Rotorcraft Engine Output Ramping During Multi-Engine Outage
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Solution Overview
Problem
As rotorcraft become larger and more complex, managing flight parameters and controls becomes increasingly challenging due to tightly coupled aerodynamic characteristics, and existing fly-by-wire systems struggle to maintain stable flight while allowing pilot override and reducing workload effectively.
Innovation Solution
A method and system where a flight control computer determines an engine output ramping rate based on the difference between an operating parameter and a nominal limit, allowing the engine output to be temporarily increased beyond its nominal limit during an engine outage, using either calculated or lookup table-determined rates, to maintain rotorcraft flight conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If engine output is temporarily increased beyond nominal limit during outage, then rotorcraft flight stability is maintained, but engine damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts engine output based on real-time operating conditions and outage scenarios. The control system modulates the engine output ramping rate according to the difference between current operating parameters and nominal limits, enabling adaptive response that maintains flight stability while protecting engine durability through controlled, gradual increases rather than abrupt changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes engine output parameters gradually through a controlled ramping mechanism. By adjusting the rate of parameter change based on the gap between current and nominal limit values, the system achieves temporary exceedance of nominal limits when necessary for flight stability, while minimizing damage risk through controlled transition rates rather than instantaneous jumps.
2Measurement precision
If engine output ramping rate is calculated at runtime, then control precision is improved, but computational load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs self-adjustment by automatically calculating the optimal ramping rate based on real-time sensor data and pre-stored lookup tables. The system monitors its own operating parameters and autonomously determines the appropriate control action, eliminating the need for external intervention while maintaining high precision through runtime calculations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses lookup tables as an intermediary between raw sensor data and control decisions. These pre-computed tables store optimal ramping rates for various operating conditions, allowing the controller to quickly retrieve appropriate values without performing complex real-time calculations, thus balancing precision with computational efficiency.
3Speed
If engine output is increased rapidly during outage, then response time is reduced, but system stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic ramping rates that adapt to the specific outage scenario and current operating conditions. Rather than using a fixed rapid increase, the control system modulates the rate of change based on real-time feedback, achieving the fastest stable response possible without compromising system stability. The ramping rate is continuously adjusted to maintain optimal balance between response speed and stability.
Data Source
AI summary
In an embodiment, a rotorcraft includes: a plurality of engines; a flight control computer connected to the plurality of engines, the flight control computer being configured to: receive an operating parameter of a first engine of the plurality of engines; determine an engine output ramping rate for the first engine according to a difference between the operating parameter of the first engine and a nominal limit of the first engine; and increase the output of the first engine in response to detecting an outage of another engine of the plurality of engines, the output of the first engine being increased according to the engine output ramping rate.