Aircraft Control Surface Actuation for Gust Load Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for reducing gust loads on aircraft are inefficient without a central flight guidance computer and struggle to effectively compensate for gust loads on control surfaces, limiting their ability to mitigate overall aircraft stress.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a sensor system and regulator that directly detects and compensates for gust-induced forces on control surfaces using actuators, employing a feed-forward controller and regulator models to adjust actuator movements, allowing for faster and more effective gust load reduction without relying on a central flight guidance computer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a central flight guidance computer is used to reduce gust loads, then the compensation effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the gust load compensation function into independent modular units distributed across multiple flight control computers. Each computer can independently process gust load compensation for its controlled actuators using local sensor data, eliminating the need for a centralized flight guidance computer while maintaining compensation effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
Each flight control computer is equipped with the capability to independently perform gust load compensation calculations and control decisions using locally available sensor measurements. This self-service approach allows distributed computers to autonomously compensate for gust loads without requiring centralized coordination, reducing system complexity.
2Speed
If gust loads are detected and compensated at the actuator level, then the reaction time is improved, but the measurement and control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feed-forward control that uses predicted gust load values to proactively adjust actuator positions before the gust loads fully impact the control surfaces. By calculating anticipated gust effects based on atmospheric data and aircraft state, the system prepares compensatory control actions in advance, achieving faster effective response times.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors actual gust loads through sensor measurements and feeds this information back to the flight control computers. This feedback loop enables real-time adjustment of compensation strategies, allowing the system to adapt to changing gust conditions and maintain optimal compensation effectiveness while managing control complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Device and method for reducing gust loads acting on control surfaces of an aircraft. Each control surface is movable by at least one actuator, and a flight control system provides reference variables Xsoll and {dot over (X)}soll to actuate the actuator of each control surface. Xsoll indicates a target position, force, or moment of the actuator, and {dot over (X)}soll indicates a time derivative of Xsoll. The device includes: a first sensor system identifying a position, force, or moment, indicated by variable Fext,Boe, as produced by gusts acting from outside on the control surface; and a regulator regulating the actuator of the control surface based on Fext,Boe, Xsoll and {dot over (X)}soll, and XA and {dot over (X)}A, resulting from the actuator acting on the control surface and detected by a second sensor system, wherein regulation of the actuator by the regulator enables compensation of the position, force, or moment produced by gusts acting on the control surface.