# US 11,897,597 B2 · Flap pressure shape biasing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,897,597 B2 - Document ID: US11897597B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/374,669 - Filed: 2021-07-13 - Published: 2022-01-20 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-20 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Kevin Mark Johnsen; Ryan L. Pettit; Heidi M. Haugeberg; Ryley Thies Ohlsen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897597B2 ## CPC - B64C 13/16: actuated automatically, e.g. responsive to gust detectors - B64C 3/58: provided with fences or spoilers (adjustable for control purposes B64C9/00) - B64C 21/08: adjustable - G05D 1/0816: {to ensure stability} - G05D 1/495: to ensure stability - B64C 2009/143: {comprising independently adjustable elements for closing or opening the slot between the main wing and leading or trailing edge flaps} - Y02T 50/40: Weight reduction - B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract Flap pressure shape biasing is disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus includes a flight monitor to determine a movement parameter of an aircraft, the movement parameter corresponding to at least one of a Mach number of the aircraft, an airspeed of the aircraft, or a vertical acceleration of the aircraft, and a spoiler controller to adjust a position of a spoiler of the aircraft to reduce pressure on a flap based on the movement parameter by moving a pressure transition away from the flap. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for pressure shape biasing of an aircraft, the apparatus comprising: a flight monitor to determine a movement parameter of the aircraft, the movement parameter corresponding to at least one of a Mach number of the aircraft, an airspeed of the aircraft, or a vertical acceleration of the aircraft; a load calculator to calculate a load of a flap based on the movement parameter; a pressure correlator to compare the calculated load to a load threshold; and a spoiler controller to adjust, based on the comparison, a position of a spoiler of the aircraft to reduce pressure on the flap by displacing a pressure transition away from the flap. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further including at least one sensor to determine positions of control surfaces of the aircraft. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor measures an orientation of the spoiler of the aircraft. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position of the spoiler is adjusted based on a flap pressure database, the flap pressure database including flap load data that relates the load of the flap to determined positions of control surfaces of the aircraft and the movement parameter of the aircraft. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the flap load data is generated based on at least one of test data or computational data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spoiler controller is to determine a maximum load of the flap by comparing a first load of the flap at the Mach number to a second load of the flap at the airspeed, the maximum load of the flap to be a greater value of the first load and the second load. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the spoiler controller is to compare the maximum load of the flap to the load threshold to determine an adjustment of the position of the spoiler. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spoiler controller is to determine a degree of rotational adjustment of the spoiler based on the calculated load. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the spoiler controller is to adjust the position of the spoiler based on the degree of rotational adjustment. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the load threshold is associated with a corresponding angular rotation of the spoiler. ### Claim 11 A method to bias a pressure shape corresponding to an aircraft, the method comprising: determining, by executing instructions with at least one processor, a movement parameter, the movement parameter corresponding to at least one of a Mach number of the aircraft, an airspeed of the aircraft, or a vertical acceleration of the aircraft; calculating, by executing instructions with the at least one processor, a load of a flap based on the movement parameter, comparing, by executing instructions with the at least one processor, the calculated load to a load threshold; and determining, by executing instructions with the at least one processor, an adjustment of a position of a spoiler of the aircraft based on the comparison to move a pressure transition away from the flap. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further including correlating, by executing instructions with the at least one processor, the movement parameter to the load of the flap. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further including querying, by executing instructions with the at least one processor, a flap pressure database to determine a maximum load of the flap, the adjustment of the position of the spoiler to be based on the maximum load of the flap. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the flap pressure database includes flap pressure data related to different orientations of control surfaces of the aircraft. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further including comparing a first load based on the Mach number to a second load based on the airspeed to determine the maximum load of the flap, the maximum load of the flap to be a greater value of the first load and the second load. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the flap pressure database is generated based on test data or computational data. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further including, by executing instructions with the at least one processor, comparing the maximum load of the flap to a load threshold to determine the adjustment of the position of the spoiler. ### Claim 18 A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least: determine a movement parameter, the movement parameter corresponding to at least one of a Mach number of an aircraft, an airspeed of the aircraft, or a vertical acceleration of the aircraft; calculate a load of a flap based on the movement parameter, compare the calculated load to a load threshold; and determine, based on the comparison, an adjustment of a position of a spoiler of the aircraft to move a pressure transition away from the flap. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions cause the processor to correlate at least one of the Mach number of the aircraft, the airspeed of the aircraft, or the vertical acceleration of the aircraft to the load of a flap to determine the adjustment of the position of the spoiler. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions cause the processor to query a flap pressure database to determine a maximum load of the flap, the adjustment of the position of the spoiler to be based on the maximum load of the flap. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the flap pressure database is generated based on test data or computational data. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the flap pressure database includes flap pressure data corresponding to different orientations of control surfaces of the aircraft.