Thrust reverser actuator systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9650994-B2
Application number	US-201414447310-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2014
Priority date	Jul 30, 2014
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

Thrust reverser actuator systems are disclosed herein. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a first controller to communicate with a first flight computer and a second flight computer of an aircraft. The example apparatus also includes a second controller to communicate with the first flight computer and the second flight computer. The example apparatus further includes a thrust reverser and a first electrical actuator coupled to the thrust reverser. The first electrical actuator is to be communicatively coupled to the first controller and the second controller. The example apparatus also includes a second electrical actuator coupled to the thrust reverser. The second electrical actuator is to be communicatively coupled to the second controller. The first electrical actuator and the second electrical actuator are to synchronously actuate the thrust reverser.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a first flight computer;
a second flight computer;
a first controller to communicate with the first flight computer and the second flight computer;
a first electric motor to communicate with the first controller;
a second controller to communicate with the first flight computer and the second flight computer;
a second electric motor to communicate with the second controller; and
an aircraft thrust reverser operatively coupled to the first electric motor and the second electric motor, each of the first controller and the second controller to receive a first command from the first flight computer and a second command from the second flight computer, the first controller to control the first electric motor based on the first command and the second command, the second controller to control the second electric motor based on the first command and the second command, the first electric motor and the second electric motor to synchronously move the aircraft thrust reverser.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first bus to communicatively couple the first flight computer to the second flight computer; and
a second bus to communicatively couple the first controller to the second controller.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first controller is to forward at least one of the first command or the second command to the second controller via the second bus, the second controller is to command the second electric motor to deploy the aircraft thrust reverser in response to receiving all of 1) the first command from the first flight computer, 2) the second command from the second flight computer, and 3) at least one of the first command and the second command from the first controller.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an electromagnetic brake operatively coupled to the first electric motor.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the electromagnetic brake is to prevent deployment of the aircraft thrust reverser if the brake is engaged and at least one of the first electric motor or the second electric motor is generating torque to actuate the aircraft thrust reverser.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a transmission operatively coupled to the first electric motor, the transmission having a gear reduction gear ratio.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a ball screw operatively coupled to the transmission.

8. A method, comprising:
communicating a first command from a first flight computer to a first controller, the first controller communicatively coupled to a first electrical actuator of an aircraft thrust reverser;
communicating the first command from the first flight computer to a second controller, the second controller communicatively coupled to a second electrical actuator of the aircraft thrust reverser;
communicating a second command from a second flight computer to the first controller;
communicating the second command from the second flight computer to the second controller;
forwarding at least one of the first command or the second command from the first controller to the second controller;
forwarding at least one of the first command or the second command from the second controller to the first controller; and
deploying the aircraft thrust reverser via the first electrical actuator and the second electrical actuator if the first controller receives the first command from the first flight computer, the second command from the second flight computer, and at least one of the first command or the second command from the second controller.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein deploying the aircraft thrust reverser comprises:
communicating a first brake release command to a first brake operatively coupled to the first electrical actuator; and
communicating a torque command to a first electric motor of the first electrical actuator.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
monitoring a first position of a portion of the first electrical actuator;
determining if the first electrical actuator is in a jammed condition based on the first position; and
communicating a zero torque command to a first electric motor of the first electrical actuator if the first electrical actuator is in the jammed condition.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
communicating a first torque command to a first electric motor of the first electrical actuator, the first electric motor to generate a first torque based on the first torque command;
monitoring a first rate of movement of a portion of the first electrical actuator;
determining if the first rate fails to meet a predetermined rate; and
communicating a second torque command to the first electrical actuator if the first rate fails to meet the predetermined rate, the first electrical actuator to generate a second torque greater than the first torque based on the second torque command.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein a first electric motor of the first electrical actuator is to output a first torque based on a midvalue of the first command and the second command and a second electric motor of the second electrical actuator is to output a second torque based on the midvalue.

13. An apparatus, comprising:
a first controller to communicate with a first flight computer and a second flight computer of an aircraft;
a second controller to communicate with the first flight computer and the second flight computer, the first flight computer to communicate a first deployment command to each of the first controller and the second controller and the second flight computer to communicate a second deployment command to each of the first controller and the second controller;
a thrust reverser;
a first electrical actuator coupled to the thrust reverser, the first electrical actuator to be communicatively coupled to the first controller and the second controller; and
a second electrical actuator coupled to the thrust reverser, the second electrical actuator to be communicatively coupled to the second controller, the first controller to actuate the first electrical actuator based on the first deployment command and the second deployment command, the second controller to actuate the second electrical actuator based on the first deployment command and the second deployment command, the first electrical actuator and the second electrical actuator to synchronously actuate the thrust reverser.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first electrical actuator comprises at least one of a brushless direct current electric motor or a permanent magnet electric motor.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first electrical actuator comprises an electromagnetic brake.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first electrical actuator comprises an electric motor and a ball screw, the ball screw operatively coupled to the electric motor.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a cross data channel link to communicatively couple the first controller to the second controller.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the second controller is to communicate the first deployment command and the second deployment command to the first controller via the cross data channel link, the first controller to actuate the first electrical actuator if the first controller receives all of 1) the first deployment command from first flight computer, 2) the second deployment command from the second flight computer, and 3) at least one of the first deployment command or the second deployment command from the seco

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Cameron Douglas C

Classifications

• F02K1/76

  Control or regulation of thrust reversers · CPC title

• F02K1/763 Primary

  with actuating systems or actuating devices; Arrangement of actuators for thrust reversers · CPC title

• F02K1/56

  Reversing jet main flow · CPC title

• F02K1/766

  with blocking systems or locking devices; Arrangement of locking devices for thrust reversers · CPC title