Rotorcraft Fly-By-Wire Go-Around Control for Coupled Flight Dynamics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rotorcraft fly-by-wire systems face challenges in decoupling coupled flight dynamics, leading to increased pilot workload and fatigue due to inherent coupling of aircraft motions, which complicates maneuvers like go-arounds.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a fly-by-wire flight control system with cross-feed arrangements and control laws that anticipate and decouple aircraft motions, allowing the system to transition to a roll-neutral attitude and increase altitude with reduced pilot input, using a rotorcraft flight control computer (FCC) in communication with a pilot control assembly (PCA).
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional rotorcraft control system is used, then the pilot can directly control the aircraft, but the pilot workload and fatigue increase due to coupled flight dynamics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a fly-by-wire control system with a flight control computer that acts as an intermediary between the pilot's control inputs and the aircraft's flight surfaces. This mediator automatically decouples the coupled flight dynamics through control laws, reducing pilot workload while managing the complexity through automated computation rather than mechanical complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical control linkages with an electrical fly-by-wire system. This substitution allows the complex task of decoupling flight dynamics to be handled by computational control laws rather than complex mechanical mechanisms, reducing pilot workload while managing system complexity through software rather than hardware
2Ease of operation
If the fly-by-wire system decouples flight dynamics, then pilot workload is reduced, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical control linkages with an electrical fly-by-wire system. This substitution allows the complex task of decoupling flight dynamics to be handled by computational control laws rather than complex mechanical mechanisms, reducing pilot workload while managing system complexity through software rather than hardware
Solution Approach 2:
The fly-by-wire control system automatically monitors and adjusts control outputs to decouple flight dynamics without requiring pilot intervention. The system serves itself by continuously computing and applying the necessary control laws to maintain stable flight characteristics, reducing pilot workload while the complexity is managed autonomously by the control system
3Productivity
If manual control is used during go-around maneuvers, then the pilot has direct control, but the maneuver requires more pilot input and is less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The fly-by-wire control system pre-computes and automatically applies the appropriate control inputs for go-around maneuvers. When the pilot initiates a go-around, the system already has the decoupling control laws ready to apply, eliminating the need for the pilot to manually coordinate multiple control inputs and improving maneuver efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The control system continuously monitors flight parameters during go-around maneuvers and automatically adjusts control outputs to maintain optimal performance. This feedback mechanism ensures the maneuver proceeds efficiently with minimal pilot input, as the system self-corrects any deviations from the desired flight path
Data Source
AI summary
A fly-by-wire system for a rotorcraft includes a computing device having control laws. The control laws are operable to engage a level-and-climb command in response to a switch of a pilot control assembly being selected. The level-and-climb command establishes a roll-neutral (“wings level”) attitude with the rotorcraft increasing altitude. The switch may be disposed on a collective control of the pilot control assembly (e.g., a button on a grip of the collective control). Selection of the switch may correspond to a button depress. The level-and-climb command may include a roll command and a collective pitch command. One or more control laws may be further operable to increase or decrease forward airspeed in response to pilot engagement of the level-and-climb command. The level-and-climb command may correspond to a go-around maneuver, an abort maneuver, or an extreme-attitude-recovery maneuver to be performed by the rotorcraft.