4, SI', S2', S3' per steering axis, each position sensor SI, S2, S3, S4, SI', S2', S3' generating position information from the steering unit 20 and being in communication with the acquisition subset(s) 2.

[0093] Furthermore, each acquisition subset 2 comprises at least three simplex computers Cl, Cl', Cl", C2, C2', C2", C3, C3', C3", C4, C4", C5", C6" each having a single computing channel connected to one of said at least three position sensors SI, S2, S3, S4, SI', S2', S3'.

[0094] In addition, at least two computers Cl, Cl', Cl", C2, C2', C2", C3, C3', C3", C4, C4", C5", C6" among said at least three simplex computers Cl, Cl', Cl", C2, C2', C2", C3, C3', C3", C4, C4", C5", C6" are dissimilar and at least two position sensors SI, S2, S3, S4, SI', S2', S3' among said at least three position sensors SI, S2, S3, S4, SI', S2', S3' are dissimilar.

[0095] Thus, according to a first example of the realization of a first variant, and as represented in [Fig.2], an acquisition subset 2 can comprise two identical primary simplex computers Cl, C2 and two identical secondary simplex computers C3, C4 which are dissimilar to the two primary simplex computers Cl, C2.

[0096] Furthermore, such an acquisition subset 2 can be advantageously integrated into the control member 20 and more specifically into the support 22 of this control member 20.

[0097] Each simplex calculator Cl, C2, C3, C4 receives input data from a set of position sensors SI, S2, S3, S4 respective.

[0098] Indeed, the flight control system 5 includes four position sensors SI, S2, S3, S4, each position sensor SI, S2, S3, S4 generating position information from the piloting unit 20 and being in communication with the acquisition subset 2.

[0099] In practice, the four position sensors SI, S2, S3, S4 can comprise two identical primary position sensors SI, S2 and two identical secondary position sensors S3, S4 which are dissimilar to the two primary position sensors S1, S2.

[0100] The term "sensor" here refers to a physical sensor capable of directly measuring the parameter in question, but also to a system that may include one or more physical sensors and signal processing means for providing an estimate of the parameter based on the measurements provided by these physical sensors. Similarly, the term "measurement" of this parameter will refer both to a raw measurement from a physical sensor and to a measurement obtained through more or less complex signal processing from raw measurements.

[0101] In addition, at least one impulse-type push button #23 may also be fitted to the control unit 20. Information relating to a pressed or released state of each push button 23 may be generated alternately by pressing and then releasing a push button 23 successively. Such information is then transmitted to the various simplex computers C1-C4 before being transmitted to the processing subset 6.

[0102] According to a second embodiment of the first variant as shown in [Fig.3], in addition to the position sensors S1-S4 and the simplex computers C1-C4, the flight control system 15 may include at least two identical motors M1, M2, M3, M4 configured to jointly apply a force law to the moving part 21 of the piloting element 20. Such motors M1, M2, M3, M4 then make the piloting element 20 active.

[0103] More specifically, the system 15 may include four motors, these motors M1, M2, M3, M4 being respectively connected, via a control connection C11, C21, C31, C41, to the simplex computers Cl, C2, C3, C4 in order to be able to receive a control signal representative of said force law to be applied to the moving part 21 of the piloting member 20.

[0104] Furthermore, the first motor Ml can be connected to two primary monitoring connections C12, C22 of the two primary simplex computers Cl, C2 to transmit to them a monitoring signal representative of a motor state.

[0105] Similarly, the second motor M2, can be connected to two other primary monitoring connections C13, C23 of the two primary simplex computers Cl, C2 to transmit to them a monitoring signal representative of a motor state.

[0106] The third engine M3 can, for its part, be connected to two secondary monitoring connections C32, C42 of the two secondary simplex computers C3, C4 to transmit to them a monitoring signal representative of an engine state.

[0107] Finally, the fourth motor M4 can be connected to two other secondary monitoring connections C33, C43 of the two simplex secondary computers C3, C4 to transmit to them a monitoring signal representative of a motor state.

[0108] According to a third embodiment of the first variant as shown in [Fig.4], the system 25 can comprise three motors M1, M2, M3 connected to two primary simplex computers Cl, C2 and two secondary simplex computers C3, C4.

[0109] Thus, a first motor Ml can be connected to a first control connection Cil of a first primary simplex computer Cl in order to receive a first control signal representative of the effort law to be applied to the control element 20.

