Distributed Flight Control with Supplemental Attitude Drift Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft experience drift due to wind or sensor noise, leading to deviations from the intended flight path and increased difficulty in control, and modern fly-by-wire systems are prone to catastrophic failures with single-point vulnerabilities.
Innovation Solution
A distributed control system with supplemental attitude adjustment, utilizing a plurality of flight components and aircraft components that generate response commands based on supplemental attitudes to counteract drift, either through position-based adjustment when the aircraft control is disengaged or velocity-based adjustment when engaged.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single-point fly-by-wire system is used to control the aircraft, then the control system is simpler, but it is vulnerable to catastrophic failures and cannot compensate for drift
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the control system into multiple independent aircraft components (first aircraft component, second aircraft component, etc.) that are distributed throughout the aircraft. Each component has its own processor and can independently generate control commands, eliminating the single-point failure vulnerability of centralized systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple control components into a coordinated system where each component generates control commands based on sensor inputs. The components work together to provide both redundancy and drift compensation, achieving high reliability without excessive complexity.
2Reliability
If no supplemental attitude adjustment is used, then the control system is simpler, but the aircraft cannot compensate for drift from wind or sensor noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where aircraft components continuously receive sensor data, compare actual aircraft attitude with commanded attitude, and generate corrective control commands. This feedback loop enables automatic drift compensation without requiring complex external intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary drift compensation by generating supplemental attitude adjustments based on predicted drift patterns from sensor data. This proactive approach corrects drift before it significantly affects flight path, reducing the need for reactive corrections.
3Measurement precision
If traditional control systems are used without distributed architecture, then the system is more straightforward, but it lacks robustness and precision in controlling flight path
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into multiple independent components, each responsible for specific control functions. This segmentation allows parallel processing of control commands and improves measurement precision by distributing sensing and control tasks across multiple components.
Solution Approach 2:
Each aircraft component is designed to perform multiple functions: sensing aircraft attitude, generating control commands, and executing corrections. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated systems while maintaining high control precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A distributed control system with supplemental attitude adjustment including an aircraft control having an engaged state and a disengaged state. The system also including a plurality of flight components and a plurality of aircraft components communicatively connected to the plurality of flight components, wherein each aircraft component is configured to receive an aircraft command and generate a response command directing the flight components as a function of supplemental attitude. The supplemental attitude based at least in part on the engagement datum and generating a supplemental attitude includes choosing a position supplemental attitude if the aircraft control is disengaged and choosing a velocity supplemental attitude if the aircraft control is engaged. In generating the response command, the aircraft attitude is combined with the supplemental attitude to obtain an aggregate attitude, and the aircraft component is configured to generate the response command based on the aggregate attitude.