Aircraft Autopilot Load-Factor Control Without Airspeed Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatic pilots and thrust regulation devices in aircraft disengage when airspeed information is unavailable, causing increased workload for the crew and potential departure from the flight envelope, as existing solutions do not ensure stable flight without additional mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A piloting assistance method and system that measures vertical maneuvers and inclination angles to compute load factors, allowing for elevator and thrust control without airspeed data, maintaining continuous flight and reducing nose-up pitch dynamics, ensuring automatic pilot availability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the automatic pilot disengages when airspeed information is unavailable, then the aircraft safety is protected by preventing operation outside flight envelope, but the availability of automatic pilot and crew workload are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that computes load factor estimates using alternative sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, pitch rate sensors) when airspeed data is unavailable. This intermediary computation layer bridges the gap between unavailable primary sensors and the automatic pilot's need for speed information, allowing continuous operation without directly compromising safety or increasing crew workload.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical/electrical airspeed sensing system with an inertial-based estimation system using accelerometers and gyroscopes. When the primary airspeed system fails, the invention substitutes the measurement mechanism with an alternative physical principle (inertial measurement and computational estimation), enabling the automatic pilot to continue functioning.
2Reliability
If additional mechanisms are added to maintain flight stability without airspeed data, then the automatic pilot availability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes existing sensors serve multiple functions. The same accelerometers, gyroscopes, and pitch rate sensors used for basic attitude control are also utilized for load factor estimation and thrust regulation. This multi-functionality approach improves automatic pilot availability without adding dedicated hardware for each function, thereby limiting complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the load factor estimation function with the existing thrust regulation and attitude control systems. Instead of creating separate independent systems, the invention integrates multiple functions into a unified control architecture that shares computational resources and sensor data, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the automatic pilot uses computed load factor without airspeed data, then the flight stability is maintained, but the measurement precision of speed information deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by using load factor computation only for thrust regulation and attitude control purposes when airspeed data is unavailable, rather than attempting to provide full replacement for all airspeed functions. The system accepts reduced precision for speed-related decisions while maintaining sufficient accuracy for stable flight control, matching the level of precision to the specific operational need.
Data Source
AI summary
A piloting assistance system for an aircraft includes a measuring module for measuring a vertical manoeuvre of the aircraft, a computational module for computing a first load factor from the measured vertical manoeuvre and from a setpoint vertical manoeuvre, a measuring module for measuring an inclination angle, a pitch rate and a pitch acceleration, a protection module including a computational submodule configured to compute a second load factor and a comparison submodule in order to compare the first and the second load factor in order to determine an applicable load factor equal to the minimum between the first and the second load factor, a computational module configured to compute elevator control from the applicable load factor and a sending module configured to send the elevator control to the automatic pilot.