Aircraft Control Law Adjustment for 3D Wind Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft trajectory deviations due to wind, particularly turbulence, cause issues with angular speed, aircraft plate, and structural fatigue, which existing digital flight control systems struggle to mitigate effectively.
Innovation Solution
An aircraft supervisory control process that estimates three-dimensional wind using aircraft measurements, adjusts the control law for the ailerons by adding a compensation term proportional to the wind derivative, and applies this adjusted control law to reduce wind impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If digital fly-by-wire control systems are used to control aircraft, then the control precision and responsiveness are improved, but the system cannot effectively compensate for wind impact on trajectory and structural fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism by continuously monitoring aircraft state parameters (position, velocity, orientation) and control surface positions, then using this feedback to estimate wind conditions and adjust control laws in real-time. The control system receives feedback from sensors measuring aircraft state and uses this information to compute wind estimates and generate compensating control commands.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the control parameters by modifying the control laws based on estimated wind conditions. The control system adjusts control surface commands by adding wind compensation terms that are functions of estimated wind velocity and its derivatives, thereby adapting the control parameters to counteract wind effects on trajectory and structural loads.
2Reliability
If wind compensation control is added to digital flight control systems, then the ability to counter wind impact is improved, but the control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service mechanism where the control system automatically estimates wind conditions and generates compensation commands without requiring external input or manual intervention. The system uses its own sensor data and control surface position information to self-determine wind conditions and self-adjust the control laws, reducing the need for additional external sensors or complex manual override systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the control system multi-functional by enabling it to perform both normal flight control and wind compensation functions using the same hardware infrastructure. The control system processes both standard flight control commands and wind compensation commands through a unified control law adjustment mechanism, allowing one system to serve multiple purposes without requiring entirely separate dedicated systems.
3Extent of automation
If existing digital control systems are used, then automation is maintained, but the system cannot reduce structural fatigue caused by wind-induced turbulence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by estimating wind conditions and computing compensation commands before the wind effects fully manifest as trajectory deviations or structural loads. The control system proactively adjusts control laws based on predicted wind impact, preventing rather than merely reacting to turbulence-induced structural fatigue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback from aircraft state measurements and control surface positions to continuously update wind estimates and adjust control laws, enabling the automated system to respond to wind-induced turbulence and reduce structural fatigue through real-time adaptive control.
Data Source
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AI summary
An aircraft control system performs a process comprising: (201) obtaining a control law based on the aircraft's flight commands; (202) obtaining measurements of ground speed, true airspeed, roll angle, pitch angle, angle of attack, sideslip angle, and bank angle; (203) performing a three-dimensional wind estimation from the obtained measurements; (204) adjusting the control law to counteract the effect of the estimated wind, and obtaining an adjusted control law by adding a wind compensation term to the control law, which includes a term proportional to the derivative of the wind estimate; and (205) controlling the aircraft by applying the adjusted control law. Thus, the impact of wind on the aircraft is reduced through digital processing and automatic adjustment of the control lines.