Failsafe synthetic angle generation algorithm for aircraft electric braking system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019031170-A1
Application number	US-201715660562-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 26, 2017
Priority date	Jul 26, 2017
Publication date	Jan 31, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A controller for a brake may comprise an error detector configured to determine an error in a motor angular position signal and a synthetic angle generator configured to generate a synthetic motor angular position signal. The controller may control an actuator motor via the synthetic motor angular position signal in response to the error in the motor angular position signal being determined. In various embodiments, the synthetic motor angular position may cause the controller to retract an electromechanical brake actuator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A controller for an electromechanical brake actuator (EBA), comprising:
an error detector configured to determine an error in a motor angular position signal; and a synthetic angle generator configured to generate a synthetic motor angular position signal, wherein the controller controls an actuator motor via the synthetic motor angular position signal in response to the error in the motor angular position signal being detected.

2 . The controller of claim 1 , wherein the motor angular position signal is replaced with the synthetic motor angular position signal in response to the error being determined.

3 . The controller of claim 2 , wherein the synthetic motor angular position signal causes the actuator motor to retract the EBA.

4 . The controller of claim 3 , wherein the EBA is disabled in response to the retraction.

5 . The controller of claim 4 , wherein the synthetic motor angular position signal comprises a time-varying angular position.

6 . The controller of claim 5 , wherein the controller is for an electromechanical brake.

7 . A brake arrangement, comprising:
an actuator motor; a controller in electronic communication with the actuator motor; and a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the controller, the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the controller, cause the controller to perform operations comprising: receiving, by the controller, a motor angular position signal; determining, by the controller, an error in the motor angular position signal; generating, by the controller, a synthetic motor angular position signal; and replacing, by the controller, the motor angular position signal with the synthetic motor angular position signal in response to the error in the motor angular position signal being determined.

8 . The brake arrangement of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise sending, by the controller, a command signal to the actuator motor based upon the synthetic motor angular position signal.

9 . The brake arrangement of claim 8 , further comprising:
a load cell, in communication with the controller; a current sensor, in communication with the controller; and a position sensor, in communication with the controller and configured to output the motor angular position signal.

10 . The brake arrangement of claim 7 , wherein the controller comprises:
an error detector; and a synthetic angle generator.

11 . The brake arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the error detector is configured to determine the error and the synthetic angle generator is configured to generate the synthetic motor angular position signal.

12 . The brake arrangement of claim 7 , further comprising an electromechanical brake actuator (EBA), wherein the actuator motor is for the EBA.

13 . The brake arrangement of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise rotating a motor shaft in response to the sending, wherein the rotating causes the EBA to retract at an angular velocity corresponding to the synthetic motor angular position signal.

14 . The brake arrangement of claim 12 , wherein the controller comprises an EBA controller.

15 . The brake arrangement of claim 8 , wherein the controller disables the actuator motor in response to the sending.

16 . The brake arrangement of claim 8 , wherein the actuator motor comprises a three-phase motor.

17 . The brake arrangement of claim 8 , wherein the motor angular position signal is received by the controller from a position sensor.

18 . A method for controlling an electromechanical actuator, comprising:
receiving, by a controller, a motor angular position signal; determining, by the controller, an error in the motor angular position signal; generating, by the controller, a synthetic motor angular position signal; replacing, by the controller, the motor angular position signal with the synthetic motor angular position signal in response to the error in the motor angular position signal being determined; and sending, by the controller, a command signal to a motor based upon the synthetic motor angular position signal.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising rotating a motor shaft in response to the controller sending the command signal.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the rotating causes the electromechanical actuator to retract at an angular velocity corresponding to the synthetic motor angular position signal.

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Mastrocola Naison E
• Menke Michael J

Classifications

• B60T17/221 Primary

  Procedure or apparatus for checking or keeping in a correct functioning condition of brake systems (hydraulic pressure systems in general F15B19/00, F15B21/04; testing structures or apparatus G01M) · CPC title

• B60T8/172

  Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters {(B60T8/17551 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60T2270/40

  Failsafe aspects of brake control systems · CPC title

• B64C25/44

  Actuating mechanisms · CPC title

• B60T8/171

  Detecting parameters used in the regulation; Measuring values used in the regulation · CPC title