Triplex Fly-By-Wire Architecture for Effector Availability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing VTOL aircraft systems lack a robust Fly-by-Wire (FBW) architecture that ensures high availability of effectors, particularly in urban air mobility applications, where safety, passenger experience, and low environmental impact are critical, and current FBW technologies are either too complex or not suitable for small aircraft.
Innovation Solution
A triplex Flight Control Computer (FCC) architecture with direct connections to all effector actuators and optional retransmitters (RTXs) to ensure high availability of effectors, using redundancy theories to minimize complexity and maintain control in case of failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If simplified FCS architectures are used to reduce vehicle weight, then weight is reduced, but the availability of effectors is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing different levels of redundancy for different effectors based on their criticality. Not all effectors receive the same level of redundant control paths - instead, redundancy is distributed selectively to match the safety requirements of each specific effector, optimizing the balance between weight and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring multiple redundant control paths and failure detection mechanisms before failures occur. The FCS continuously monitors the health of control paths and effectors, and automatically switches to backup paths when degradation is detected, ensuring high availability without requiring full redundancy of all components.
2Reliability
If traditional FBW architectures with high redundancy are applied to small VTOL aircraft, then effector availability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the FCS architecture into modular functional blocks that can be independently configured and managed. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high reliability through selective redundancy of critical functions while keeping non-critical functions simpler, thereby reducing overall complexity compared to traditional uniform high-redundancy FBW systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial redundancy - providing more than minimal required redundancy for critical safety functions while using minimal or no redundancy for non-critical functions. This selective approach achieves the necessary effector availability without the excessive complexity of full system redundancy.
3Extent of automation
If Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) complying with ARINC 429 are used for FBW, then controllability and autonomous flight capability are improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements multi-functional LRUs that can operate in different redundancy configurations depending on the operational phase and failure state. The same physical LRU units can provide single-, dual-, or triple-redundant operation, reducing the need for multiple specialized hardware variants and thereby lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining autonomous flight capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A first Flight Control system configuration, and the method to obtain such first configuration, has controllers of effector actuation able to receive commands directly from at least three Flight Control Computers (FCCs). A second Flight Control system configuration, and the method to obtain such second configuration, has retransmitters (RTX) that receive commands from the three FCCs and then retransmit to the controllers of effector actuation. A third Flight Control system configuration, and the method to obtain such third configuration, is a hybrid configuration.