Aircraft Control Column with Ground Lock Reversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fly-by-wire control columns for aircraft either lack adjustable tactile feedback or become unreliable due to mechanical and electrical failures, leading to loss of pilot control and increased pilot workload.
Innovation Solution
A control column system that can transition from an active indirect drive to a fully passive configuration, utilizing a ground lock mechanism and actuator decoupling to maintain tactile feedback and pilot control in case of system failures, with a catch arrangement and biasing mechanism to ensure the passive feedback arrangement remains functional.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a direct drive active control system is used to provide simulated tactile feedback, then the tactile feedback capability is improved, but the system complexity and cost increase due to elaborate servo systems, motors, and high bandwidth closed loop control algorithms
Solution Approach 1:
The control column is divided into two independent feedback systems: a passive feedback arrangement with spring and damper packages that provides basic tactile feedback, and an active feedback arrangement with motors that provides adjustable simulated tactile feedback. The passive system serves as a standalone backup that functions independently of the active system, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining tactile feedback capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A ground lock mechanism acts as an intermediary between the passive feedback arrangement and the mechanical ground. This mechanism selectively couples or decouples the passive arrangement from the ground, enabling it to function as a standalone tactile feedback system when the active system fails, without requiring complete redesign of the entire control column.
2Reliability
If redundancy is built into the direct drive active system to prevent motor or electronics failure, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity and bulk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The passive feedback arrangement uses simple mechanical components (springs and dampers) that are homogeneous in their failure modes - they simply wear out or break predictably. This contrasts with the heterogeneous active system components (motors, electronics, sensors) that have complex and varied failure modes. The homogeneous passive system provides reliable backup without the complexity of redundant active components.
3Device complexity
If a passive control column is used to provide tactile feedback, then the system complexity is reduced, but the feedback profile cannot be adjusted to compensate for changes in flight state or control surface conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static passive feedback arrangement to a dynamic hybrid system where the passive feedback characteristics can be actively adjusted. Motors in the active feedback arrangement modify the effective spring and damper characteristics in real-time, allowing the feedback profile to adapt to changing flight conditions while maintaining the mechanical simplicity of the passive foundation.
Solution Approach 2:
The active feedback arrangement changes the physical parameters of the feedback system (effective stiffness, damping coefficients) by using motors to apply additional forces that modify the passive spring and damper behavior. This allows continuous adjustment of the feedback profile without changing the fundamental passive mechanical structure.
4Reliability
If the ground lock mechanism locks the passive feedback arrangement to the mechanical ground, then the tactile feedback reliability is improved during active system failure, but the ability to adjust feedback profile is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The ground lock mechanism is designed with a biasing mechanism that automatically engages the locked state when the active system fails. This preliminary anti-action prevents the loss of tactile feedback by pre-positioning the passive arrangement in a reliable locked state, counteracting the potential harm of active system failure before it affects control capability.
Data Source
AI summary
An active control column transitionable to a fully passive state for an aircraft and methods of use are provided. The control column includes a passive feedback arrangement, a stick and a ground lock mechanism is provided. The passive feedback arrangement is moveable relative to a mechanical ground to adjust a feedback profile provided to the stick. The stick is movable relative to the mechanical ground and the passive feedback arrangement. The ground lock mechanism has a locked state in which the passive feedback arrangement is maintained in a fixed position relative to the mechanical ground. This places the control column in a fully passive state. The ground lock mechanism also has a normal state in which the passive feedback arrangement is permitted to move relative to the mechanical ground such that active feedback can be provided to the stick.