RU2780699C1 - Method and apparatus for controlling the rotation of the landing gear wheels of a plane - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: aviation.

SUBSTANCE: method for controlling the rotation of the landing gear wheels of a plane is implemented by forming a control signal for the actuators of the drive of the landing gear wheels, accordingly putting the landing gear wheels in rotation while implementing the mode of taxiing in the airfield and the mode of aligning the tip speed of the wheels with the speed of the plane before landing. Additionally, the lateral sliding of the landing gear wheels is monitored, and the landing gear wheels are forcibly rotated in order to implement the mode of takeoff and crosswind run. Apparatus for controlling the rotation of the landing gear wheels of a plane comprises a power unit, drives including actuators of the drives of the landing gear wheels and interconnected by pressure mains with the apparatus for moving the pressurised working medium. Each drive is made hydraulic and comprises a valve for adjusting the working medium consumption. A hydraulic motor is used as an actuator. Additionally, reversible hydraulic motors are used in the apparatus for controlling the rotation of the landing gear wheels of a plane. An adjustable pump with a mode of maintaining the consumed power level is used as an apparatus for moving the pressurised working medium.

EFFECT: higher safety of operation of the plane in the modes of takeoff and crosswind run, taxiing in the airfield and aligning the tip speed of the wheels with the speed of the plane under conditions of ice cover or changing contact loads with the supporting surface.

4 cl, 4 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of aviation transport, namely, to improve the safety of aircraft operation in takeoff and run with a crosswind, aircraft taxiing on the airfield and alignment of the circumferential speed of the wheels with the aircraft speed before landing during their operation on elementary prepared runways (runways ) in icy conditions, variable contact loads with the supporting surface.

In the context of the development of sparsely populated and hard-to-reach regions of the Russian Federation, including the Arctic zone, problems arise for the implementation of the implementation of passenger, transport and other, including highly specialized tasks. This is due to a number of reasons, among which the low density of airfield and road networks, the lack of economic feasibility and practical feasibility of building airfields with concrete runway pavements, as well as natural and climatic features are of decisive importance.

In many ways, the solution to this problem is associated with the development of aviation communications. For these regions, the development of aviation is directly related to the increase in the passability of aircraft on unpaved runways with irregularities during the stages of takeoff run, run and taxiing. The passability of an aircraft is understood as its ability to operate safely on a given type of aerodrome runway. Aircraft passability is limited by three factors: excessive contact loads on the landing gear support elements and runways, unacceptable airframe overloads and loss of aircraft controllability due to the lack of contact connections between the landing gear and the ground during takeoff and landing modes. In this regard, the landing gear is a unit that sets the limiting indicators of the aircraft's patency.

At the same time, the quality of cross-country ability is closely related to the takeoff and landing capabilities of the aircraft as a whole, due to the perfection of its aerodynamic layout, mass characteristics, thrust-to-weight ratio of the power plant, and the efficiency of aerodynamic controls. The selected method and device for piloting an aircraft can have a significant impact on the characteristics of cross-country ability. Under existing operating conditions, this is especially noticeable on low-strength unpaved runways, when complex interaction processes, including slippage and skidding, are manifested in the contact of the chassis with a deformable soil environment.

One of the options for increasing aircraft cross-country ability is the use of a wheel drive in conjunction with adaptive algorithms for controlling the torque characteristics of the landing gear.

To date, inventions are known that describe the drives of the wheels of the chassis of aircraft of various types of energy used, which, in turn, make it possible to implement the mode of taxiing the aircraft along the airfield and the mode of aligning the circumferential speed of the wheels with the speed of the aircraft before landing.

Thus, patent RU No. 2583535 presents "Multi-engine electric drive of an aircraft landing gear wheel and the method of its operation" (MPK B64C 25/40, B64C 25/50, publication date 05/10/2016). The presented electromechanical drive of the chassis wheel consists of several electric motors with gearboxes, a package of brake discs, and several servo linear electric drives, control units for servo drives, a main control unit connected by an interface bus with electric motor control units and sensors. The electromechanical drive of the landing gear wheel provides the stage of aircraft taxiing at a speed of 20 - 40 km/h, as well as preliminary spinning of the landing gear wheels before landing. At the same time, the use of an electromechanical drive provides the necessary rigidity of characteristics only when using additional intermediate mechanical elements (couplings).

The main disadvantages of this electric drive are:

1. The lack of adaptive control of the electromechanical drive to implement the takeoff and run mode in crosswind conditions, due to the insufficient rigidity of the moment characteristic of the electromechanical drive and the difficulty of accumulating energy in this type of drive.

2. Increasing the weight of the chassis structure due to electric motors and the aircraft itself due to special high-power on-board batteries in case of accumulation of regenerative braking energy.

