초록 ▼

An aircraft brake actuation system implements an anti-hysteresis feature that compensates for various hysteresis effects exhibited in an aircraft brake actuation system due to one or more sources of mechanical inefficiency within the system. The anti-hysteresis feature adjusts the command signal up

An aircraft brake actuation system implements an anti-hysteresis feature that compensates for various hysteresis effects exhibited in an aircraft brake actuation system due to one or more sources of mechanical inefficiency within the system. The anti-hysteresis feature adjusts the command signal up or down, depending on the direction of the command, a predetermined amount based on the amount of hysteresis in the system. By doing so, the actual brake force supplied to the aircraft brake elements more accurately represents the brake force being commanded.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. An aircraft brake actuation system that exhibits a predetermined amount of hysteresis due to one or more sources of mechanical inefficiency, the system comprising: a control circuit adapted to receive a brake command signal representative of a desired brake force and operable, in respo

We claim: 1. An aircraft brake actuation system that exhibits a predetermined amount of hysteresis due to one or more sources of mechanical inefficiency, the system comprising: a control circuit adapted to receive a brake command signal representative of a desired brake force and operable, in response thereto, to (i) adjust the brake command signal a predetermined amount based on the predetermined amount of hysteresis and (ii) supply a brake force actuator command signal based on the adjusted brake command signal; and an electromechanical brake actuator coupled to receive the brake force actuator command signal and operable, in response thereto, to move to a position that will supply the desired brake forces, wherein the adjusted brake command signal is an adjusted actuator position command signal, and wherein the control circuit comprises: a command filter circuit configured to receive the brake command signal and operable, in response thereto, to (i) supply an actuator position command signal, (ii) determine a rate of change of the brake command signal, and (iii) supply a brake command rate signal representative of the determined rate of change; an anti-hysteresis circuit coupled to receive the brake command rate signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply an actuator position command adjustment signal; and a position control circuit coupled to receive the actuator position command signal and the actuator position command adjustment signal and operable, in response thereto, to (i) adjust the actuator position command signal a predetermined amount, based on the actuator position command adjustment signal, and (ii) supply the brake force actuator command signal based on the adjusted actuator position command signal. 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a feed-forward circuit coupled between the command filter circuit and the position control circuit, the feed-forward circuit configured to receive the brake command rate signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply a feed-forward rate signal representative of the brake command rate signal to the position control circuit. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein: the position control circuit is farther operable to combine the feed-forward rate signal with the adjusted actuator position command signal, to thereby supply a farther adjusted actuator position command signal; and the brake command signal is based, at least in part, on the farther adjusted actuator position command signal. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the command filter circuit includes a rate-limit circuit configured to limit the brake command rate signal to a predetermined rate magnitude. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the position control circuit is implemented as a proportional-plus-integral (PI) control circuit. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromechanical actuator comprises: a motor coupled to receive the brake force actuator command signals from the position control circuit and operable, in response thereto, to supply a rotational drive force; and an actuator coupled to receive the rotational drive force from the motor and configured, upon receipt thereof to move to the position that will supply the commanded brake force. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein: the brake force actuator command signal supplied to the motor has a voltage magnitude; and the position control circuit comprises a voltage-limiter configured to limit the brake command signal voltage magnitude to a predetermined voltage value. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein: the command filter circuit includes a converter circuit, the converter circuit coupled to receive the brake command signal and operable, in response thereto, to convert the commanded brake force to the actuator position command signal; and the brake command rate signal is an actuator position command rate signal representative of a rate of change of the actuator position command signal. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the anti-hysteresis circuit includes: a position command adjustment circuit coupled to receive the actuator position command rate signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply an anti-hysteresis signal representative of a predetermined anti-hysteresis value; a position-limit circuit coupled to receive the actuator position command signal from the converter circuit and configured to limit the actuator position command signal to a positive value; and a multiplier circuit coupled to receive the anti-hysteresis signal and the positive value actuator position command signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply the actuator position command adjustment signal. 10. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a position sensor configured to sense brake actuator position and supply an actuator position feedback signal representative thereof to the actuator controller. 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromechanical actuator comprises: a motor coupled to receive the brake force actuator command signals from the position control circuit and operable, in response thereto, to supply a rotational drive force; and an actuator coupled to receive the rotational drive force from the motor and configured, upon receipt thereof, to move to the position that will supply the commanded brake force. 12. The system of claim 11, further comprising: a position sensor configured to sense brake actuator position and supply an actuator position feedback signal representative thereof to the actuator controller. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein: the position sensor comprises a resolver coupled to the motor and configured to sense motor revolutions; and the sensed brake actuator position and actuator position feedback signal are based on the sensed motor revolutions. 