Triplex Flight Control System with Dual-Stage Actuator Pressure Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fly-by-wire flight control systems lack effective redundancy and fault detection mechanisms to ensure continuous aircraft control and efficient pressure balancing between actuators, particularly in the event of individual system failures.
Innovation Solution
A triplex flight control system with dual-stage actuators and independent control valves, featuring a first and second data link for communication between flight controllers and actuator remote processing units, allowing for real-time feedback and pressure balancing, and enabling identification of faulty valves through shared information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundant controllers are used independently to control actuators, then control continuity is maintained during failures, but fault detection capability deteriorates because one controller cannot detect failures in other actuators
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where each controller monitors actuator performance and communicates this information to other controllers. When an actuator fails, the feedback loop enables other controllers to detect the failure condition through shared status information, resolving the contradiction between maintaining control continuity and enabling fault detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the control functions and monitoring capabilities into an integrated system where controllers share information about actuator status. This combination allows the redundant controller architecture to simultaneously maintain control continuity while enabling cross-controller fault detection through unified information sharing protocols.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple control valves are used in dual-stage actuators, then pressure balancing and control precision are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control system into dual-stage actuators with separate control valves for different pressure stages. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each stage's control precision while managing overall system complexity through modular architecture, where each valve handles a specific function rather than one complex valve handling all functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate control elements and control logic that coordinate multiple valves. These intermediaries manage the complexity by providing standardized interfaces and control algorithms that simplify the coordination of multiple valves, allowing high control precision without proportional increase in operational complexity.
3Reliability
If data is shared between controllers through communication links, then fault detection and pressure balancing efficiency are improved, but information transmission time and system latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-establishing communication protocols and data sharing formats between controllers. Critical status information is prepared and made readily available for immediate transmission when needed, reducing the time penalty of data sharing while maintaining improved fault detection efficiency through pre-configured information exchange pathways.
Data Source
AI summary
A flight control system (10) includes a dual stage actuator (12) for moving a control surface (14). Each stage (16,18) includes several control valves (20,22,24,26,28,30) that are controlled independently to provide a desired redundancy. A flight controller (32,34,36) generates a position command that is indicative of the position desired for the control surface. A first communication link (38) is provided between several flight controllers (32,34,36) to share information. Each of the flight controllers forwards the position command to actuator remote processing unit (40,42,44). The actuator remote processing unit receive position commands and generate a command signal that controls movement of the actuator (12) using the control valves. Each of the actuator remote processing units is linked through a second communication link (46). Feedback and balancing of the different control valves is provided by the visibility accorded each actuator remote processing unit by the second communication link.