Aircraft Flap Actuating System Fault Tolerance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft flap actuating systems lack robust fault tolerance, leading to undesirable behavior and potential safety issues due to mechanical faults, such as jamming or failure of components, which conventional systems struggle to compensate for effectively.
Innovation Solution
A fault-tolerant actuating system with a control and monitoring device that includes drive motors, brake mechanisms, a differential, and a differential lock, which allows for the detection of faults and automatic engagement of the remaining brake device to safely stop flap rotation, eliminating the need for wing-end region brakes and reducing component complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional actuating systems are used, then the system structure is simpler, but the fault tolerance is insufficient leading to safety issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary fault detection by monitoring the relationship between drive shaft rotation and flap position before critical failures occur. Position sensors detect deviations from expected motion patterns, allowing the control system to identify faults such as jamming or mechanical failures in advance and engage backup mechanisms proactively
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements beforehand cushioning through redundant brake mechanisms and differential locks that are pre-positioned to engage automatically upon fault detection. These backup components remain standby until needed, providing immediate protection against unsafe flap movement without requiring system redesign
2Reliability
If additional brake mechanisms and differential locks are added, then fault tolerance improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The brake mechanisms and differential locks serve multiple functions: they act as primary safety devices during normal operation, provide fault compensation when mechanical failures occur, and enable controlled flap positioning in failure modes. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated safety components
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service through automatic fault detection and self-compensation mechanisms. Position sensors continuously monitor flap position and automatically trigger brake engagement or differential lock activation without pilot intervention, allowing the system to correct its own failures
3Reliability
If wing-end region brakes are used, then fault protection is provided, but weight and maintenance needs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the fault protection function from the traditional wing-end region brake configuration and relocates it to the central drive unit. By concentrating safety mechanisms in the fuselage region rather than distributing them to wing tips, the system eliminates the need for heavy wing-end brakes while maintaining equivalent or superior fault protection
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the brake mechanisms and differential locks into the central drive unit, combining multiple safety functions in a single integrated location. This consolidation reduces the total component count and eliminates the need for separate wing-end brake systems
Data Source
AI summary
A fault-tolerant actuating system with at least one flap, adjustable on a respective wing of an aircraft, and with a control and monitoring device, includes: drive devices that are functionally connected to the control and monitoring device, with one of these drive devices in each case being associated with a flap, where each flap in each case is associated with a drive device, in each case including: two drive motors, two brake mechanisms, where each drive motor is associated with a brake mechanism for stopping rotation of the output of the respective drive motor, a differential that couples the outputs of the aforesaid to the aforesaid in a summing manner, an output shaft for coupling the output of the differential to drive connections, and a differential lock that is functionally connected to the control and monitoring device, which differential lock is coupled to the control and monitoring device in this manner, where each of the brake mechanisms as well as the differential lock can be operated by way of a command signal from the control and monitoring device; adjustment devices, that are coupled to the respective drive device associated with the flap, where each adjustment device in each case includes: a transmission gear unit, an adjustment mechanism and a position sensor that is functionally connected to the control and monitoring device for acquiring the adjustment state of the flap; where the control and monitoring device includes: an actuating function for generating command signals for the drive motors for adjusting the flap, a monitoring function by way of which a command signal is transmitted to both brake mechanisms and to the differential lock for operating the aforesaid when the control and monitoring device based on a comparison of sensor values of the position sensors on two different adjustment devices of a flap determines different adjustment states that exceed a predetermined extent, and a method for monitoring an actuating system.