Gust compensation system and method for aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016357191-A1
Application number	US-201514730986-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 4, 2015
Priority date	Jun 4, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A gust compensation system is configured to adaptively reduce gust loads exerted into an aircraft. The gust compensation system may include a first sensor proximate to a front of the aircraft. The first sensor is configured to output a first signal. A second sensor may be distally located from the front of the aircraft. The second sensor is configured to output a second signal. A gust signal sub-system is configured to receive the first and second signals and generate a gust signal based on analysis of the first and second signals. The gust signal sub-system outputs the gust signal and may modify a load parameter signal in response to the gust signal exceeding a load alleviation threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A gust compensation system configured to adaptively reduce gust loads exerted into an aircraft, the gust compensation system comprising:
a sensor sub-system coupled to the aircraft, wherein the sensor sub-system is configured to output one or more signals; and a gust signal sub-system configured to receive the one or more signals and generate a gust signal based on analysis of the one or more signals, wherein the gust signal sub-system is configured to output the gust signal to move control surfaces in response to the gust signal.

2 . The gust compensation system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor-sub-system comprises:
a first sensor proximate to a front of the aircraft, wherein the first sensor is configured to output a first signal; and a second sensor distally located from the front of the aircraft and configured to output a second signal, wherein the gust signal sub-system is configured to receive the first and second signals and generate the gust signal based on analysis of the first and second signals, and wherein the gust signal sub-system is configured to output the gust signal to move control surfaces in response to the gust signal

3 . The gust compensation system of claim 1 , wherein the gust signal sub-system is configured to output the gust signal to modify a load parameter signal in response to the gust signal exceeding a load alleviation threshold.

4 . The gust compensation system of claim 1 , wherein the load parameter signal as modified by the gust signal causes control surfaces of the aircraft to change from a normal configuration to a gust load reduction configuration.

5 . The gust compensation system of claim 1 , further comprising a load alleviation (LA) sub-system operatively coupled to one or more control surfaces of the aircraft, wherein the LA sub-system is configured to detect the load parameter signal, wherein the LA sub-system is configured to maintain the one or more control surfaces in a normal configuration when the load parameter signal is unmodified by the gust signal, and wherein the LA sub-system is configured to move the one or more control surfaces into a gust load reduction configuration in response to the load parameter signal being modified by the gust signal.

6 . The gust compensation system of claim 2 , wherein the first sensor comprises a vane that is configured to output the first signal as a vane angle of attack signal, and wherein the second sensor is an inertial sensor that is configured to output the second signal as an inertial angle of attack signal.

7 . The gust compensation system of claim 5 , wherein the vane is proximate to a nose of the aircraft, and wherein the inertial sensor is positioned on or in a wing or fuselage of the aircraft.

8 . The gust compensation system of claim 2 , wherein one or both of the first and second sensors is configured to one or more of directly measure gust, measure a gust induced angle of attack, or detect pressure or force.

9 . The gust compensation system of claim 1 , wherein the load alleviation threshold comprises a load magnitude that exceeds a load exerted on a wing of the aircraft caused by intentional maneuvering of the aircraft.

10 . The gust compensation system of claim 1 , wherein the gust signal sub-system comprises at least one control unit operatively coupled to at least one memory.

11 . The gust compensation system of claim 1 , wherein the gust signal sub-system is configured to generate the gust signal as follows:
α_gust=α_air+(sin −1 (( VS−L*q*π/ 180) TAS )+β*sin Φ−θ)/cos Φ

in which α_gust is the gust signal, θ is a pitch angle of the aircraft, β is a sideslip angle of the aircraft, Φ is a roll angle of the aircraft, q is a pitch rate of the aircraft, VS is a vertical speed of the aircraft, TAS is a true air speed of the aircraft, and α_air is a vane angle of attack.

12 . A gust compensation method configured to adaptively reduce gusts exerted into an aircraft, the gust compensation method comprising:
detecting at least one parameter of an aircraft with a first sensor proximate to a front of an aircraft; outputting a first signal based on the at least one parameter from the first sensor; detecting the at least one parameter of the aircraft with a second sensor; outputting a second signal based on the at least one parameter from the second sensor; using a gust signal sub-system to generate a gust signal based on analysis of the first and second signals; and modifying a load parameter signal with the gust signal in response to the gust signal.

13 . The gust compensation method of claim 12 , wherein the second sensor is distally located from the front of the aircraft, and wherein the gust compensation method further comprises comparing the gust signal to a load alleviation threshold, wherein the modifying operation comprises modifying the load parameter signal with the gust signal in response to the gust signal exceeding the load alleviation threshold.

14 . The gust compensation method of claim 12 , further comprising causing control surfaces of the aircraft to change from a normal configuration to a gust load reduction configuration in response to the modifying operation.

15 . The gust compensation method of claim 12 , further comprising:
processing the load parameter signal with a load alleviation (LA) sub-system; maintaining the control surfaces in a normal configuration when the load parameter signal is unmodified by the gust signal; and moving the control surfaces into a gust load reduction configuration in response to the modifying operation.

16 . The gust compensation method of claim 12 , wherein the load alleviation threshold comprises a load magnitude that exceeds a load exerted on a wing of the aircraft caused by intentional maneuvering of the aircraft.

17 . The gust compensation method of claim 10 , wherein the gust signal is determined as follows:
α_gust=α_air+(sin −1 (( VS−L*q*π/ 180) TAS )+β*sin Φ−θ)/cos Φ

in which α_gust is the gust signal, θ is a pitch angle of the aircraft, β is a sideslip angle of the aircraft, Φ is a roll angle of the aircraft, q is a pitch rate of the aircraft, VS is a vertical speed of the aircraft, TAS is a true air speed of the aircraft, and α_air is a vane angle of attack.

18 . An aircraft comprising:
a fuselage including an internal cabin having a cockpit proximate to a nose of the aircraft; first and second wings extending from the fuselage; at least one vertical stabilizer; at least one horizontal stabilizer; one or more control surfaces moveably secured to one or more of the first and second wings, the at least one vertical stabilizer, and the at least one horizontal stabilizer; and a gust compensation system configured to adaptively reduce gust loads exerted into the aircraft, the gust compensation system comprising:
a first sensor secured proximate to the nose, wherein the first sensor is configured to output a first signal;
a second sensor distally located from the nose, wherein the second sensor is configured to output a second signal;
a gust signal sub-system configured to receive the first and second signals and generate a gust signal based on analysis of the first and second signals, wherein the gust signal sub-system is configured to output the gust signal to modify a load parameter signal in response to the gust signal exceeding a load alleviation threshold; and
a load alleviation (LA) sub-system operatively coupled to the one or more control surfaces, wherein the LA sub-system is configured to detect the lo

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Abdel-Motagaly Khaled
• Caicedo Rafael E
• Dallara Christopher D
• Ho Alexander C
• Najmabadi Kioumars
• Siu Tze L
• Strefling Paul C
• Yamashiro Hisako

Classifications

• B64C13/16 Primary

  actuated automatically, e.g. responsive to gust detectors · CPC title

• B64C13/18 Primary

  using automatic pilot · CPC title

• G05D1/83

  Limitation of acceleration or structural stress · CPC title

• G05D1/495

  to ensure stability · CPC title

• B64D2700/62228

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic