Method for controlling a variable nozzle section of an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10036348-B2
Application number	US-201414584435-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2014
Priority date	Jul 2, 2012
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

A method for controlling a position of a variable nozzle of an aircraft includes the following steps: setting the variable nozzle in a position P(t 0 ) at a time t 0 as a preliminary step; step A in which at each instant t i with 1<i<N, an optimal position P(t i ) of the variable nozzle is determined according to magnitudes distinctive of the flight of the aircraft; step B measuring a time interval Δt i defined as a difference between t i and t 0 ; and step C by which a displacement of the variable nozzle in a position corresponding to the optimal position P(t i ) is authorized when the time interval Δt i is higher than a predetermined minimum threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a position of a variable nozzle of an aircraft, the variable nozzle being in a position P(t 0 ) at a time t 0 , said method comprising the following steps:
step A: determining, at each instant t i with 1<i<N, an optimal position P(t i ) of the variable nozzle according to magnitudes distinctive of the flight of the aircraft, the optimal position P(t i ) corresponding to an optimal outlet section of a stream for improved fuel efficiency;
step B: measuring a time interval Δt i as a difference between t i and t 0 and measuring, at each instant t i , a difference in position ΔP between P(t i ) and P(t 0 ); and
step C: authorizing, during the flight, a displacement of the variable nozzle in a position corresponding to the optimal position P(t i ) when the time interval Δt i is higher than a predetermined minimum threshold and authorizing the displacement of the variable nozzle in a position corresponding to the optimal position P(t i ) when an absolute value of the difference in position ΔP is strictly higher than a predetermined minimum position threshold and strictly lower than a predetermined maximum threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1 ,
further comprising step D: in a determined flight phase, deactivating the step C when an absolute value of the difference in position ΔP is higher than or equal to a predetermined maximum threshold, and
step E: displacing the variable nozzle in a position P(t i ) equal to a predetermined maximum position Pmax.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a minimum time interval threshold and/or a maximum threshold of difference in position vary according to a magnitude distinctive of the flight.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the minimum time interval threshold and/or a maximum threshold of difference in position vary according to an altitude of the aircraft.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein a minimum time interval threshold in a climb phase of the aircraft is higher than a minimum time interval threshold in a cruise phase of the aircraft.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step C is activated if an altitude of the aircraft, at instant is higher than a predetermined threshold altitude.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein when the altitude of the aircraft, at the instant t i , is lower than or equal to the predetermined threshold altitude, the variable nozzle is displaced in a position P(t i ) equal to a position P of maximum outlet section of the variable nozzle.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein during step A, the optimal position P(t i ) of the variable nozzle is determined according to magnitudes distinctive of the flight.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the magnitudes distinctive of the flight are at least one of an altitude, speed of the aircraft and a motor regime of a turbojet engine of the aircraft.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein during step A, the optimal position P(t i ) of the variable nozzle is determined by measurement, estimation or computation.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the flight of the aircraft includes a take-off phase, a climb phase, a cruise phase, a descent phase, and a landing phase.

Assignees

• Aircelle Sa

Inventors

• Caruel Pierre
• Hurlin Hervé
• Kerbler Olivier

Classifications

• F02K1/763 Primary

  with actuating systems or actuating devices; Arrangement of actuators for thrust reversers · CPC title

• F05D2270/051

  Thrust · CPC title

• F02K1/15 Primary

  Control or regulation · CPC title

• F02K9/80

  characterised by thrust or thrust vector control (burning control of solid propellants F02K9/26; feeding control of liquid or gaseous propellants F02K9/56; re-ignitable, restartable or intermittently operated rocket-engine plants F02K9/94) · CPC title