Assisted boom actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11427345-B2
Application number	US-202016835962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2020
Priority date	Mar 31, 2020
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

Described are systems and methods for deploying and stowing a refueling boom. In certain examples, deploying the refueling boom includes lowering a refueling boom structure with a hoist while a boom aerodynamic control surface of the refueling is deactivated, determining that first transition conditions have been met, switching the hoist actuator state mode, and activating the boom aerodynamic control surface. In other examples, stowing the refueling boom includes flying the refueling boom towards a fuselage, determining that second transition conditions have been met, switching the hoist actuator state mode, and raising a refueling boom structure of the refueling boom with the hoist.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft, comprising:
a refueling boom comprising:
a refueling boom structure;
a hoist comprising a cable and a clutch; and
a boom aerodynamic control surface; and

a controller configured to cause the refueling boom to perform operations comprising:
lowering, while the refueling boom is in a second actuator state mode, the refueling boom structure with the hoist, wherein, in the second actuator state mode, the hoist is in a hoisting mode configured to provide an upward pull on the cable of the refueling boom and the boom aerodynamic control surface is deactivated;
determining that first transition conditions have been met; and
transitioning the refueling boom from the second actuator state mode to a zero actuator state mode, the transitioning comprising:
switching the refueling boom from the second actuator state mode to a first actuator state mode, wherein, in the first actuator state mode, the hoist is in a tension mode configured to maintain a baseline amount of tension, the baseline amount of tension less than the upward pull of the hoisting mode, on the cable of the refueling boom and the boom aerodynamic control surface is deactivated; and
switching the refueling boom from the first actuator state mode to the zero actuator state mode, wherein, in the zero actuator state mode, the hoist is in the tension mode and the boom aerodynamic control surface is activated.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
flying the refueling boom after the activating the boom aerodynamic control surface.

3. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the switching from the second actuator state mode to the first actuator state mode comprises operating the clutch to allow a transition from the second actuator state mode to the zero actuator state mode.

4. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the first transition conditions comprise:
a boom pitch angle greater than a first threshold angle; and
a hoist cable rate less than a first threshold rate.

5. The aircraft of claim 4 , further comprising:
a dynamic pressure sensor configured to measure an aircraft dynamic pressure, wherein the first transition conditions further comprise:
aircraft dynamic pressure greater than a first threshold dynamic pressure.

6. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
lifting the refueling boom structure from a stowed position with the hoist in a fourth actuator state mode.

7. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the operations are performed while the aircraft is in flight.

8. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
flying the refueling boom towards a fuselage of the aircraft while the hoist is in the zero actuator state mode;
determining that second transition conditions have been met;
switching the refueling boom from the zero actuator state mode to the first actuator state mode; and
raising the refueling boom structure with the hoist.

9. The aircraft of claim 8 , wherein the raising the refueling boom structure comprises switching the refueling boom to the second actuator state mode from the first actuator state mode, and wherein the switching to the first actuator state mode comprises operating the clutch to allow for a transition from the zero actuator state mode to the second actuator state mode.

10. The aircraft of claim 8 , wherein the second transition conditions comprise a boom pitch angle less than a second threshold angle.

11. The aircraft of claim 10 , wherein the first transition conditions further comprise:
an aircraft dynamic pressure less than a second threshold dynamic pressure.

12. The aircraft of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
deactivating the boom aerodynamic control surface; and
stowing the refueling boom with the hoist in a fourth actuator state mode.

13. A method comprising:
lowering, while a hoist of a refueling boom is in a second actuator state mode, a refueling boom structure of the refueling boom with the hoist, wherein, in the second actuator state mode, the hoist is in a hoisting mode configured to provide an upward pull on a cable of the refueling boom and a boom aerodynamic control surface of the refueling boom is deactivated;
determining that first transition conditions have been met; and
transitioning the refueling boom from the second actuator state mode to a zero actuator state mode, the transitioning comprising:
switching the refueling boom from the second actuator state mode to a first actuator state mode, wherein, in the first actuator state mode, the hoist is in a tension mode configured to maintain a baseline amount of tension, the baseline amount of tension less than the upward pull of the hoisting mode, on the cable of the refueling boom and the boom aerodynamic control surface is deactivated; and
switching the refueling boom from the first actuator state mode to the zero actuator state mode, wherein, in the zero actuator state mode, the hoist is in the tension mode and the boom aerodynamic control surface is activated.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
flying the refueling boom after the activating the boom aerodynamic control surface, wherein the switching from the second actuator state mode to the first actuator state mode comprises operating a clutch of the refueling boom to allow a transition from the second actuator state mode to the zero actuator state mode.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first transition conditions comprise:
a boom pitch angle greater than a first threshold angle;
a hoist cable rate less than a first threshold rate; and
an aircraft dynamic pressure greater than a first threshold dynamic pressure.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
lifting the refueling boom structure from a stowed position with the hoist, wherein the lifting the refueling boom structure is with the refueling boom in a fourth actuator state mode.

17. A method comprising:
flying a refueling boom towards a fuselage of an aircraft while the refueling boom is in a zero actuator state mode wherein, in the zero actuator state mode a hoist of the refueling boom is in a tension mode configured to maintain a baseline amount of tension on a cable of the refueling boom and a boom aerodynamic control surface of the refueling boom is activated;
determining that second transition conditions have been met;
transitioning the refueling boom from the zero actuator state mode to a second actuator state mode, the transitioning comprising:
switching the refueling boom from the zero actuator state mode to a first actuator state mode, wherein, in the first actuator state mode, the hoist is in the tension mode and the boom aerodynamic control surface is deactivated; and
switching the refueling boom from the first actuator state mode to the second actuator state mode, wherein, in the second actuator state mode, the hoist is in a hoisting mode configured to provide an upward pull greater than the baseline amount of tension on the cable of the refueling boom and the boom aerodynamic control surface is deactivated; and

raising, with the refueling boom in the second actuator state mode, a refueling boom structure of the refueling boom with the hoist.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the switching from the first actuator state mode to the second actuator state mode comprises operating a clutch of the hoist to allow for the transitioning from the zero actuator state mode to the second actuator state mode.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the sec

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Hinson Kimberly A
• Jang Jung Soon
• Lawson Blain A
• Jacobus Christopher M

Classifications

• B64D39/04 Primary

  Adaptations of hose construction · CPC title

• B64D39/02 Primary

  Means for paying-in or out hose · CPC title