Tiltable Propulsion Control for Air Vehicle Deceleration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current air vehicles, particularly tiltrotor aircraft, face challenges in efficiently controlling descent and reducing groundspeed to hover, as existing systems struggle to balance aerodynamic effects and manage thrust direction effectively during transition from forward flight to vertical landing.
Innovation Solution
A control system that monitors airspeed and altitude, issuing commands to tiltable propulsion units to switch between longitudinal and vertical thrust vectors, allowing for controlled deceleration and groundspeed reduction, while managing thrust power to maintain stability and prevent stalling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If thrust power is reduced to enable groundspeed reduction to hover, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to risk of stalling
Solution Approach 1:
The control system continuously monitors airspeed and provides feedback to adjust thrust power, ensuring that thrust reduction does not cause stalling. The system restricts thrust power reduction based on a lower threshold determined by measured airspeed, creating a closed-loop control that maintains safety while enabling groundspeed reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the lower threshold for thrust power reduction based on measured airspeed parameters. As airspeed changes during descent, the threshold is recalibrated to allow maximum thrust reduction while preventing stalling, enabling efficient groundspeed reduction without compromising reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If tiltable propulsion units are used to switch between longitudinal and vertical thrust vectors, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tiltable propulsion units serve multiple functions: they provide both longitudinal thrust for forward flight and vertical thrust for hover/landing operations. This multi-functionality allows a single propulsion system to replace what would traditionally require separate propulsion systems for different flight phases, managing complexity while maximizing adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The propulsion units are designed with dynamic tilting capability, allowing the thrust vector direction to change continuously between longitudinal and vertical orientations. This dynamic adjustment is controlled based on flight phase and parameters, enabling the system to adapt to different operational requirements without requiring multiple fixed propulsion systems.
3Reliability
If thrust power is restricted based on lower threshold to prevent stalling, then reliability is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to slower groundspeed reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The lower threshold for thrust power reduction is not fixed but dynamically adjusted based on measured airspeed. As airspeed decreases during deceleration, the threshold is automatically lowered to allow greater thrust reduction, enabling faster groundspeed reduction while maintaining stalling prevention. This parameter adaptation resolves the contradiction between safety and deceleration speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system uses continuous feedback from airspeed measurements to adjust the thrust power restriction threshold in real-time. This feedback mechanism ensures that the system allows maximum possible thrust reduction at each moment while preventing stalling, optimizing both reliability and productivity simultaneously rather than treating them as fixed opposites.
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
Enables precise control of air vehicle descent and groundspeed reduction, ensuring safe and efficient transitions to hover, balancing aerodynamic effects and preventing stalling, thus enhancing operational safety and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
each of the at least one tiltable propulsion units is tiltable to provide a thrust whose direction is variable at least between a general vertical thrust vector direction and a general longitudinal thrust vector direction
Data Source
AI summary
A control system configured to control a deceleration process of an air vehicle which comprises at least one tiltable propulsion unit, each of the at least one tiltable propulsion units is tiltable to provide a thrust whose direction is variable at least between a general vertical thrust vector direction and a general longitudinal thrust vector direction with respect to the air vehicle.