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US 11,142,328 B2Granted
Drag control configuration for a powered aircraft
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorWilliam E. Rhoden
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A powered aircraft includes at least one thrust producing engine and an engine controller controllably coupled to the at least one thrust producing engine. The engine controller includes at least a first control channel and a drag control channel. The first control channel is configured to control the at least one thrust producing engine via thrust control and the drag control channel is configured to control the at least one thrust producing engine via drag control.
Claims18
A powered aircraft comprising:
- at least one thrust producing engine;
- an engine controller controllably coupled to the at least one thrust producing engine, the engine controller including at least a first control channel and a drag control channel, wherein the first control channel is configured to control the at least one thrust producing engine via thrust control, and the drag control channel is configured to control the at least one thrust producing engine via drag control;
- and
- wherein drag control comprises outputting a fixed thrust for a desired engine operational mode and maintaining a velocity of the aircraft within a velocity window by adjusting at least one drag producing component of the aircraft.
1 more element
A method for operating a powered aircraft comprising:
- operating in a drag control mode by outputting a fixed thrust for a desired engine operational mode and maintaining a velocity of a powered aircraft within a velocity window corresponding to the fixed thrust by adjusting at least one drag producing component of the aircraft and thereby adjusting a drag of the aircraft;
- and
- wherein maintaining the velocity of the powered aircraft within the velocity window comprises maintaining the velocity at an ideal operation point within the velocity window.
A method for operating a powered aircraft comprising:
- detecting a cyber-security intrusion at an engine controller;
- and
- transitioning from a thrust control channel to a drag control channel within said engine controller in response to detecting the cyber-security intrusion, wherein the drag control channel outputs a fixed thrust for a desired engine operational mode and a velocity of the aircraft is maintained within a velocity window by adjusting at least one drag producing component of the aircraft and thereby adjusting a drag of the aircraft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.