초록 ▼

Systems and methods are described for automatically counteracting undesirable aircraft movement caused by malfunctioning fly-by-wire aircraft control surfaces, hardover events, control surface disconnection, and other control surface failure events. The systems and methods include control law algori

Systems and methods are described for automatically counteracting undesirable aircraft movement caused by malfunctioning fly-by-wire aircraft control surfaces, hardover events, control surface disconnection, and other control surface failure events. The systems and methods include control law algorithms for reacting to such events to counteract the undesired aircraft movement. An expected roll rate is generated based on control input and compared to the actual roll rate of the aircraft.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of operating an aircraft to counteract unintended control surface deflections, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a control input for providing a control surface deflection for the aircraft;calculating, using a flight computer onboard the aircraft, an expected value for a para

1. A method of operating an aircraft to counteract unintended control surface deflections, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a control input for providing a control surface deflection for the aircraft;calculating, using a flight computer onboard the aircraft, an expected value for a parameter of aircraft motion based on the control input;determining a measured value using a sensor onboard the aircraft configured for measuring the parameter of aircraft motion based on the actual motion of the aircraft;calculating an error signal representing the difference between the expected value and the measured value;calculating a nominal command for operating a control surface of the aircraft based on the control input;adding the error signal to the nominal command to calculate a modified command; andoperating the control surface in response to the modified command to reduce the error signal. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of calculating an expected value for the parameter of aircraft motion comprises the steps of: calculating a command for at least one control surface of the aircraft based on the control input;calculating an expected value for the parameter of motion based on the command for the at least one control surface. 3. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one control surface is a spoiler and the parameter of motion is the spoiler roll rate of the aircraft. 4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of calculating an expected value for the parameter of aircraft motion further comprises the steps of: calculating a command for an aileron based on the control input;calculating an expected aileron roll rate based on the command for an aileron;adding the expected aileron roll rate to the spoiler roll rate to calculate the expected value of the parameter of aircraft motion. 5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the steps of: estimating a value for the sideslip of the aircraft;subtracting the value from the expected value of the parameter of aircraft motion. 6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of estimating a value for the sideslip of the aircraft comprises measuring the value of a yaw command signal. 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the unintended control surface deflection is a control surface disconnection event. 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the value for the parameter of aircraft motion comprises measuring the parameter. 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the value for the parameter of aircraft motion comprises the steps of: measuring at least one characteristic of motion of the aircraft;calculating the value for the parameter of aircraft motion based on the at least one characteristic of motion. 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the unintended control surface deflection is a hardover event. 11. A method of operating an aircraft to counteract unintended control surface deflections, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a control input for providing a control surface deflection for the aircraft;calculating a command for a first rudder segment based on the control input;calculating a first expected yaw rate based on the command for the first rudder segment;calculating a command for a second rudder segment based on the control input;calculating a second expected yaw rate based on the command for the second rudder segment;adding the first expected yaw rate to the second expected yaw rate to calculate an expected value of the yaw rate;determining a measured value using a sensor onboard the aircraft configured for measuring the yaw rate based on the actual yaw rate of the aircraft;calculating an error signal representing the difference between the expected value and the measured value; andoperating a control surface of the aircraft to reduce the error signal. 12. A method of operating an aircraft having a first control surface and a second control surface, the method comprising the steps of: accepting a command input for the aircraft;calculating an expected value for a parameter of motion related to the first and second control surfaces based on the command input;measuring an actual value of the parameter of motion using a sensor onboard the aircraft;calculating an error signal representing the difference between the expected value and the actual value of the parameter of motion;calculating a nominal command for either the first or the second control surfaces based on the command input;adding the error signal to the nominal command to calculate a modified command; andoperating either the first or the second control surfaces in response to the modified command to counteract the error signal. 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the parameter of motion is the roll rate of the aircraft. 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first control surface is a spoiler and the second control surface is an aileron. 15. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of calculating an expected value comprises multiplying the command input by a gain. 16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of applying a low-pass filter to the expected value of the parameter of motion. 17. The method of claim 12 wherein the parameter of aircraft motion is the yaw rate of the aircraft. 18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of calculating an expected value for the parameter of aircraft motion comprises the steps of: calculating a command for a first rudder segment based on the command input;calculating a first expected yaw rate based on the command for the first rudder segment;calculating a command for a second rudder segment based on the command input;calculating a second expected yaw rate based on the command for the second rudder segment;adding the first expected yaw rate to the second expected yaw rate to calculate the expected value of the parameter of aircraft motion.