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US 9,950,805 B2Granted
Aircraft engine fan speed display improvements for enhanced monitoring and thrust setting ability
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsChristopher M. Hodges, Kevin S. Brown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for displaying N1 speed on a flight deck display in a manner that provides increased resolution at the upper end of the operating range. This is accomplished by a variable scale(s) which improves the functionality of the N1 gauge (serving as an indication of thrust) in the desired region. Also, there is visual indication to provide pilots the ability to discern if the current thrust is within a specific tolerance to the desired value within the takeoff region. This additional indication is based on color changes associated with the N1 display structure.
Claims12
An aircraft comprising:
- an aircraft engine having a fan;
- a sensor configured to generate fan speed data representing a measurement of a fan speed of the fan;
- a display unit that can be controlled electronically to generate symbology and colors;
- and a display control processor configured to perform the following operations:
- receiving fan speed data generated by the sensor;
- and controlling the display unit to display a scale having a first end representing 0 rpm and a second end representing a fan speed design limit and to display first and second symbology having respective positions relative to the scale, the position of the first symbology relative to the scale representing a maximum rated fan speed and the position of the second symbology relative to the scale representing a current measured fan speed, wherein when the second symbology is located between the first symbology and the second end of the scale, the position of the second symbology is determined using a linear scaling function of a current fan speed, and when the second symbology is located between the first symbology and the first end of the scale, the position of the second symbology is determined using a nonlinear scaling function of the current fan speed.
3 more elements
An aircraft comprising:
- an aircraft engine having a fan;
- a sensor configured to generate fan speed data representing a measurement of a fan speed of the fan;
- a display unit that can be controlled electronically to generate symbology and colors;
- and a display control processor configured to control the display unit to generate indicators indicating a current value of a fan speed of an operating engine of the aircraft, wherein the display control processor is configured to perform the following operations:
- (a) converting incoming values of the fan speed which are less than a maximum rated fan speed into corresponding angular positions of first symbology to be displayed relative to a scale by the display unit using a nonlinear scaling function of the fan speed that characterizes a nonlinear relationship between the fan speed and thrust of an aircraft engine;
- (b) converting incoming values of the fan speed which are greater than the maximum rated fan speed into corresponding angular positions of the first symbology to be displayed relative to a scale by the display unit using a linear scaling function of the fan speed;
- (c) receiving a current value of the fan speed during operation of an engine of the aircraft;
- (d) controlling the display unit to display the scale having a first portion that ends at a first end representing 0 rpm and a second portion that ends at a second end representing a fan speed design limit;
- and (e) controlling the display unit to display the first symbology having a position relative to the first portion of the scale that is determined by the nonlinear scaling function when the current value of the fan speed is less than the maximum rated fan speed and having a position relative to the second portion of the scale that is determined by the linear scaling function when the current value of the fan speed is greater than the maximum rated fan speed, the angular position of the displayed first symbology relative to the displayed scale representing the current value of the fan speed.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.