[0110] Such a first motor M1 can then be connected to two first primary monitoring connections C12, C13 of the first primary simplex ECU Cl to transmit to them a first monitoring signal representative of a motor state of the first motor M1. The first primary monitoring connection C13 is then connected with a first hardware monitoring module HM1 of the first primary simplex ECU CL

[0111] A second motor M2 can be connected to a second control connection C21 of a second primary simplex computer C2 in order to receive a second control signal representative of the effort law to be applied to the control member 20.

[0112] Such a second motor M2 can also be connected to two second primary monitoring connections C22, C23 of the second primary computer simplex C2 to transmit to them a second monitoring signal representative of a motor state of the second motor M2.

[0113] The second primary monitoring connection C23 is then linked with a second hardware monitoring brick HM2 of the second primary simplex computer C2.

[0114] Finally, a third motor M3 can be connected at any time either to a first control connection C31 of a first secondary simplex computer C3, or to a second control connection C41 of a second secondary simplex computer C4 in order to receive a third control signal representative of the effort law to be applied to the control unit 20.

[0115] From then on, the third motor M3 can be electrically connected to a tilting device 50. Such a tilting device 50 is in turn electrically connected to both the first simplex secondary computer C3 and the second simplex secondary computer C4.

[0116] As shown in more detail in [Fig.5], such a switching device 50 is further configured to connect the third motor M3 either to the first simplex secondary computer C3 or to the second simplex secondary computer C4 depending on validity signals VAL_C3, VAL_C4 generated by the first simplex secondary computer C3 and by the second simplex secondary computer C4.

[0117] Indeed, the first C3 simplex secondary computer and the second C4 simplex secondary computer can be self-monitored via a hardware monitoring module called "HM," an acronym for "Hardware Monitoring." Such a module can then be simple to implement and integrated into each of the C3 and C4 simplex secondary computers.

[0118] More specifically, a first secondary monitoring connection C33 is then linked with a third hardware monitoring brick HM3 of the first secondary simplex computer C3 and a second secondary monitoring connection C43 is then linked with a fourth hardware monitoring brick HM4 of the second secondary simplex computer C4.

[0119] The first secondary simplex calculator C3 can then communicate a first validity signal VAL_C3 to a first switch 51 and to a second switch 55 connected in series with the switching device 50.

[0120] Similarly, the second secondary simplex calculator C4 can communicate a second validity signal VAL_C4 to a third switch 52 of the switching device 50.

[0121] As shown, the switching device 50 may include the first switch 51 and the second switch 55 connected both to a CMD_C3 control signal from the first simplex secondary computer C3 and to a validity signal VAL_C3 of the first secondary simplex calculator C3 allowing either to close jointly the first switch 51 and the second switch 55, or to open jointly the first switch 51 and the second switch 55.

[0122] When the first switch 51 and the second switch 55 are closed, the third motor M3 is then controlled by the CMD_C3 control signal from the first secondary simplex computer C3.

[0123] On the other hand, when the first switch 51 and / or the second switch 55 is / are open, the third motor M3 is no longer controlled by the CMD_C3 control signal from the first secondary simplex computer C3.

[0124] In addition, the switching device 50 may include a third switch 52 and a fourth switch 53 connected in series to the second secondary simplex computer C4 in order to be able to receive the corresponding CMD_C4 control signal.

[0125] The fourth switch 53 can be electrically connected, optionally via an inverter gate 54, to the validity signal VAL_C3 of the first secondary simplex computer C3 to be placed in an open or closed state depending on the validity signal VAL_C3 received.

[0126] The third switch 52 is then electrically connected to the VAL_C4 validity signal of the second secondary simplex calculator C4.

[0127] Thus, when the third and fourth switches 52, 53 are closed, the third motor M3 is then controlled by the CMD_C4 control signal from the second secondary simplex computer C4.

[0128] Each switch can take, for example, the form of a relay, a MOSFET-type transistor, or others.

[0129] In addition, the third motor M3 can be connected to both two first secondary monitoring connections C32, C33 of the first secondary simplex ECU C3 and to two second secondary monitoring connections C42, C43 of the second secondary simplex ECU C4 in order to be able to emit a third monitoring signal representative of a motor state of the third motor M3.

[0130] As shown in [Fig.6], the system 35 can include three motors M1, M2, M3 connected respectively to a primary simplex computer Cl', a secondary simplex computer C2' and a tertiary simplex computer C3', the simplex computers Cl', C2' and C3' being all dissimilar to each other.

