Power safety instrument system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9663243-B2
Application number	US-201615168356-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2016
Priority date	Dec 22, 2010
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

A power safety system is configured to provide power information in an aircraft. The power safety system includes a power safety instrument having a power required indicator and a power available indicator, each being located on a display. A position of the power required indicator and the power available indicator represent the power available and power required to perform a hover flight maneuver. The power safety system may be operated in a flight planning mode or in a current flight mode. The power safety system uses at least one sensor to measure variables having an effect on the power required and the power available.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of providing power information in a rotorcraft, the rotorcraft having a powerplant, the method comprising:
calculating, by a calculation unit, a real-time power required, comprising:
recording a data associated with a variable, the variable including at least one of: a real-time weight of the rotorcraft, a real-time outside air temperature, a real-time pressure altitude;
under default conditions, processing the data using hover performance information based upon out-of-ground effect (OGE) performance data; and
allowing a user to instruct the calculation unit to process the data using hover performance information based upon in-ground effect (IGE) performance data;

calculating a real-time power available, comprising:
conducting a power assurance check resulting in a power assurance data;
determining an amount the powerplant is above or below min-spec criteria;
recording information associated with a measurement of a variable that affects power available; and
processing the information using powerplant performance information;

orienting a power required indicator on a power safety instrument, the position of the power required indicator being dependent upon the calculating of power required; and
orienting a power available indicator on a power safety instrument, the position of the power available indicator being dependent upon the calculating of power available.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
orienting a power usage needle on the power safety instrument, a position of the power usage needle being indicative of the current power being consumed by the rotorcraft.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the orienting a power required indicator is restricted based upon the power required being above a WAT limit.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement regards at least one of: a current engine bleed air usage, a current outside air temperature, a generator load amount, and a current pressure altitude.

5. A power safety system configured to provide power information in an aircraft, the aircraft including an engine, the power safety system comprising:
a power safety instrument, comprising:
a power required indicator located on a display, the power required indicator being configured to communicate a power required to operate the aircraft in a hover flight mode;
a power available indicator located on the display, the power available indicator being configured to communicate a power available of the powerplant in the aircraft during the hover flight mode;
at least one sensor configured to measure at least one variable having an effect on the power required and the power available;
at least one data input device; and
a calculation unit for calculating the power required to operate the aircraft in a hover flight mode, the calculation unit being configured to default to calculating the power required based upon out-of-ground effect (OGE) performance data;
wherein the data input device is configured for allowing a user to instruct the calculation unit to use in-ground effect (IGE) performance data for calculating the power required to operate the aircraft in the hover flight mode.

6. The power safety system according to claim 5 , wherein the power required is calculated based upon a measurement of a plurality of variables at a moment in time, the power required indicator configured to graphically display the amount of power required to perform the hover flight mode at approximately the same moment in time.

7. The power safety system according to claim 5 , wherein the power available is calculated based upon a measurement of a plurality of variables at a moment in time, the power available indicator configured to graphically display the amount of power available to perform the hover flight mode at approximately the same moment in time.

8. The power safety system according to claim 5 , wherein the power safety instrument is configured to operate in a flight planning mode such that a position of the power required indicator represents a predicted power required to perform the aircraft in a predicted hover maneuver, and a position of the power available indicator represents a predicted power available from the powerplant in the aircraft during the predicted hover maneuver.

9. The power safety system according to claim 5 , wherein a margin between a first position of the power required indicator and a second position of the power available indicator represents surplus power available to perform the hover flight mode.

10. The power safety system according to claim 5 , wherein a position of the power required indicator is restricted by a WAT limit.

11. The power safety system according to claim 5 , wherein a position of the power available indicator is restricted by a transmission torque limit.

Assignees

• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Mccollough James M
• Oltheten Erik
• Lappos Nicholas

Classifications

• B64U30/20

  Rotors; Rotor supports · CPC title

• B64C27/04 Primary

  Helicopters · CPC title

• B64C27/00

  Rotorcraft; Rotors peculiar thereto · CPC title

• B64C2201/108

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64D43/00

  Arrangements or adaptations of instruments · CPC title