Automatic aircraft powerplant control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11835012-B2
Application number	US-202217749708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2022
Priority date	May 20, 2021
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

An automatic aircraft powerplant control system includes a throttle servo for adjusting a throttle valve via a throttle control linkage. A throttle control lever provides a user input to the throttle servo, and a throttle controller controls the throttle servo for controlling a throttle valve. A propeller servo may be provided for adjusting a propeller governor setting of an engine. A propeller control lever provides a user input to the propeller servo, and a propeller controller controls the propeller servo. A full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) controller is used to automatically control mixing of fuel and air via a fuel-air mixture device. The FADEC controller may be used to automatically provide propeller control.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automatic aircraft powerplant control system, comprising:
a throttle control configuration for controlling a throttle, comprising:
a throttle servo mechanically coupled with an engine via a throttle control linkage, wherein the throttle servo is configured for adjusting a throttle valve via the throttle control linkage;
a throttle control lever communicatively coupled with the throttle servo for providing a user input to the throttle servo; and
a throttle controller communicatively coupled with the throttle servo for controlling the throttle servo;

a propeller control configuration for controlling a propeller, comprising:
a propeller servo mechanically coupled with the engine via a propeller control linkage, wherein the propeller servo is configured for adjusting a propeller governor setting of the engine;
a propeller control lever communicatively coupled with the propeller servo for providing a user input to the propeller servo; and
a mechanical mixer that mechanically mixes an input received from the propeller servo with an input received from the propeller control lever to provide proper control at the engine, including an ability to back-drive the propeller control lever when the propeller servo is active; and

a full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) controller, the FADEC controller being configured to automatically control mixing of fuel and air via a fuel-air mixture device.

2. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
a first communication channel between the FADEC controller and the fuel-air mixture device; and
a second communication channel between the FADEC controller and the fuel-air mixture device, wherein the second communication channel provides redundancy with the first communication channel.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first communication channel and the second communication channel each provide an independent control path and an independent monitoring path between the FADEC controller and the fuel-air mixture device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the throttle controller receives inputs from an avionics bus, and the throttle controller is configured to control the throttle servo for adjusting the throttle valve based at least partially on the inputs.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the inputs to the throttle servo include one or more of throttle control commands, cylinder-head temperature, engine exhaust gas temperature, propeller speed, or fuel flow.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the throttle servo comprises a single servo configured to back drive the throttle control lever for controlling the throttle valve.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the propeller servo comprises a single servo configured to back drive the propeller control lever for controlling the propeller governor setting of the engine.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the propeller controller receives inputs from an avionics bus, and the propeller controller is configured to control the propeller servo for adjusting the propeller governor setting based at least partially on the inputs.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the propeller servo adjusts the propeller governor setting of the engine to change a propeller pitch, based on the user input from the propeller control lever and the inputs received from the avionics bus, thereby adjusting a propeller speed for a given power output from the engine.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the inputs to the propeller servo include one or more of throttle control commands or propeller speed.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the throttle control configuration comprises a mechanical mixer that mechanically mixes an input received from the throttle servo with an input received from the throttle control lever to provide proper control at the engine, including an ability to back-drive the throttle control lever when the throttle servo is active.

12. An automatic aircraft powerplant control system, comprising:
a throttle control configuration for controlling a throttle, comprising:
a throttle servo mechanically coupled with an engine via a throttle control linkage, wherein the throttle servo is configured for adjusting a throttle valve via the throttle control linkage;
a throttle control lever communicatively coupled with the throttle servo for providing a user input to the throttle servo; and
a throttle controller communicatively coupled with the throttle servo for controlling the throttle servo;

a propeller control configuration for controlling a propeller, comprising:
a propeller servo mechanically coupled with the engine via a propeller control linkage, wherein the propeller servo is configured for adjusting a propeller governor setting of the engine; and
a propeller control lever communicatively coupled with the propeller servo for providing a user input to the propeller servo;

a full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) controller, the FADEC controller being configured to automatically control mixing of fuel and air via a fuel-air mixture device;
a solenoid configured to change a mechanical scheduling of the propeller via the propeller control linkage; and
a propeller-speed switch communicatively coupled with the solenoid, wherein the propeller-speed switch is configured to receive a user input for switching between a low-speed setting and a high-speed setting of the propeller.

13. An automatic aircraft powerplant control system, comprising:
a throttle control configuration for controlling a throttle, comprising:
a throttle servo mechanically coupled with an engine via a throttle control linkage, wherein the throttle servo is configured for adjusting a throttle valve via the throttle control linkage;
a throttle control lever communicatively coupled with the throttle servo for providing a user input to the throttle servo; and
a throttle controller communicatively coupled with the throttle servo for controlling the throttle servo;
a mechanical mixer that mechanically mixes an input received from the throttle servo with an input received from the throttle control lever to provide proper control at the engine, including an ability to back-drive the throttle control lever when the throttle servo is active; and

a full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) controller, the FADEC controller being configured to:
automatically control mixing of fuel and air via a fuel-air mixture device; and
provide automatic propeller control for controlling a pitch of a propeller.

14. The system of claim 13 , comprising:
a first communication channel between the FADEC controller and 1) the fuel-air mixture device, and 2) a propeller governor; and
a second communication channel between the FADEC controller and 1) the fuel-air mixture device, and 2) the propeller governor, wherein the second communication channel provides redundancy with the first communication channel.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first communication channel and the second communication channel each provide an independent control path and an independent monitoring path between the FADEC controller and 1) the fuel-air mixture device and 2) the propeller governor.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the throttle controller receives inputs from an avionics bus, and the throttle controller is configured to control the throttle servo for adjusting the throttle valve based at least partially on the inputs.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the throttle servo comprises a single servo configured to back drive the throttle control lever for controlling the throttle valve.

18.

Assignees

• Textron Aviation Inc
• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Eddy Stephen M

Classifications

• F02D9/02 Primary

  concerning induction conduits (throttle valves, or arrangements thereof in conduits F02D9/08) · CPC title

• B64C11/30

  Blade pitch-changing mechanisms · CPC title

• B64D31/04

  actuated personally · CPC title

• F02D11/04

  characterised by mechanical control linkages (F02D11/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02D29/02

  peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers · CPC title