System and method for detecting ice accretion on a rotor of an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024262512-A1
Application number	US-202318191579-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 28, 2023
Priority date	Feb 7, 2023
Publication date	Aug 8, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for detecting ice accretion on a rotor of an aircraft includes a processing system that is configured to: receive torque data indicative of actual torque supplied from an electric motor to the rotor; implement a model of the electric motor and the rotor that determines an estimated torque that should be supplied from the electric motor to the rotor; compute a load on the rotor from the actual torque and the estimated torque; compare the computed load to a predetermined magnitude; and when the computed load exceeds the predetermined magnitude, generate an alert that indicates ice is accreting on the rotor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for detecting ice accretion on a rotor of an aircraft, the system comprising a processing system that is configured to:
receive torque data indicative of actual torque supplied from an electric motor to the rotor; implement a model of the electric motor and the rotor that determines an estimated torque that should be supplied from the electric motor to the rotor; compute a load on the rotor from the actual torque and the estimated torque; compare the computed load to a predetermined magnitude; and when the computed load exceeds the predetermined magnitude, generate an alert that indicates ice is accreting on the rotor.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display device in operable communication with the processing system, wherein:
the processing system is further configured to command the display device to render a graphic indicator associated with the rotor; and
the alert causes the graphic indicator to change color.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein:
the graphic indicator is rendered in a green color when the computed load does not exceed the predetermined magnitude; and the graphic indicator is rendered in a red color when the computed load exceeds the predetermined magnitude.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to determine a nearest landing station for the aircraft when the computed load exceeds the predetermined magnitude.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the processing system is further configured to supply estimated load data indicative of the estimated load, when the computed load exceeds the predetermined magnitude; and the system further comprises an onboard aircraft flight control computer coupled to receive the estimated load data from the processing system and configured to process the estimated load data to compute appropriate mitigating actions based on the estimated load.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the model implemented in the processing system estimates the torque that should be supplied to the aircraft rotor from:
RPM command data, the RPM command data indicative of a rotational speed at which the aircraft rotor is being commanded to rotate; angular rate data, the angular rate data indicative of angular rates of the aircraft; air density data, the air density data indicative of air density; and wind estimate data, the wind estimate data indicative of estimated relative wind velocities in three orthogonal axes.

7 . The system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a motor controller in operable communication with the electric motor and the processing system, the motor controller coupled to receive the RPM command data and, upon receipt thereof, to (i) command the electric motor to rotate at the commanded RPM and (ii) supply the RPM command data to the processing system.

8 . The system of claim 6 , further comprising an inertial data source in operable communication with the processing system, the inertial data source configured to supply the inertial data.

9 . The system of claim 6 , further comprising an air data source in operable communication with the processing system, the airs data source configured to supply the air density data.

10 . The system of claim 6 , wherein:
the processing system is further configured to implement a wind estimator model; and the wind estimator model supplies the wind estimate data from:
the angular rate data;
the air density data;
total pressure data, the total pressure data indicative of sensed aircraft total pressure;
angle-of-attack (AoA) data, the AoA data indicative of sensed aircraft AoA;
body axis acceleration data, the body axis acceleration data indicative of accelerations of the aircraft in three orthogonal axes; and
ground-based velocity data, the ground-based velocity data indicative of ground-based velocities of the aircraft in three orthogonal axes.

11 . A method for detecting ice accretion on a rotor of an aircraft, the method comprising the steps of:
calculating, in a processor, actual torque supplied from an electric motor to the rotor; estimating torque that should be supplied from the electric motor to the rotor using a model of the electric motor and the rotor that is implemented in the processor; computing, in the processor, a load on the rotor from the actual torque and the estimated torque; comparing the computed load to a predetermined magnitude in the processor; and when the computed load exceeds the predetermined magnitude, generating, using the processor, an alert that indicates ice is accreting on the rotor.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the alert causes a graphic indicator associated with the rotor, and rendered on a display device, to change color.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein:
the graphic indicator is rendered in a green color when the computed load does not exceed the predetermined magnitude; and the graphic indicator is rendered in a red color when the computed load exceeds the predetermined magnitude.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining, in the processor, a nearest landing station for the aircraft when the computed load exceeds the predetermined magnitude.

15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
supplying the estimated load from the processor to an onboard aircraft flight control computer when the computed load exceeds the predetermined magnitude; and computing, in the onboard aircraft flight control computer, appropriate mitigating actions based on the estimated load.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the model implemented in the processor estimates the torque that should be supplied to the aircraft rotor from:
RPM command data, the RPM command data indicative of a rotational speed at which the aircraft rotor is being commanded to rotate; inertial data, the inertial data indicative of angular rates of the aircraft; and wind data, the wind data indicative of relative wind velocities in three orthogonal axes.

17 . An aircraft comprising:
a fuselage; a plurality of rotors disposed on the fuselage, each rotor coupled to receive a drive torque; a plurality of motors, each motor coupled to, and configured to supply the drive torque to, a different one of the rotors; and an ice accretion detection system comprising a processing system that is configured to:
receive torque data indicative of actual torque supplied from each electric motor to its associated rotor;
implement models of each electric motor and rotor combination, wherein each model determines an estimated torque that should be supplied from each electric motor to its associated rotor;
compute a load on each rotor from the actual torque and the estimated torque;
compare each of the computed loads to a predetermined magnitude; and
when one or more of the computed loads exceeds the predetermined magnitude, generate an alert that indicates ice is accreting on the associated rotor.

18 . The aircraft of claim 17 , further comprising:
a display device in operable communication with the processing system, wherein:
the processing system is further configured to command the display device to render a graphic indicator associated with the rotor; and
the alert causes the graphic indicator to change color.

19 . The aircraft of claim 17 , wherein the processing system is further configured to determine a nearest landing station for the aircraft when the computed load exceeds the predetermined magnitude.

20 .

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Kanathu Mohan
• Pasupathi Sivaprakash
• Karas Ondrej

Classifications

• B64D15/22

  Automatic initiation by icing detector · CPC title

• B64D15/20 Primary

  Means for detecting icing or initiating de-icing · CPC title