Automatic aircraft powerplant control
AssigneeTextron Innovations Inc.
InventorStephen M. Eddy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automatic aircraft powerplant control system includes a throttle servo for adjusting a throttle valve via a throttle control linkage. A throttle control lever provides a user input to the throttle servo, and a throttle controller controls the throttle servo for controlling a throttle valve. A propeller servo may be provided for adjusting a propeller governor setting of an engine. A propeller control lever provides a user input to the propeller servo, and a propeller controller controls the propeller servo. A full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) controller is used to automatically control mixing of fuel and air via a fuel-air mixture device. The FADEC controller may be used to automatically provide propeller control.
Claims18
An automatic aircraft powerplant control system, comprising:
- a throttle control configuration for controlling a throttle, comprising:
- a throttle servo mechanically coupled with an engine via a throttle control linkage, wherein the throttle servo is configured for adjusting a throttle valve via the throttle control linkage;
- a throttle control lever communicatively coupled with the throttle servo for providing a user input to the throttle servo;
- and
- a throttle controller communicatively coupled with the throttle servo for controlling the throttle servo;
- a propeller control configuration for controlling a propeller, comprising:
- a propeller servo mechanically coupled with the engine via a propeller control linkage, wherein the propeller servo is configured for adjusting a propeller governor setting of the engine;
- a propeller control lever communicatively coupled with the propeller servo for providing a user input to the propeller servo;
- and
- a mechanical mixer that mechanically mixes an input received from the propeller servo with an input received from the propeller control lever to provide proper control at the engine, including an ability to back-drive the propeller control lever when the propeller servo is active;
- and
- a full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) controller, the FADEC controller being configured to automatically control mixing of fuel and air via a fuel-air mixture device.
An automatic aircraft powerplant control system, comprising:
- a throttle control configuration for controlling a throttle, comprising:
- a throttle servo mechanically coupled with an engine via a throttle control linkage, wherein the throttle servo is configured for adjusting a throttle valve via the throttle control linkage;
- a throttle control lever communicatively coupled with the throttle servo for providing a user input to the throttle servo;
- and
- a throttle controller communicatively coupled with the throttle servo for controlling the throttle servo;
- a propeller control configuration for controlling a propeller, comprising:
- a propeller servo mechanically coupled with the engine via a propeller control linkage, wherein the propeller servo is configured for adjusting a propeller governor setting of the engine;
- and
- a propeller control lever communicatively coupled with the propeller servo for providing a user input to the propeller servo;
- a full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) controller, the FADEC controller being configured to automatically control mixing of fuel and air via a fuel-air mixture device;
- a solenoid configured to change a mechanical scheduling of the propeller via the propeller control linkage;
- and
- a propeller-speed switch communicatively coupled with the solenoid, wherein the propeller-speed switch is configured to receive a user input for switching between a low-speed setting and a high-speed setting of the propeller.
An automatic aircraft powerplant control system, comprising:
- a throttle control configuration for controlling a throttle, comprising:
- a throttle servo mechanically coupled with an engine via a throttle control linkage, wherein the throttle servo is configured for adjusting a throttle valve via the throttle control linkage;
- a throttle control lever communicatively coupled with the throttle servo for providing a user input to the throttle servo;
- and
- a throttle controller communicatively coupled with the throttle servo for controlling the throttle servo;
- a mechanical mixer that mechanically mixes an input received from the throttle servo with an input received from the throttle control lever to provide proper control at the engine, including an ability to back-drive the throttle control lever when the throttle servo is active;
- and
- a full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) controller, the FADEC controller being configured to:
- automatically control mixing of fuel and air via a fuel-air mixture device;
- and
- provide automatic propeller control for controlling a pitch of a propeller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.