Rotorcraft Auto Jettison System Predictive Load Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In rotary-wing aircraft, a failure of one suspension point in a two-point suspension system leads to unbalanced forces and moments, posing a danger to the helicopter and its crew, necessitating the jettisoning of external cargo to avoid damage.
Innovation Solution
An auto jettison system that monitors load values from attachment points, predicts potential failures, and automatically releases the cargo if certain threshold values are exceeded, using load cells and emergency release modules to trigger a controlled jettison.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a two-point suspension system is used to carry external cargo, then the cargo can be stabilized about the yaw axis, but a failure of one suspension point results in all cargo being supported by the other suspension point, creating large forces and moments that may exceed structural limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors load values at both suspension points and predicts future load conditions before failure occurs. When the predicted load at the remaining suspension point exceeds the structural limitation threshold, the system proactively jettisons the cargo before the actual failure can cause damage to the helicopter or crew.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses load cells to continuously measure the actual load values at each suspension point and feeds this information back to the control system. The control system compares the monitored load values against predetermined thresholds and adjusts the jettison decision based on real-time load conditions, creating a closed-loop safety system.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the helicopter carries external cargo using suspension points on the bottom of the aircraft, then the cargo can be delivered to locations where access by other transportation is difficult, but a suspension point failure creates unbalanced forces and moments that pose danger to the helicopter and crew
Solution Approach 1:
The system predicts future load conditions by monitoring the rate of change of load values and extrapolating to determine when the remaining suspension point will exceed its structural limitation. This preliminary prediction allows the system to trigger cargo jettison before the hazardous condition actually occurs, preventing damage to the aircraft and crew while maintaining the ability to deliver cargo to remote locations.
3Reliability
If the system continuously monitors and predicts load values to prevent failure, then cargo-related hazards can be mitigated, but the device complexity increases due to additional sensors and control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the existing load cell infrastructure already present in the suspension system to monitor load values. By leveraging the existing measurement capability and using the natural load variations during flight as the monitoring stimulus, the system avoids adding separate complex monitoring equipment while still achieving continuous safety monitoring and prediction.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of automatically jettisoning cargo suspended from a suspension system coupled to an auto jettison system, includes receiving an initial load value from at least one attachment point of the suspension system, the receiving of the initial load value in response to attaching the cargo to the suspension system; receiving an instantaneous load value of the cargo suspended on an attachment point, the attachment point being coupled to the cargo; predicting a rate of change of the instantaneous load value at a predetermined future time period; combining the predicted rate of change of the instantaneous load value with the initial load value to create a predicted load value; comparing the predicted load value to a threshold value for the attachment point; and jettisoning the cargo from the attachment point if the predicted value is greater than the threshold value.