14. An aircraft brake actuator controller, comprising: a command filter circuit adapted to receive a brake command signal and operable, upon receipt thereof, to (i) supply an actuator position command signal, (ii) determine a rate of change of the brake command signal, and (iii) supply a brake command rate signal representative of the determined rate of change; an anti-hysteresis circuit coupled to receive the brake command rate signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply an actuator position command adjustment signal; and a position control circuit coupled to receive the actuator position command signal and the actuator position command adjustment signal and operable, in response thereto, to (i) adjust the actuator position command signal a predetermined amount, based on the actuator position command adjustment signal, and (ii) supply a brake force actuator command signal based on the adjusted actuator position command signal. 15. The controller of claim 14, further comprising: a feed-forward circuit coupled between the command filter circuit and the position control circuit, the feed-forward circuit configured to receive the brake command rate signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply a feed-forward position command signal representative of the actuator position command signal to the position control circuit. 16. The controller of claim 15, wherein: the position control circuit is further operable to combine the feed-forward position command signal with the adjusted actuator position command signal, to thereby supply a further adjusted actuator position command signal; and the brake command signal is based on the further adjusted actuator position command signal. 17. The controller of claim 14, wherein the command filter circuit includes a rate-limit circuit configured to limit the brake command rate signal to a predetermined rate magnitude. 18. The controller of claim 14, wherein the position control circuit is implemented as a proportional-plus-integral (PI) control circuit. 19. The controller of claim 14, wherein: the brake force actuator command signal has a voltage magnitude; and the position control circuit comprises a voltage-limiter configured to limit the brake command signal voltage magnitude to a predetermined voltage value. 20. The controller of claim 14, wherein the command filter circuit includes a converter circuit, the converter circuit adapted to receive the brake command signal and operable, in response thereto, to convert the commanded brake force to the actuator position command signal. 21. The controller of claim 20, wherein the anti-hysteresis circuit includes a position-limit circuit, the position-limit circuit coupled to receive the actuator position command signal from the converter circuit and configured to limit the actuator position command adjustment signal to a predetermined adjustment value. 22. An aircraft brake actuation system that exhibits a predetermined amount of hysteresis due to one or more sources of mechanical inefficiency, the system comprising: actuator control means for (i) receiving a brake command signal representative of a desired brake force, (ii) adjusting the brake command signal a predetermined amount based on the predetermined amount of hysteresis, and (iii) supplying a brake force actuator command signal based on the adjusted brake command signal; and actuator means for moving, in response to the brake force actuator command signal, to a position that will supply the desired brake force, wherein the adjusted brake command signal is an adjusted actuator position command signal, and wherein the actuator control means comprises: command filter means, responsive to the brake command signal, for (i) supplying an actuator position command signal, (ii) determining a rate of change of the brake command signal, and (iii) supplying a brake command rate signal representative of the determined rate of change; anti-hysteresis means, responsive to the brake command rate signal, for supplying an actuator position command adjustment signal; and position control means, responsive to the actuator position command signal and the actuator position command adjustment signal, for (i) adjusting the actuator position command signal a predetermined amount, based on the actuator position command adjustment signal, and (ii) supplying the brake force actuator command signal based on the adjusted actuator position command signal. 23. The system of claim 22, further comprising: feed-forward means for supplying a feed-forward position command signal representative of the actuator position command signal to the position control circuit. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein: the position control means combines the feed-forward position command signal with the adjusted actuator position command signal, to thereby supply a further adjusted actuator position command signal; and the brake command signal is based on the farther adjusted actuator position command signal. 25. The system of claim 22, wherein the command filter means comprises rate limiting means for limiting the brake command rate signal to a predetermined rate magnitude. 26. The system of claim 22, wherein: the brake force actuator command signal has a voltage magnitude; and the position control means comprises voltage limiting means for limiting the brake command signal voltage magnitude to a predetermined voltage value. 27. The system of claim 22, further comprising: converter means for converting the commanded brake force to the actuator position command signal. 28. The system of claim 27, further comprising: position limiting means for limiting the actuator position command adjustment signal to a predetermined adjustment value. 29. The system of claim 22, further comprising: sensor means for supplying a position feedback signal representative of a position of the actuator means to the controller means. 30. A method of controlling movement of an aircraft brake actuator in an aircraft brake actuation system that exhibits a predetermined amount of hysteresis due to one or more sources of mechanical inefficiency, the method comprising the steps of: supplying a brake command representative of a desired brake force magnitude to be supplied by the aircraft brake actuator; adjusting the brake command a predetermined amount based on the predetermined amount of hysteresis; moving the aircraft brake actuator to a position that corresponds to the adjusted brake command, whereby the aircraft brake actuator supplies the desired brake force magnitude; determining a rate of change of the brake command; and adjusting the brake command the predetermined amount based on the determined brake command rate of change. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein: the determined rate of change is either positive or negative, depending on whether the desired brake force magnitude is increasing or decreasing; the brake command is increased the predetermined magnitude if the determined rate of change is positive; and the brake command is decreased the predetermined amount if the determined rate of change is negative. 32. The method of claim 30, further comprising: converting the brake command to an actuator position command; adjusting the actuator position command based on the predetermined amount of hysteresis; converting the adjusted actuator position command to the adjusted bite command.