Remote actuation systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12537468-B2
Application number	US-202318526831-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2023
Priority date	Dec 1, 2023
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

Fly-by-wire vehicle systems and related actuation systems and operating methods are provided for actuating a remote flight control component. An exemplary system includes a voltage regulation arrangement between a power supply input node and a reference voltage node to provide a regulated output voltage at the reference voltage node, a power conversion arrangement between the reference voltage node and an output node to provide power from the reference voltage node to an electrical load coupled to the output node, and a control module coupled to the voltage regulation arrangement to provide a command to vary the regulated output voltage at the reference voltage node based on feedback measurement data pertaining to the electrical load.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
a voltage regulation arrangement coupled between a power supply input node and a reference voltage node, wherein the voltage regulation arrangement is operable to provide a regulated output voltage at the reference voltage node; a power conversion arrangement coupled between the reference voltage node and an output node to provide power from the reference voltage node to an electrical load coupled to the output node; and a control module coupled to the voltage regulation arrangement to provide a command to vary the regulated output voltage at the reference voltage node based on feedback measurement data pertaining to the electrical load.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the electrical load comprises a motor; and the feedback measurement data is indicative of a current actuation state of the motor; and the control module provides the command to adjust the regulated output voltage based on a difference between the current actuation state and a targeted actuation state.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein:
the current actuation state comprises a measured speed of the motor; and the control module provides the command to increase an amplitude of the regulated output voltage when the measured speed is less than a target speed for the motor.

4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein:
the current actuation state comprises a measured speed of the motor; and the control module provides the command to increase a frequency of the regulated output voltage when the measured speed is less than a target speed for the motor.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the electrical load comprises a motor; and the control module is configurable to determine a commutation type for the motor based at least in part on the feedback measurement data and provide the command to vary the regulated output voltage at the reference voltage node in a manner that is influenced by the commutation type.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the electrical load comprises a motor; and the control module is configurable to determine a commutation type for the motor based at least in part on the feedback measurement data and provide power conversion commands to operate the power conversion arrangement in accordance with the commutation type.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the control module is configurable to determine a voltage regulation command to operate the voltage regulation arrangement in accordance with the commutation type, wherein the control module is configurable to adjust the voltage regulation command to vary the regulated output voltage at the reference voltage node based on the feedback measurement data indicating a current actuation state of the motor different from a commanded actuation state.

8 . A method of operating an electrical load, the method comprising:
operating a power conversion arrangement coupled between a reference voltage node and an output node coupled to the electrical load to provide power from the reference voltage node to the electrical load; obtaining measurement feedback associated with operation of the electrical load in response to the power from the reference voltage node; and operating a voltage regulation arrangement coupled to the reference voltage node to adjust a regulated output voltage at the reference voltage node based on a difference between the measurement feedback and a performance target associated with the electrical load while concurrently operating the power conversion arrangement to adjust the power to the electrical load in response to adjusting the regulated output voltage.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the electrical load comprises a motor; the measurement feedback comprises at least one of a measured current, a measured speed and a measured position; and the performance target comprises at least one of a target motor current, a target motor speed and a target motor position.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the electrical load comprises an actuator; and operating the voltage regulation arrangement comprises commanding the voltage regulation arrangement to increase the regulated output voltage at the reference voltage node when the measurement feedback is indicative of an actuation state of the actuator that is less than the performance target.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the actuator comprises an electric motor; the power conversion arrangement comprises an inverter having a phase leg coupled between the reference voltage node and a set of stator windings of the electric motor and the performance target comprises at least one of a target motor current, a target motor speed and a target motor position; and the actuation state comprises at least one of a measured motor current, a measured motor speed, and a measured motor position.

12 . The method of claim 8 , the electrical load comprising an electric motor, wherein the method further comprises:
receiving an input command indicative of a targeted actuation associated with the electric motor; determining a commutation type for the electric motor based at least in part on an actuation state of the electric motor and the targeted actuation; and determining power conversion commands and voltage regulation commands for achieving the targeted actuation based at least in part on the commutation type and the current actuation state of the electric motor, wherein:
operating the power conversion arrangement comprises operating the power conversion arrangement in accordance with the power conversion commands for achieving the targeted actuation while concurrently operating the voltage regulation arrangement in accordance with the voltage regulation commands to provide the regulated output voltage at the reference voltage node.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein operating the voltage regulation arrangement to adjust the regulated output voltage comprises adjusting one or more of the voltage regulation commands to increase an amplitude of the regulated output voltage when the measurement feedback indicates the actuation state of the electric motor is less than the targeted actuation.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein operating the voltage regulation arrangement to adjust the regulated output voltage comprises adjusting one or more of the voltage regulation commands to increase a frequency of the regulated output voltage when the measurement feedback indicates the actuation state of the electric motor is less than the targeted actuation.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein operating the voltage regulation arrangement to adjust the regulated output voltage comprises adjusting one or more of the voltage regulation commands to decrease an amplitude of the regulated output voltage when the measurement feedback indicates the actuation state of the electric motor is greater than the targeted actuation.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein operating the voltage regulation arrangement to adjust the regulated output voltage comprises adjusting one or more of the voltage regulation commands to decrease a frequency of the regulated output voltage when the measurement feedback indicates the actuation state of the electric motor is greater than the targeted actuation.

17 . The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the electrical load comprises an electric motor; the performance target comprises a targeted motor speed; operating the power conversion arrangement comprises operating the power conversion arrangement to commutate the electric motor as an alternating current (AC) induction

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Mubaslat Saed
• Niewiadomski Walter
• West Brian

Classifications

• H02P27/06

  using DC to AC converters or inverters (H02P27/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02P23/14 Primary

  Estimation or adaptation of motor parameters, e.g. rotor time constant, flux, speed, current or voltage · CPC title

• H02M7/53871

  with automatic control of output voltage or current · CPC title

• H02P23/0027

  using different modes of control depending on a parameter, e.g. the speed · CPC title

• H02P2201/11

  Buck converter, i.e. DC-DC step down converter decreasing the voltage between the supply and the inverter driving the motor · CPC title