[0131] As before, a first motor Ml can then be connected to two primary monitoring connections C12', C13' of the primary simplex computer Cl' to transmit to them a first monitoring signal representative of a motor state of the first motor ML. One of the two primary monitoring connections C12', C13' is then connected with a first hardware monitoring brick HM1' of the primary simplex computer Cl'.

[0132] Similarly, the second motor M2 can be connected to two secondary monitoring connections C22', C23' of the secondary simplex ECU C2' to transmit to them a second monitoring signal representative of a motor state of the second motor M2. One of the two secondary monitoring connections C22', C23' is then connected with a second hardware monitoring brick HM2' of the secondary simplex ECU C2'.

[0133] In addition, the third motor M3 can be connected to both of two tertiary monitoring connections C32', C33' of the simplex tertiary computer C3'. One of the two tertiary monitoring connections C32', C33' is then connected with a third hardware monitoring brick HM3' of the simplex tertiary computer C3'.

[0134] Furthermore, the system 35 can then comprise a primary position sensor SI', a secondary position sensor S2' and a tertiary position sensor S3' all similar to each other.

[0135] The primary position sensor SI' is then electrically connected to the primary simplex calculator Cl', the secondary position sensor S2' is electrically connected to the secondary simplex calculator C2' and the tertiary position sensor S3' is electrically connected to the tertiary simplex calculator C3'.

[0136] As shown in [Fig.7], the system 45 can comprise two identical primary simplex computers Cl", C2", two identical secondary simplex computers C3", C4" dissimilar to the two primary simplex computers Cl", C2" and two identical tertiary simplex computers C5", C6" dissimilar to both the two primary simplex computers Cl", C2" and the two secondary simplex computers C3", C4".

[0137] In this case, the primary position sensor SI' is then electrically connected to the two primary simplex computers C1", C2", the secondary position sensor S2' is electrically connected to the two secondary simplex computers C3", C4" and the tertiary position sensor S3' is electrically connected to the two tertiary simplex computers C5", C6".

[0138] Furthermore, the system 45 may include a first motor M1 connected to both a primary simplex computer C1", a secondary simplex computer C3" and a tertiary simplex computer C5" and a second motor M2 connected to both a primary simplex computer C2", a secondary simplex computer C4" and a tertiary simplex computer C6".

[0139] Naturally, the present invention is subject to numerous variations in its implementation. Although several embodiments have been described, it is understood that it is not conceivable to exhaustively identify all possible embodiments. It is, of course, conceivable to replace a described means with an equivalent means without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.

Claims

Demands

1. An electric flight control system (5, 15, 25, 35, 45) for controlling an aircraft (1), the flight control system (5, 15, 25, 35, 45) comprising at least one flight control acquisition subset (2) for acquiring said flight control from a maneuver of an associated control element (20) maneuverable by a pilot of said aircraft (1) along at least one flight axis, said flight control system (5, 15, 25, 35, 45) comprising at least three position sensors (SI, S2, S3, S4, SI', S2', S3') per flight axis, each position sensor (SI, S2, S3, S4, SI', S2', S3') generating position information of said control element (20) and being in communication with said at least one acquisition subset (2), characterized in that each acquisition subset (2) comprises at least three simplex computers (Cl, Cl', Cl", C2, C2', C2", C3, C3', C3", C4, C4", C5",C6") each having a single computing channel connected to one of said at least three position sensors (SI, S2, S3, S4, S1', S2', S3'), and in that at least two computers (Cl, Cl', Cl", C2, C2', C2", C3, C3', C3", C4, C4", C5", C6") among said at least three simplex computers (Cl, Cl', Cl", C2, C2', C2", C3, C3', C3", C4, C4", C5", C6") are dissimilar and at least two position sensors (SI, S2, S3, S4, SI', S2', S3') among said at least three position sensors (SI, S2, S3, S4, SI', S2', S3') are dissimilar.,

2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that said flight control system (15) comprises at least two motors (M1, M2, M3, M4) configured to jointly apply a force law to a moving part (21) of said piloting member (20).

3. System according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that said at least three simplex computers (Cl, Cl', Cl", C2, C2', C2", C3, C3', C3", C4, C4", C5", C6" comprise two identical primary simplex computers (Cl, C2) and two identical secondary simplex computers (C3, C4) dissimilar to the two primary simplex computers (Cl, C2).

