System and method for feathering an aircraft propeller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10899433-B2
Application number	US-201816031462-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2018
Priority date	Jul 10, 2018
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

A system and method for feathering an aircraft propeller are provided. A first feather solenoid and a second feather solenoid each comprising at least one solenoid coil and a solenoid valve coupled to the actuator and to the at least one solenoid coil are provided. At least one controller is configured to selectively energize and de-energize the at least one solenoid coil. The solenoid valve of the first feather solenoid is configured to be activated when the at least one solenoid coil of the first feather solenoid is energized and the solenoid valve of the second feather solenoid is configured to be activated when the at least one solenoid coil of the second feather solenoid is de-energized. The solenoid valve is configured to, when activated, modulate the supply of hydraulic fluid to an actuator for adjusting a blade pitch of the propeller towards a feather position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for feathering an aircraft propeller having coupled thereto an actuator for setting a blade pitch of the propeller, the blade pitch controlled by modulating a supply of hydraulic fluid to the actuator, the system comprising:
a first feather solenoid and a second feather solenoid each comprising at least one solenoid coil and a solenoid valve coupled to the actuator and to the at least one solenoid coil; and
at least one controller configured to selectively energize and de-energize the at least one solenoid coil,
the solenoid valve of the first feather solenoid configured to be activated when the at least one solenoid coil of the first feather solenoid is energized and the solenoid valve of the second feather solenoid configured to be activated when the at least one solenoid coil of the second feather solenoid is de-energized,
the solenoid valve configured to, when activated, modulate the supply of hydraulic fluid to the actuator for adjusting the blade pitch of the propeller towards a feather position.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one solenoid coil comprises a first solenoid coil and a second solenoid coil, each of the first solenoid coil and the second solenoid coil having a first end for connection to ground and a second end for connection to a power source, the solenoid valve of the first feather solenoid configured to be activated when at least one of the first solenoid coil and the second solenoid coil of the first feather solenoid is energized and the solenoid valve of the second feather solenoid configured to be activated when the first solenoid coil and the second solenoid coil of the second feather solenoid are de-energized.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one controller comprises a first solenoid driver to selectively energize and de-energize the first solenoid coil of the first feather solenoid and a second solenoid driver to selectively energize and de-energize the first solenoid coil of the second feather solenoid, the at least one controller comprising a first channel for controlling the first solenoid driver and a second channel for controlling the second solenoid driver.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one controller is a full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and the first channel and the second channel are redundant channels.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein, the first solenoid driver is configured to energize the first solenoid coil of the first feather solenoid in response to receiving a feather command and the second solenoid driver is configured to energize the second solenoid coil of the first feather solenoid in response to receiving the feather command.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein each of the first solenoid driver and the second solenoid driver comprises a first electrical switch connected to the first end of a corresponding one of the first solenoid coil and the second solenoid coil of the first feather solenoid, the first electrical switch controllable between an open position and a closed position and configured to, when in the closed position, connect the corresponding solenoid coil of the first feather solenoid to ground and to, when in the open position, disconnect the corresponding solenoid coil of the first feather solenoid from ground.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein each of the first solenoid driver and the second solenoid driver comprises a second electrical switch connected to the first end of a corresponding one of the first solenoid coil and the second solenoid coil of the second feather solenoid, the second electrical switch controllable between an open position and a closed position and configured to, when in the closed position, connect the corresponding solenoid coil of the second feather solenoid to ground and to, when in the open position, disconnect the corresponding solenoid coil of the second feather solenoid from ground.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first electrical switch and the second electrical switch are configured to default to the open position when the at least one controller is unpowered.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first electrical switch of the first solenoid driver and the first electrical switch of the second solenoid driver are each configured to move to the closed position in response to receiving the feather command.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the second electrical switch of the first solenoid driver is configured to default to the open position when the first channel is non-functioning and the second electrical switch of the second solenoid driver is configured to default to the open position when the second channel is non-functioning.

11. The system of claim 6 , wherein the corresponding solenoid coil is energized when at least one of the first electrical switch of the first solenoid driver and the first electrical switch of the second solenoid driver is in the closed position.

12. A method for feathering an aircraft propeller having coupled thereto an actuator for setting a blade pitch of the propeller, the method comprising:
providing a first feather solenoid configured as electrically powered to command the propeller to feather and a second feather solenoid configured as electrically de-powered to command the propeller to feather, the first and the second solenoid coupled to the actuator;
when at least one controller configured to selectively energize and de-energize the first and the second feather solenoid is functioning, operating in a first mode in which the first feather solenoid is energized to command the actuator to adjust the blade pitch towards a feather position; and
when the at least one controller is non-functioning, operating in a second mode in which the second feather solenoid is de-energized to command the actuator to adjust the blade pitch towards the feather position.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first feather solenoid and the second feather solenoid are each provided as comprising at least one solenoid coil and a solenoid valve coupled to the actuator and to the at least one solenoid coil.

14. The method of claim 13 , further wherein, when the at least one controller is functioning, the at least one solenoid coil is energized to activate the solenoid valve of the first feather solenoid for commanding the actuator to adjust the blade pitch towards the feather position.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein, when the at least one controller is non-functioning, the at least one solenoid coil of the second feather solenoid is de-energized to activate the solenoid valve of the second feather solenoid for commanding the actuator to adjust the blade pitch towards the feather position.

16. The method of claim 13 , further wherein, when the at least one controller is functioning, at least one of a first solenoid coil and a second solenoid coil of the first feather solenoid is energized to activate the solenoid valve of the first feather solenoid for commanding the actuator to adjust the blade pitch towards the feather position.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein, when the at least one controller is non-functioning, a first solenoid coil and a second solenoid coil of the second feather solenoid are de-energized to activate the solenoid valve of the second feather solenoid for commanding the actuator to adjust the blade pitch towards the feather position.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to activate the first solenoid valve by commanding a first solenoid driver to energize the first solenoid coil of the f

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Chahal Jasraj
• Lisio Carmine
• Jarvo Jim R
• Mcgrath Darragh
• Zingaro Giancarlo

Classifications

• B64C11/385 Primary

  comprising feathering, braking or stopping systems · CPC title

• B64C11/40

  automatic · CPC title

• B64C11/303

  characterised by comprising a governor · CPC title

• B64C11/42

  non-automatic · CPC title