Dual-Source Actuator for Aircraft Control Surfaces
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing actuators for aircraft control surfaces lack redundancy, as they can fail to operate when oil pressure is lost or voltage is lost, making them unreliable for driving control surfaces.
Innovation Solution
An actuator configuration that includes a cylinder, piston, movable rod, screw shaft, nut, and electric motor, with a gear mechanism for reliable rotation transmission and a mode selector valve to switch between fluid pressure and electric power operation, ensuring continuous functionality even when fluid pressure is lost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an actuator uses only fluid pressure (hydraulic cylinder) to drive the piston, then it can operate without electric power, but it cannot operate when oil pressure is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator is designed to perform the same function of driving the piston using two different power sources: fluid pressure and electric motor. The system can switch between hydraulic mode (using switch valve to control fluid pressure) and electric mode (using motor to rotate screw shaft), making the actuator universally applicable under different power availability conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuator dynamically adapts its driving mechanism based on power availability. When fluid pressure is available, the switch valve directs hydraulic flow to move the piston. When fluid pressure is lost, the system transitions to electric motor驱动 through the screw shaft and nut mechanism, allowing the actuator to maintain functionality under varying operational conditions.
2Reliability
If an actuator uses only electric power (motor and screw shaft) to drive the movable rod, then it can operate without fluid pressure, but it cannot operate when voltage is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator incorporates dual driving mechanisms: an electric motor system (motor → screw shaft → nut → piston) and a hydraulic system (fluid pressure → switch valve → piston). This universal design allows the actuator to function with either power source, ensuring operational reliability regardless of which power source fails.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between electric and hydraulic driving modes. When electric power is available, the motor rotates the screw shaft to move the piston. When voltage is lost, the switch valve can redirect fluid pressure to the piston, maintaining actuator functionality under varying power conditions.
3Reliability
If the actuator includes both fluid pressure and electric motor systems, then it provides redundancy and can operate with either power source, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two independent driving systems (hydraulic and electric) into a single integrated actuator unit. Both systems share common components such as the piston, cylinder, and control valve, allowing the actuator to provide redundancy while minimizing overall structural complexity through component sharing and integration.
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
The actuator provides redundancy by enabling operation using either electric power or fluid pressure, ensuring continuous control surface movement and reducing vibration through fluid pressure damping, making it suitable for aircraft applications.
Implementation Method 1
a piston (22) that is disposed in the cylinder (21) and moves by supply and exhaust of a working fluid to and from the cylinder
Implementation Method 2
a screw shaft (29), at least a part of which is inserted into the movable rod (23), a nut (30) that is screwed to the screw shaft (29)
Implementation Method 3
The actuator may further include a bias spring that biases the second switch value in a direction to be switched to the second position
Data Source
AI summary
An actuator includes a cylinder, a piston that is disposed in the cylinder and moves by supply and exhaust of working oil to and from the cylinder, a movable rod that is connected to the piston, a screw shaft, at least a part of which is inserted into the movable rod, a nut that is threaded to the screw shaft and moves integrally with the piston, and an electric motor that rotates the screw shaft forward or backward.