Aircraft Lock-Detecting System Using Servo Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pilots often forget to remove gust locks from aircraft control surfaces before flight, leading to potential damage and operational issues.
Innovation Solution
A lock-detecting system comprising servo actuators and a computing device that actuates flight control surfaces to detect the presence of gust locks and alerts the pilot to their removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If manual gust locks are used to prevent damage to control surfaces, then protection against environmental damage is improved, but the risk of human error (forgetting to remove locks) increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automatic feedback by using servo actuators to attempt movement of control surfaces and sensors to detect whether movement occurs. When a gust lock is detected, the system provides feedback to the pilot through alerts, eliminating the need for manual checking and preventing forgotten lock removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically detecting the presence of gust locks through servo actuation attempts and sensor feedback, and by autonomously alerting the pilot. This removes the burden of manual lock detection and verification from the pilot.
2Reliability
If automatic lock detection system is implemented, then reliability of pre-flight checks is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses existing multi-functional components: servo actuators that already exist for normal flight control operations are repurposed for lock detection, and existing control surface position sensors are utilized for detection purposes. This approach adds lock detection capability without requiring entirely new dedicated components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a computing device as an intermediary that coordinates between servo actuators, sensors, and pilot alerts. This central intermediary simplifies the overall system architecture by managing the detection logic and communication in one location rather than distributing complexity across multiple independent systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A lock-detecting system is configured to be installed in an aircraft to determine if a gust lock is emplaced on a flight control surface. The lock-detecting system includes at least one servo actuator and a computing device. The at least one servo actuator is associated with the flight control surface of the aircraft such that the servo actuator is configured to supply a force to a flight control surface when engaged. The computing device is configured to instruct the at least one servo actuator to actuate the flight control surface, acquire an indication that the flight control surface did not move in response to said actuation by the servo actuator, and alert a pilot to remove the gust lock from the flight control surface.