Digital Aircraft Flight Control Surface Sensing With Hall Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft flight control surface position sensors, such as potentiometers, resolvers, and RVDTs, are heavy, expensive, and require complex interfacing circuitry, leading to large and costly wiring systems, and necessitate mechanical calibration, which is time-consuming and prone to errors.
Innovation Solution
A digital surface position sensor system comprising a position sensor, adaptable hardware interface, and processing circuit that generates low-power digital signals without mechanical calibration, using a Hall sensor and magnet combination, and a CAN bus protocol for communication, enabling self-detection and redundant signal transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional position sensors (potentiometers, resolvers, RVDTs) are used, then position feedback is provided, but the system becomes heavy, expensive, and requires complex interfacing circuitry
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/electromechanical position sensors (potentiometers, resolvers, RVDTs) with a digital magnetic position sensor system. The magnetic field-based sensing eliminates the need for complex electrical interfacing circuitry required by traditional sensors, directly reducing device complexity while maintaining position feedback reliability through digital signal output.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex interfacing circuitry from the sensor system by using a digital output approach. The magnetic position sensor directly outputs digital signals that can be processed by flight control computers without requiring dedicated analog-to-digital conversion circuits for each sensor, thereby removing unnecessary system complexity.
2Reliability
If traditional position sensors with dedicated circuits are used, then position signals are processed, but the wiring system becomes large and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple sensor signals and processing functions into a unified digital communication system. Instead of having separate dedicated circuits and wiring for each position sensor, the digital output signals can be transmitted through shared communication buses, consolidating the wiring infrastructure and reducing overall system weight while maintaining signal processing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital position sensor system provides universal compatibility with flight control computer interfaces. The same digital communication protocol can be used across multiple sensors and system components, eliminating the need for sensor-specific dedicated wiring and circuits, thereby reducing wiring system weight and complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If mechanical calibration is required for SPS installation, then the sensor can be integrated, but the process becomes time-consuming and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The digital magnetic position sensor system performs self-calibration through its digital output capabilities. The sensor automatically provides position feedback signals that can be directly read and processed by the flight control computer without requiring manual mechanical calibration procedures, thereby eliminating time-consuming calibration steps while ensuring accurate sensor integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor is pre-configured with digital output characteristics that enable automatic calibration upon installation. The digital signal protocol includes built-in reference signals or self-identification capabilities that allow the flight control computer to automatically determine sensor parameters without requiring manual calibration actions, thereby reducing integration time and errors.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces weight and cost by eliminating complex wiring and mechanical calibration, while ensuring high integrity and reliability through redundant digital signal transmission.
Implementation Method 1
using a Hall sensor and magnet combination
Data Source
AI summary
A digital surface position sensor includes a position sensor, an adaptable hardware interface, and a processing circuit. The position sensor is adapted to be coupled to an aircraft flight control surface and is configured to sense a position of the aircraft flight control surface and supply a position signal representative thereof. The adaptable hardware input supplies an identification signal that identifies the aircraft flight control surface to which the position sensor is coupled. The processing circuit is coupled to receive the position signal and the identification signal. The processing circuit is configured, upon receipt of the signals, to process the position signal and the identification signal and generate (i) a first digital position signal representative of the position of, and the identification of, the aircraft flight control surface and (ii) and independent second digital signal representative of the position of, and the identification of, the aircraft flight control surface.