Tail Rotor Failure Recovery Controller for Helicopters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tail rotor drive failure in rotary wing aircraft poses significant challenges in controlling the aircraft, especially when the vertical tail is ineffective, leading to instability and difficulty in maintaining controlled flight.
Innovation Solution
A tail rotor recovery control system comprising a detection module to identify tail rotor drive loss and a regulation module that augments or deactivates manual flight control signals, transmitting automated signals to the primary flight control system to maintain or attain a predetermined main rotor tip path plane, including features like yaw, pitch, roll, and lift control modules, and a speed module to reduce torque requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If automated control signals are transmitted to maintain tip path plane after tail rotor failure, then controlled flight is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is pre-configured with automated control logic that activates upon detecting tail rotor failure. The regulation module contains predetermined control algorithms for maintaining tip path plane stability, which are prepared in advance and automatically executed when the failure condition occurs, eliminating the need for complex real-time decision-making during the emergency.
Solution Approach 2:
The regulation module serves as an intermediary between the detection module and the primary flight control system. It receives failure detection signals, processes them through automated control algorithms, and generates appropriate control commands to maintain aircraft stability, thereby mediating the transition from manual to automated control without requiring direct complex integration between detection and control systems.
2Reliability
If manual flight control signals are deactivated during tail rotor failure, then automated control takes over, but ease of operation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system is designed to automatically transition control authority from manual to automated mode upon detecting tail rotor failure. This preliminary configuration ensures that the regulatory takeover is pre-programmed and executes automatically, maintaining flight stability without requiring the pilot to manually switch control modes during the critical failure period.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection module continuously monitors tail rotor operational status and provides feedback to the regulation module. This feedback mechanism automatically triggers the transition from manual to automated control when failure conditions are detected, ensuring timely regulatory intervention while maintaining pilot awareness of the system state through the feedback loop.
3Speed
If the aircraft operates without tail rotor anti-torque, then vertical tail effectiveness is required, but adaptability to low velocity flight is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The automated control system dynamically adjusts control parameters and aircraft attitude to compensate for the loss of tail rotor anti-torque. By changing flight parameters such as pitch angle, roll attitude, and main rotor disk orientation, the system maintains controlled flight across different velocity regimes, including low-speed operations where the vertical tail would normally be ineffective.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system employs dynamic adjustment of aircraft configuration and attitude in response to tail rotor failure. The regulation module continuously modifies control surface positions and rotor disk orientation to adapt to varying flight conditions, enabling the aircraft to maintain stability and controllability across a range of forward velocities despite the loss of conventional anti-torque capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A tail rotor recovery control system has a detection module configured to detect a loss of tail rotor drive from a tail rotor sensor of an aircraft; and a regulation module configured to augment or deactivate manual flight control signals and transmit automated signals to control modules of a primary flight control system. The automated signals facilitate the aircraft to attain or maintain a preset tip path plane level, attain or maintain a preset aircraft state, or to execute an automated recovery to forward flight.