System for confirming shutdown of an aircraft engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11486318-B2
Application number	US-202117317321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2021
Priority date	May 12, 2020
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

To control an engine shutdown in an aircraft, a control system includes a fuel supply shut-off member, a control member with a set of switches, a first switch on an electrical power supply link of the fuel supply shut-off member and second switches connected to avionics of the aircraft, the set of switches switching position on an engine shutdown command. An engine shutdown confirmation unit includes a third switch on the electrical power supply link, the third switch in open position by default. The engine shutdown confirmation unit includes electronic circuitry configured to switch the third switch over to closed position when a predefined quantity Q of switches of the control member switches position within a sliding window of predefined duration and, otherwise, keeps the third switch in open position. Thus, it is ensured that the engine shutdown is intentional.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control system for controlling an engine shutdown of a propulsion engine of an aircraft, comprising:
at least one fuel supply shut-off member, such that, when the at least one fuel supply shut-off member is electrically powered, the fuel supply of the propulsion engine is stopped;
a control member, which is configured to be placed in a cockpit of the aircraft and comprises a set of switches, the set of switches comprising at least one first switch on an electrical power supply link of the at least one fuel supply shut-off member and a plurality of second switches configured to be connected to avionics of the aircraft, the at least one first switch being in an open position by default, the set of switches switching position on an engine shutdown command;
an engine shutdown confirmation unit comprising at least one third switch placed on the electrical power supply link, the at least one third switch being in an open position by default;
wherein the engine shutdown confirmation unit comprises electronic circuitry configured to switch the at least one third switch over to a closed position when a predefined quantity Q of switches out of the set of switches of the control member switches position within a time frame of predefined duration and, otherwise, keeps the at least one third switch in the open position.

2. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to:
be set to standby for a predefined duration representative of a response time of the propulsion engine on engine shutdown;
check whether the propulsion engine is going into a shut-off mode; and
keep the at least one third switch in the closed position when the propulsion engine is going into the shut-off mode and, otherwise, to switch the at least one third switch back to the open position.

3. The control system according to claim 2 , wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to determine that the propulsion engine is going into the shut-off mode when sensors confirm that the configuration of the at least one fuel supply shut-off member is in a fuel supply shut-off state.

4. The control system according to claim 2 , wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to determine that the propulsion engine is going into the shut-off mode when sensors confirm that a speed of the propulsion engine is dropping.

5. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the engine shutdown confirmation unit is placed at an output of the second switches, inserted between the control member and the avionics of the aircraft.

6. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one third switch are electromagnetic relays.

7. An aircraft comprising, at least, a propulsion engine and a control system according to claim 1 .

8. The aircraft according to claim 7 , wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to keep the at least one third switch in the closed position and to not monitor switching-over of the set of switches of the control member when a speed of the aircraft is below a predefined speed threshold.

9. The aircraft according to claim 7 , wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to keep the at least one third switch in the closed position and to not monitor switching-over of the set of switches of the control member in a take-off phase of the aircraft.

10. The aircraft according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one fuel supply shut-off member is a high-pressure shut-off solenoid valve and/or a low-pressure shut-off solenoid valve.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Zaccaria Patrick
• Boyer David

Classifications

• F01D21/00

  Shutting-down of machines or engines, e.g. in emergency; Regulating, controlling, or safety means not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64D37/32 Primary

  Safety measures not otherwise provided for, e.g. preventing explosive conditions · CPC title

• G05B9/02

  electric · CPC title

• B64D31/04

  actuated personally · CPC title

• B64D45/00

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title