Methods and apparatus for operating flight control systems of aircrafts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10002472-B2
Application number	US-201615211970-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2016
Priority date	Oct 9, 2014
Publication date	Jun 19, 2018
Grant date	Jun 19, 2018

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for operating flight control systems of aircrafts are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a flight control system including a processor to: based on data from first and second sensors, determine first and second values; based on the first and second values, determine a location of a jam in the flight control system, the location of the jam being determined based on a summation of the first and second values.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a flight control system including a processor to:
based on data from first and second sensors, determine first and second values; and
based on the first and second values, determine a location of a jam in the flight control system, the location of the jam being determined based on a summation of the first and second values.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the location of the jam is based on the summation being approximately equal to or above a threshold.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the flight control system includes an elevator control system, a lateral control system, or a directional control system.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second values include first and second input force values associated with control columns of the flight control system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the flight control system includes a mechanical control system or a fly-by-wire control system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the jam is an aft jam if the summation is approximately equal to or above a threshold.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the jam is a forward jam if the summation is approximately less than a threshold.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein based on the jam being the forward jam, the processor to enable a forward jam override device to mitigate the jam.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the jam is an elevator jam.

10. An apparatus, comprising:
a flight control system including a processor to:
based on data from first and second sensors, determine first and second values;
based on the first and second values, determine a location of an elevator jam in the flight control system; and
based on the elevator jam being an aft jam, determine a direct lift control command to mitigate the elevator jam.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising, based on the direct lift control command, the processor to command wing spoilers to mitigate the elevator jam.

12. A method, comprising:
based on data from first and second sensors of an elevator control system of an aircraft, determining first and second input force values; and
based a summation of the first and second input force values, determining an approximate location of an elevator jam in the elevator control system.

13. The method of claim 12 , further including identifying the elevator jam as an aft jam if the summation is approximately equal to or above a threshold.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein when the elevator jam is identified as an aft jam, further including determining a direct lift control command to mitigate the elevator jam.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein, based on the direct lift control command, commanding wing spoilers of the aircraft to mitigate the elevator jam.

16. The method of claim 12 , further including identifying the elevator jam as a forward jam if the summation is approximately less than a threshold.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein when the elevator jam is identified as a forward jam, enabling a forward jam override device to mitigate the elevator jam.

18. A method, comprising:
determining first and second values;
based on the first and second values, determining a location of a jam in a flight control system of an aircraft;
when the location of the jam is determined to be a forward jam, enabling a forward jam override device to mitigate the jam; and
when the location of the jam is determined to be an aft jam, determining a direct lift control command to mitigate the jam.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the flight control system comprises an elevator control system, a lateral control system, or a directional control system.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first and second values comprise first and second input force values associated with control columns of the flight control system.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Huynh Neal V
• Eick Robert S
• Heineman Thomas G
• Bills Michael D
• Fahey Patrick M
• Nicholas John C

Classifications

• B64D2045/0085

  Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration · CPC title

• B64C13/16

  actuated automatically, e.g. responsive to gust detectors · CPC title

• B64D45/00 Primary

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• G07C5/0808 Primary

  Diagnosing performance data (testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005) · CPC title

• B64D2045/001

  for indicating symmetry of flaps deflection · CPC title