Tiltrotor Flight Control with Scheduled Angle of Attack Trim
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tiltrotor aircraft face challenges in maintaining adequate control and performance during the conversion process from vertical take-off to horizontal flight due to the need for manual adjustment of shaft angle, power output, and angle of attack, which complicates pilot control and requires a wide conversion corridor.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for controlling aircraft that includes a flight controller and actuators, which access input data such as airspeed to determine trim values, including angle of attack, and generate actuator commands to optimize aircraft operation across various flight regimes, using a trim scheduler to dynamically select the most advantageous trim conditions for improved acoustics and power efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual control of shaft angle, power output, and angle of attack is used, then pilot control flexibility is maintained, but control complexity and difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flight control system automatically determines trim values and generates actuator commands without requiring manual pilot adjustment of shaft angle, power output, and angle of attack. The system serves itself by autonomously managing the conversion process parameters, reducing pilot workload and control complexity while maintaining flexibility through programmable control logic
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical control operations with an automated flight control system that uses sensors, processors, and actuators. The mechanical system of manual control is substituted with an electronic control architecture that automatically determines trim values and generates actuator commands based on flight regime and performance parameters
2Adaptability or versatility
If a wide conversion corridor is provided for manual control, then adequate performance is maintained, but aircraft design constraints increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flight control system dynamically adjusts trim values and actuator commands based on real-time flight conditions and regime transitions. This dynamic control allows the system to adapt to varying flight conditions without requiring a physically wide conversion corridor, as the automated system can rapidly adjust parameters to maintain optimal performance across the transition range
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically modifies critical flight parameters including shaft angle, power output, and angle of attack through automated trim value determination. By programmatically changing these parameters in response to flight regime transitions, the system achieves adaptability without imposing additional physical design constraints on the aircraft structure
3Ease of operation
If automated trim control is implemented, then piloting is simplified, but control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flight control system performs multiple functions including determining trim values, generating actuator commands, monitoring flight regime transitions, and adjusting multiple parameters simultaneously. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate control systems into a single integrated unit, simplifying piloting while managing system complexity through functional integration
Data Source
AI summary
A method for controlling an aircraft includes accessing input data indicative of at least airspeed of the aircraft and determining trim values based at least in part on the input data. The trim values includes an angle of attack trim value for the aircraft. The method also includes accessing data indicative of the trim values by a flight controller and controlling, using the flight controller, operation of the aircraft based at least in part on the trim values.