초록

Methods and apparatus are provided for estimating aircraft dynamic pressure. The load on the flight control surface actuator that is coupled to a flight control surface is measured. An estimate of the aircraft dynamic pressure is calculated from the measured load.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system for estimating aircraft dynamic pressure, comprising: a load sensor configured to sense a load on a flight control surface actuator and supply actuator load signals representative thereof;a dynamic pressure sensor configured to directly sense aircraft dynamic pressure and supply dynamic

1. A system for estimating aircraft dynamic pressure, comprising: a load sensor configured to sense a load on a flight control surface actuator and supply actuator load signals representative thereof;a dynamic pressure sensor configured to directly sense aircraft dynamic pressure and supply dynamic pressure signals representative thereof; anda processor coupled to receive the actuator load signals and the dynamic pressure signals, the processor configured to: calculate an estimate of the aircraft dynamic pressure from the sensed load,compare the directly sensed dynamic pressure to the calculated estimate of the dynamic pressure,determine if the directly sensed dynamic pressure differs from the calculated estimate of the dynamic pressure by a predetermined magnitude, andprohibit use of the directly sensed dynamic pressure by aircraft flight control software if the directly sensed dynamic pressure differs from the calculated estimate of the dynamic pressure by the predetermined magnitude. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: command the aircraft flight control software to use the calculated estimate of the dynamic pressure if the directly sensed dynamic pressure differs from the calculated estimate of the dynamic pressure by the predetermined magnitude. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein: the flight control surface actuator is a hydraulically operated actuator;the load sensor comprises a pressure sensor configured to sense hydraulic fluid pressure in the actuator; andthe processor is configured to determine the load from the sensed hydraulic pressure. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein flight control surface actuator is coupled to a flight control surface, and wherein the processor calculates the estimate of the dynamic pressure using the following formula: q=LOADACTUATORk⁡(Ch⁢⁢0+Ch⁢⁢δ*δail)wherein: q is the dynamic pressure,LOADACTUATOR is the load on the flight control actuator,Ch0 is a hinge moment coefficient at zero degrees of aileron deflection,Chδ is a hinge moment gradient as a function of aileron position,δail is aileron position, andk is mechanical relationship between load on the flight control surface and load in the actuator. 5. A system for estimating aircraft dynamic pressure, comprising: a plurality of first flight control surface actuators, each of the first flight control surface actuators adapted to be coupled to a first aircraft flight control surface, each of the first flight control surface actuators adapted to receive actuator position commands and configured, in response thereto, to move the first flight control surface to a control position;a plurality of first load sensors, each of the first load sensors coupled to one of the first flight control surface actuators and configured to sense a load thereon and supply first flight control surface actuator load signals representative thereof;a plurality of second flight control surface actuators, each of the second flight control surface actuators adapted to be coupled to a second aircraft flight control surface, each of the second flight control surface actuators adapted to receive actuator position commands and configured, in response thereto, to move the first flight control surface to a control position;a plurality of second load sensors, each of the second load sensors coupled to one of the second flight control surface actuators and configured to sense a load thereon and supply second flight control surface actuator load signals representative thereof; anda processor coupled to receive the first flight control surface actuator load signals and the second flight control surface actuator load signals and configured to calculate an estimate of the aircraft dynamic pressure from the sensed loads. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to: calculate an average of the sensed loads; anduse the calculated average to calculate the estimate of the aircraft dynamic pressure. 7. The system of claim 5, further comprising: a dynamic pressure sensor configured to directly sense aircraft dynamic pressure and supply dynamic pressure signals representative thereof,wherein the processor is coupled to receive the dynamic pressure signals and is further configured to compare the directly sensed dynamic pressure to the calculated estimate of the dynamic pressure. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine if the directly sensed dynamic pressure differs from the calculated estimate of the dynamic pressure by a predetermined magnitude; andprohibit use of the directly sensed dynamic pressure by aircraft flight control software if the directly sensed dynamic pressure differs from the calculated estimate of the dynamic pressure by the predetermined magnitude. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to: command the aircraft flight control software to use the calculated estimate of the dynamic pressure if the directly sensed dynamic pressure differs from the calculated estimate of the dynamic pressure by the predetermined magnitude. 10. The system of claim 5, wherein: the first and second plurality of flight control surface actuators are each a hydraulically operated actuator;the first and second plurality of load sensors each comprise a pressure sensor configured to sense hydraulic fluid pressure in an actuator; andthe processor is configured to determine the sensed load from the sensed hydraulic pressure. 11. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor calculates the estimate of the dynamic pressure using the following formula: q=LOADACTUATORk⁡(Ch⁢⁢0+Ch⁢⁢δ*δail)wherein: q is the dynamic pressure,LOADACTUATOR is the load on the flight control actuator,Ch0 is a hinge moment coefficient at zero degrees of aileron deflection,Chδ is a hinge moment gradient as a function of aileron position,δail is aileron position, andk is mechanical relationship between load on the flight control surface and load in the actuator. 12. A system for estimating aircraft dynamic pressure, comprising: a load sensor configured to sense a load on a flight control surface actuator and supply actuator load signals representative thereof; anda processor coupled to receive the actuator load signals and configured to calculate an estimate of the aircraft dynamic pressure from the sensed load,wherein the flight control surface actuator is coupled to a flight control surface, and wherein the processor calculates the estimate of the dynamic pressure using the following formula: q=LOADACTUATORk⁡(Ch⁢⁢0+Ch⁢⁢δ*δail)wherein: q is the dynamic pressure,LOADACTUATOR is the load on the flight control actuator,Ch0 is a hinge moment coefficient at zero degrees of aileron deflection,Chδ is a hinge moment gradient as a function of aileron position,δail is aileron position, andk is mechanical relationship between load on the flight control surface and load in the actuator.