Ram Air Turbine Deployment Logic for Aircraft

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ram air turbine deployment systems for aircraft lack the capability to automatically deploy only when airborne and under emergency power conditions, potentially deploying during ground operations due to insufficient electrical fault detection.

Innovation Solution

An automatic deployment system utilizing digital logic and sensors to monitor aircraft weight-on-wheels, power generators, and electric bus states, ensuring deployment only when the aircraft is airborne and experiencing a significant loss of electric potential, with a fault-free emergency power supply and no external ground power sources connected.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the ram air turbine deployment system monitors only basic electrical fault conditions, then the deployment response is simple and fast, but the system may deploy during ground operations when external power is connected, causing unnecessary activation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccurate deployment condition detectionVSAvoiddeployment control logic

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The deployment control logic is segmented into multiple independent monitoring functions: weight-on-wheels status monitoring, external power source detection, electric bus potential monitoring, and emergency power supply status monitoring. Each function independently evaluates a specific condition, and the results are combined through logical AND operations to determine deployment eligibility, reducing complexity while improving accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary monitoring of multiple conditions before allowing deployment: it first verifies the aircraft is airborne via weight-on-wheels sensors, confirms no external power is connected, checks electric bus potential levels, and verifies emergency power supply status. Only after all preliminary conditions are satisfied does the system allow deployment, preventing premature or incorrect activation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the system requires multiple conditions to be met before deployment, then unnecessary ground deployment is prevented, but the deployment response time increases due to multiple sensor checks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprevent ground deploymentVSAvoiddeployment response time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring functions operate continuously and independently, with sensors constantly reporting status to the control logic. The weight-on-wheels sensors, external power detectors, electric bus monitors, and emergency power supply status all update their states continuously, so when a deployment condition arises, the system already has current information ready for immediate evaluation and response

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback loops where sensor outputs are continuously fed back to the control logic for evaluation. The control logic receives real-time feedback on weight-on-wheels status, external power connection state, electric bus potential levels, and emergency power supply status, enabling dynamic and timely deployment decisions based on current system state

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If the system uses digital logic with multiple sensors, then the accuracy of airborne status detection is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveairborne status detection accuracyVSAvoidcontrol system assembly

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The control logic serves multiple functions through a unified digital logic architecture: it processes weight-on-wheels data, external power detection, electric bus monitoring, and emergency power supply status all through the same logical framework. This multi-functional approach consolidates what could be separate complex systems into a single integrated control unit, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining high detection accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

Ensures the ram air turbine deploys only when the aircraft is airborne and experiencing a genuine emergency power condition, preventing unnecessary deployment on the ground and ensuring reliable emergency power generation.

Implementation Method 1

a ram air turbine for an aircraft to deploy only when emergency power conditions arise in flight

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectKinetic energy conversion:

Implementation Method 2

The automatic deployment system 2 may engage a ram air turbine deployment solenoid 28 that deploys the ram air turbine 4

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic actuation: Solenoid

Data Source

PatentUS8892265B2Automatic ram air turbine deployment

Publication Date: 2014.11.18 HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORP

AI summary

A method of deploying a ram air turbine for an aircraft only during flight that deploys the ram air turbine only when a predetermined number of aeronautical power generation contactor signals are in an engaged state, an external power generation contactor is in a disengaged state, wheels for the aircraft are in an airborne state and all of multiple primary electric buses are in a fault state that represents electric potential below a predetermined level.