Aircraft Engine Shut-Off Blocking Logic for Inadvertent Cutoff
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft propulsion engines can be inadvertently shut off due to pilot error or failure to follow emergency procedures, posing safety risks.
Innovation Solution
A blocking device with electronic circuitry that monitors engine and flight parameters to prevent inappropriate shut-off by actuating a controller, ensuring the propulsion engine remains operational when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the shut-off unit is made easily actuable by the controller, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to inadvertent shut-off
Solution Approach 1:
A blocking device is introduced as an intermediary component between the controller and the shut-off unit. This blocking device includes a control unit that receives signals from the controller and intermediate signals from various sensors (fuel shut-off lever position, engine speed, opposite engine state). The control unit acts as a mediator that evaluates these intermediate signals and only allows the shut-off unit to be actuated when appropriate conditions are met, thus preventing inadvertent shut-off while maintaining operational ease when conditions permit.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring the state of the fuel shut-off lever, engine speed, and opposite engine status through sensors. These sensor signals are fed back to the control unit, which uses this feedback information to determine whether to block or allow the shut-off unit actuation. This feedback loop ensures that the shut-off function is only activated when the system is in an appropriate state, preventing erroneous operations.
2Reliability
If the blocking device monitors multiple parameters, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit of the blocking device is designed with multi-functionality to handle multiple monitoring tasks. It simultaneously processes signals from various sensors (fuel shut-off lever position, engine speed, opposite engine status) and integrates their evaluation into a single blocking decision. This universal approach allows one control unit to perform multiple functions that would otherwise require separate systems, thereby improving reliability through comprehensive monitoring while limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple monitoring functions and control logic into a single integrated blocking device. Instead of having separate systems for monitoring fuel lever position, engine speed, and opposite engine status, these functions are merged into one control unit that evaluates all parameters and makes a unified blocking decision. This merging reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall system architecture while maintaining comprehensive reliability monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
A blocking device for preventing an inappropriate shut-off of an engine of an aircraft. The blocking device enables by default the actuation of the shut-off unit and receives information representative of an activated or inactivated state of a fuel shut-off lever, of a reduced or non-reduced speed state of a throttle lever, and a correct or incorrect operating state of the engine. The blocking device blocks the actuation of the shut-off unit when the throttle lever is in an inactivated state, when the engine is in a correct operating state, and when, in addition, the throttle lever is in a non-reduced speed state or the throttle lever is in a reduced speed state and, in addition, the opposite propulsion engine is in a failed state or in an incorrect operating state.