Integrated Motor Control Architecture for Aircraft Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flight control surface actuation systems for aircraft are complex, heavy, and rely on numerous parts and controllers, lacking redundancy and fault isolation, which complicates the simultaneous control of multiple motors.
Innovation Solution
A motor control system comprising memory, motor control processors, and a communication controller that stores and transmits commands and position data to efficiently manage multiple motors, reducing complexity and weight while providing redundancy and fault isolation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If central power drive units and mechanical drive trains are used to control multiple actuators, then the system provides sufficient redundancy and reliability, but the device complexity and weight increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple motor control functions into a single integrated controller that can simultaneously control multiple motors. The controller includes a processor that executes control algorithms for multiple actuators, merging what would traditionally require separate control systems. This reduces the number of discrete control components while maintaining the reliability needed for flight control applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated controller is designed to universally control multiple different types of actuators (flap actuators, slat actuators, spoiler actuators) through a single device. The controller can adapt to control different motor types and actuator configurations, providing multi-functional capability that replaces multiple specialized controllers, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
2Reliability
If individual power drive units are used for each actuator, then the system achieves robustness and fault isolation, but the quantity of parts and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control functions of multiple individual power drive units into a single integrated controller. The controller maintains the ability to independently control each actuator while consolidating the control architecture, thus reducing the number of discrete controller components from multiple units to one unified system.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated controller implements logical segmentation of control functions, where each actuator receives dedicated control algorithms and fault monitoring from the unified controller. This allows the system to maintain fault isolation capabilities similar to individual controllers while achieving hardware consolidation, as the processor can independently manage each actuator's control channel.
3Reliability
If numerous controllers are used per actuator or flight control surface, then sufficient control and monitoring are achieved, but the weight and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates multiple controller functions into a single integrated controller unit, significantly reducing the total weight of control electronics. The processor-based architecture provides all necessary control and monitoring functions that would traditionally require multiple separate controllers, eliminating redundant hardware and reducing overall system weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated controller is designed with universal capabilities to perform multiple control and monitoring functions simultaneously. It can control different types of actuators, monitor their status, execute control algorithms, and provide fault detection all within a single device, replacing what would traditionally require multiple specialized controllers and thereby reducing weight.
Data Source
AI summary
A motor control architecture is provided that simultaneously controls multiple motors. The motor control system includes memory, a plurality of motor control processors, and a communication controller. The motor control processors are each responsive to control signals supplied from the communication controller to selectively retrieve system commands and motor positions from the memory, to generate motor commands, and to supply the generated motor commands to the memory. The communication controller selectively receives system commands and transmits the received system commands to the memory, selectively supplies the command signals to selected ones of the motor control processors, selectively receives motor positions from a plurality of motors, selectively transmits motor positions to the memory, selectively retrieves generated motor commands supplied to the memory, and selectively transmits the retrieved motor commands.