4. System according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that said at least two motors (M1, M2, M3, M4) comprise four motors, two motors (M1, M2) being individually connected to two primary simplex computers (C1, C2) via two control connections (C1, C2) and two other motors (M3, M4) being individually connected to two secondary simplex computers (C3, C4) via two other control connections (C3, C4) in order to receive a control signal representative of said force law to be applied to said moving part of said control member (20), each motor (M1, M2, M3, M4) being connected either to two primary monitoring connections (C12, C13, C22, C23) of said two primary simplex computers (C1, C2), or to two secondary monitoring connections (C32, C33, C42, C43) of said two secondary simplex computers (C3, C4) in order to emit a representative monitoring signal of a motor state.

5. System (25) according to claims 2 and 3 characterized in that said at least two motors (M1, M2, M3, M4) comprise: • a first motor (M1) connected to a first control connection (C1) of a first primary simplex computer (C1) in order to receive a first control signal representative of said force law to be applied to said control member (20), • a second motor (M2) connected to a second control connection (C21) of a second primary simplex computer (C2) in order to receive a second control signal representative of said force law to be applied to said control member (20), and • a third motor (M3) connected on command either to a first control connection (C31) of a first secondary simplex computer (C3),either to a second control connection (C41) of a second secondary simplex computer (C4) in order to receive a third control signal representative of said force law to be applied to said control unit (20).

6. System according to claim 5, characterized in that:

7.

8. • said first motor (Ml) is connected to two first primary monitoring connections (C12, C13) of said first primary simplex computer (Cl) in order to be able to emit a first monitoring signal representative of a motor state of said first motor (Ml), • said second motor (M2) is connected to two second primary monitoring connections (C22, C23) of said second primary simplex computer (C2) in order to be able to emit a second monitoring signal representative of a motor state of said second motor (M2), and • said third motor (M3) is connected both to two first secondary monitoring connections (C32, C33) of said first secondary simplex computer (C3) and to two second secondary monitoring connections (C42, C43) of said second secondary simplex computer (C4) in order to be able to emit a third monitoring signal representative of a motor state of said third motor (M3). System according to any one of claims 5 to 6, characterized in that said third motor (M3) is electrically connected to a toggle device (50), said toggle device (50) being electrically connected to said first simplex secondary computer (C3) and said second simplex secondary computer (C4) and being configured to connect said third motor (M3) either to said first simplex secondary computer (C3) or to said second simplex secondary computer (C4), said first simplex secondary computer (C3) and second simplex secondary computer (C4) being self-monitored and communicating a first validity signal (VAL_C3) and a second validity signal (VAL_C4) respectively to, on the one hand, a first switch (51) and a second switch (55) connected in series and, on the other hand, a third switch (52) and a fourth switch (53) connected in series to said toggle device (50). System (5, 15, 25) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said at least three position sensors (SI, S2, S3, S4) comprise two identical primary position sensors (SI, S2) and two secondary position sensors (S3, S4) identical and dissimilar of the two primary position sensors (S1,S2).

9. System (35) according to claim 2, characterized in that said at least three simplex computers (Cl, Cl', Cl", C2, C2', C2", C3, C3', C3", C4, C4", C5", C6") comprise a primary simplex computer (CT), a secondary simplex computer (C2') and a tertiary simplex computer (C3') all similar to each other.

10. System (45) according to claim 2, characterized in that said at least three simplex computers (Cl, Cl', Cl", C2, C2', C2", C3, C3', C3", C4, C4", C5", C6") comprise two identical primary simplex computers (Cl", C2"), two identical secondary simplex computers (C3", C4") which are dissimilar to the two primary simplex computers (Cl", C2") and two identical tertiary simplex computers (C5", C6") which are dissimilar to both the two primary simplex computers (Cl", C2") and the two secondary simplex computers (C3", C4").

11. System (35, 45) according to any one of claims 9 to 10, characterized in that said at least three position sensors (SI, S2, S3, S4, SI', S2', S3') comprise a primary position sensor (ST), a secondary position sensor (S2') dissimilar to the primary position sensor (ST) and a tertiary position sensor (S3') dissimilar to both the primary position sensor (ST) and the secondary position sensor (S2').

12. System (5, 15, 25, 35, 45) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that said at least one acquisition subset (2) is integrated into said control member (20).

13. Aircraft (1) equipped with an electric flight control system (5, 15, 25, 35, 45) for controlling said aircraft (1), characterized in that said flight control system (5, 15, 25, 35, 45) is according to any one of claims 1 to 12.