Method and apparatus for limiting position servo authority
AssigneeRockwell International Corporation
InventorsLeo P. Kammerer, Gordon R. Fabian, Roger D. Burns
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Method and apparatus for limiting the authority of a position servo system over an aircraft control surface. The amplitude of the energizing signal delivered to the actuator portion of the servo system is limited in accordance with a non-constant function of time.
Claims10
For use in a closed loop position servo system having input control signal S.sub.I, feedback signal S.sub.p, a signal S.sub.C indicative of a comparison between S.sub.I and S.sub.p, and an electromechanical actuator driven by an energizing signal S.sub.E, apparatus for limiting the authority of said actuator and having S.sub.C as input and providing S.sub.E as output, said apparatus comprising (i) first circuit means for providing a first component of S.sub.E wherein said first component is limited to a first predetermined constant value, (ii) second circuit means for providing a second component of S.sub.E wherein said second component is permitted to increase with time at least up to a second predetermined constant value, and (iii) third circuit means for combining said first and second components of S.sub.E.
Apparatus for positioning an aircraft control surface in closed loop servo fashion in accordance with an input control signal S.sub.I comprising:
- electromechanical actuator means for moving said aircraft control surface;
- position feedback means for providing a feedback signal S.sub.p indicative of the position of said control surface;
- means for supplying a signal S.sub.C indicative of a comparison between S.sub.I and S.sub.p ;
- and
- actuator authority limiting means for converting S.sub.C into an actuator energizing signal such that for a predetermined step in S.sub.I occurring at a time t.sub.0, (i) the torque output TQ of said actuator cannot exceed, for time less than (t.sub.0 + .DELTA.T) where .DELTA.T is a predetermined time interval, a predetermined value TQ.sub.1, and (ii) for time greater than (t.sub.0 + .DELTA.T), TQ can exceed TQ.sub.1.
In a position servo system of the type including electromechanical actuator means driven by an energizing signal S.sub.E, and means for developing from input and feedback signals a signal S.sub.C indicative of a comparison therebetween, improved circuit means receiving S.sub.C and providing S.sub.E therefrom comprising means for preventing the amplitude of S.sub.E from exceeding a limit which, in response to a predetermined input signal, varies in accordance with a predetermined function of time.
In a position servo system having electromechanical actuator means driven by an energizing signal S.sub.E, the method of limiting torque output of the electromechanical actuator comprising initially preventing S.sub.E from exceeding a first predetermined constant maximum and thereafter preventing S.sub.E from exceeding a maximum which increases with time from said first constant maximum to a second predetermined constant maximum.
In an aircraft wherein a control surface is positioned by an actuator in accordance with a command, the method of limiting control surface position comprising initially preventing the actuator torque delivered to said control surface from exceeding a first predetermined constant maximum and thereafter preventing the actuator torque delivered from exceeding a maximum which increases with time from said first maximum at least up to a second predetermined constant maximum.
In a servo system of the type including electromechanical actuator means for delivering torque to an aircraft control surface in response to an actuator means energizing signal S.sub.E, and means for developing from input and feedback signals a signal S.sub.C indicative of a comparison therebetween, improved circuit means receiving S.sub.C and providing S.sub.E therefrom comprising means for initially preventing the actuator torque delivered to said control surface from exceeding a first predetermined constant maximum and thereafter preventing the actuator torque delivered from exceeding a maximum which increases with time from said first maximum at least up to a second predetermined constant maximum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.