Multi-engine autothrottle providing automatic engine EPR equalization
AssigneeThe Bendix Corporation
InventorsJerry Doniger, Albert T. Kirchhein
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A throttle controller for a vehicle, such as an aircraft, having a plurality of engines (36-42). Each engine is regulated by a throttle. The controller includes a thrust sensor (44), a speed sensor (IAS), and an actuator (10). The thrust sensor (44) responds to the engines (36-42) to produce a plurality of thrust signals (22). These thrust signals correspond to the thrust produced by a different corresponding one of the engines. The speed sensor (IAS) can produce a speed signal corresponding to aircraft speed. The actuator (10) can adjust the throttle of each engine. The actuator is connected to the speed (IAS) and thrust sensors (44) and can respond to their signals to adjust each throttle and balance the thrust of the engines.
Claims17
A throttle controller for a vehicle having a plurality of engines, each regulated by a throttle, characterized by:
- thrust sensing means responsive to said engines for providing a plurality of thrust signals, each corresponding to the thrust produced by a different corresponding one of said engines;
- speed sensing means for providing a speed signal corresponding to the speed of said vehicle;
- and
- actuation means for adjusting the throttle of each of said engines, said actuation means being connected to said speed and said thrust sensing means and being responsive to said speed and thrust signals to adjust each throttle to balance the thrusts of said engines, said actuation means being responsive to that one of the engines producing the greatest of said thrust signals by adjusting the throttle of each of the other engines in a direction to equalize substantially said thrust signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.