Wing Slat Skew Detection Using Sensor State-Change Counts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern aircraft face control issues and safety risks due to improper movement of control surfaces caused by unsynchronized or malfunctioning actuators, leading to surface asymmetry and skew in control surfaces like wing slats.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for detecting skew in wing slats using pairs of sensors excited by electronic devices, which generate state-change counts that are transmitted to other electronic devices to determine the skew level, with alerts or inhibitions triggered based on predefined thresholds to prevent further skew.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple actuators are used to move control surfaces, then the movement capability and control precision are improved, but the risk of asynchronization and malfunction increases, leading to surface asymmetry and skew
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where sensors detect the actual position of control surfaces and feed this information back to the control system. The system compares the actual position with the commanded position and generates corrective signals to eliminate any asymmetry or skew, thereby maintaining reliability while using multiple actuators
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary control system that coordinates multiple actuators. This intermediary system monitors the status of each actuator and adjusts their operation to ensure synchronized movement, preventing the harmful effects of actuator asynchronization while preserving the benefits of multiple actuators
2Reliability
If sensors and electronic devices are added to detect skew, then the safety and detection capability are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes existing control system components multi-functional. The same electronic devices that control actuators also serve as sensors and data processing units for skew detection. This universal approach improves safety without adding separate dedicated detection systems, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the control and detection functions into a single integrated system. Sensors, electronic devices, and control algorithms are combined to create a unified skew detection and correction system, reducing the number of separate components and simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining high safety standards
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for detecting skew in a wing slat of an aircraft are provided. At least one pair of sensors associated with the wing slat is excited via at least one first electronic device. In response to the exciting and at the at least one first electronic device, at least one pair of signals indicative of at least one pair of state-change counts for the at least one pair of sensors is obtained. The at least one pair of state-change counts is transmitted to at least one second electronic device communicatively coupled to the at least one first electronic device. At the at least one second electronic device, a skew level of the wing slat is determined based on the at least one pair of state-change counts.