System and method for protection against vortex ring state
AssigneeTextron Innovations Inc.
InventorsAlbert Gerard Brand, Ronald Lorenz Kisor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for protecting a rotorcraft from entering a vortex ring state, the method including monitoring a vertical speed of a rotorcraft, comparing the vertical speed to a vertical speed safety threshold, and performing vortex ring state (VRS) avoidance in response to the vertical speed exceeding the vertical speed safety threshold. The performing the VRS avoidance includes determining a power margin available from one or more engines of the rotorcraft, limiting the vertical speed of the rotorcraft in response to the power margin exceeding a threshold, and increasing a forward airspeed of the rotorcraft in response to the power margin not exceeding the threshold.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- monitoring a vertical speed of a rotorcraft;
- comparing the vertical speed to a vertical speed safety threshold;
- and
- performing vortex ring state (VRS) avoidance in response to the vertical speed exceeding the vertical speed safety threshold, wherein the performing the VRS avoidance comprises:
- determining a power margin available from one or more engines of the rotorcraft;
- limiting the vertical speed of the rotorcraft in response to the power margin exceeding a threshold;
- and
- increasing a forward airspeed of the rotorcraft in response to the power margin not exceeding the threshold.
A device, comprising:
- at least one processor;
- a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for execution by the at least one processor, the program comprising instructions for:
- monitoring a vertical speed of a rotorcraft;
- comparing the vertical speed to a vertical speed safety threshold;
- and
- performing vortex ring state (VRS) avoidance in response to the vertical speed exceeding the vertical speed safety threshold, wherein the performing the VRS avoidance comprises:
- determining a power margin available from one or more engines of the rotorcraft;
- limiting the vertical speed of the rotorcraft in response to a power margin power exceeding a threshold;
- and
- increasing a forward airspeed of the rotorcraft in response to the power margin power not exceeding the threshold.
A method, comprising:
- monitoring, by a computer system of a rotorcraft, a vertical descent rate and a forward airspeed of the rotorcraft;
- determining, by the computer system, whether to perform vortex ring state (VRS) avoidance according to the vertical descent rate and the forward airspeed of the rotorcraft;
- and
- performing, by the computer system, in response to determining to perform the VRS avoidance, adjustment of one or more flight parameters of the rotorcraft according to a relationship between a power margin available from one or more engines of the rotorcraft and a power margin threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.