US 7,877,231 B2 · Electromechanical actuator and effector health management system and method

Abstract

A system and method are provided for supplying electromechanical actuator (EMA) health status information to a control system. A determination is made as to whether the EMA has experienced a fault. If the EMA has experienced a fault, a fault-based position limit and a fault-based rate limit of the EMA are determined, based on the fault. A design position limit and a design rate limit of the EMA are supplied. An updated position limit of the EMA is determined based on at least the design position limit and the fault-based position limit, and an updated rate limit of the EMA is supplied based on at least the design rate limit and the fault-based rate limit.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method of determining updated electromechanical actuator (EMA) limits, comprising the steps of:

determining, in a health management system, whether the EMA has experienced a fault;
if the EMA has experienced a fault, determining, in the health management system, and based on the fault, a fault-based position limit and a fault-based rate limit of the EMA;
supplying a design position limit and a design rate limit of the EMA to the health management system;
determining, in the health management system, an updated position limit of the EMA based on at least the design position limit and the fault-based position limit;
and
determining, in the health management system, an updated rate limit of the EMA based on at least the design rate limit and the fault-based rate limit.

3 more elements

An electromechanical actuator (EMA) health management system, comprising:

memory having stored therein data representative of a design position limit and a design rate limit of the EMA;
a fault determination module in operable communication with the EMA, the fault determination module configured to determine whether the EMA has experienced a fault and, if the EMA has experienced a fault, to determine a fault-based position limit and a fault-based rate limit of the EMA;
a fusion module in operable communication with the memory and the fault determination module to receive therefrom the design position limit and the design rate limit and the fault-based position limit and the fault-based rate limit, respectively, the fusion module configured to determine (i) an updated position limit of the EMA based on at least the design position limit and the fault-based position limit and (ii) an updated rate limit of the EMA based on at least the design position limit and the fault-based rate limit.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electromechanical actuator and effector health management system and method

Life of this patent

Electromechanical actuator and effector health management system and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18