An invention is known that relates to mechanical drive systems for rotating one or more aircraft landing gear wheels for the purpose of taxiing on the airfield and / or for spinning up before landing (patent RU No. 25/34, F16H 1/06, publication date 07/18/2019). The drive system for rotating an aircraft landing gear wheel includes a motor for rotating a drive gear and a driven gear for mounting on the wheel. Meanwhile, the drive system has a first configuration in which the drive gear is capable of engaging with the driven gear to allow the motor to rotate the driven gear, and a second configuration in which the drive gear is not capable of engaging with the driven gear. The drive system further comprises a self-locking linear position actuator for moving the drive gear relative to the driven gear.

The main disadvantages of this mechanical drive are:

1. The lack of adaptive control of the mechanical drive for the implementation of the takeoff and run of the aircraft with a side wind and the alignment of the circumferential speed of the wheels with the speed of the aircraft before landing, due to the stepwise gear shifting.

2. Increasing the weight of the chassis structure, due to the use of intermediate mechanical elements (gears).

An invention is known, which describes a chassis wheel with an aerodynamic drive (patent RU No. 2102284, "Chassis wheel with an aerodynamic drive", IPC V64C 25/40, publication date 20.01.1998). The drive is implemented directly on the chassis wheel itself in the form of variable geometry pockets made of elastic material located on the side surface of the wheels. Such a drive is capable of effectively using the velocity pressure of the medium in the pre-landing mode for preliminary spinning of the landing gear wheel. The drive is simple and highly reliable.

The main disadvantages of the considered aerodynamic drive are:

1. Lack of adaptive control of the aerodynamic drive for the implementation of the takeoff and run of the aircraft with a crosswind and taxiing along the airfield.

2. The complexity of changing and controlling the power of spinning the wheel to the required angular velocity.

Patent RU No. 2495792 "Method of driving the wheels of an aircraft landing gear and an aircraft landing gear with a wheel drive" (MPK B64C 25/40, publication date 10/20/2013) was adopted as a prototype of the method, which presents a method of driving the wheels of an aircraft landing gear using a pneumomotor.

The method under consideration is designed to equalize the circumferential speed of the wheels with the speed of the aircraft before landing and to taxi the aircraft along the airfield.

Each landing gear wheel is rotated by one of two air turbines coaxial with the wheel. The drive uses compressed air energy. This method of driving the wheels of the chassis is practically insensitive to temperature fluctuations, explosion-proof, protected from overloads.

The main disadvantages of the considered prototype from the point of view of the method are:

1) The low rigidity of the actuators due to the compressibility of the air, which makes it difficult to use it in the takeoff and run of the aircraft with an intense change in torque to spin up to the required angular speed of rotation of the wheels.

2) The device of the pneumatic drive does not allow for low energy costs.

3) The pneumatic actuator is limited in the amount of transmitted forces.

Patent RU No. 2495792 “Method of driving the wheels of an aircraft landing gear and an aircraft landing gear with wheel drive” (MPK V64C 25/40, publication date 20.10.2013) is also adopted as a prototype of the device, which presents a device for driving the wheels of an aircraft landing gear using a pneumatic motor . The device contains the following main units: power plant, compressor; manifolds for each wheel; pressure lines connecting the power plant and collectors located together with the actuating elements on the wheel; executive elements on the wheel in the form of radial and axial turbines; air flow control valves.

There are axial and radial turbines on each wheel of the aircraft landing gear. The radial turbine spins the wheels before landing and when moving forward on the ground, and the axial turbine moves the wheels in the opposite direction for braking after landing, as well as for reversing and turning when maneuvering. The air for each turbine comes from the corresponding manifold, passing through the control valves.

Compressed air is supplied to the collectors from the main engines or an auxiliary power plant through pressure lines made in the form of a telescopic pipeline.

The main disadvantages of the considered prototype in terms of the device are:

1) Large energy losses due to the release of air from the turbines into the atmosphere;

2) The technical characteristics of axial and radial turbines are limited by the amount of torque transmitted to the wheels of the aircraft landing gear;

3) The impossibility of using the system to implement the takeoff and run modes of the aircraft.

The main objective of the claimed invention is the development of a method and device for controlling the rotation of the wheels of the aircraft landing gear, allowing to implement the modes of takeoff and run with a side wind, taxiing the aircraft along the airfield and aligning the circumferential speed of the wheels with the speed of the aircraft before landing, when they are operated on uneven ground runways. lanes with icy and snowy areas.

The technical result is the creation of an economical low-inertia method and device for controlling the rotation of the wheels of the aircraft landing gear in the takeoff run and run with a crosswind, taxiing along the airfield and aligning the circumferential speed of the wheels with the speed of the aircraft before landing on icy and snowy runways.

1. The solution of the problem and obtaining the technical result is ensured due to the fact that in the method of controlling the rotation of the wheels of the aircraft landing gear, including the formation of a control signal to the actuators of the drive of the wheels of the landing gear and the corresponding bringing of the wheels of the landing gear into rotation to implement the taxiing mode on the airfield and the alignment mode circumferential speed of the wheels with the speed of the aircraft before landing, the side slip of the wheels of the landing gear is additionally controlled and, if it is present, the wheels of the landing gear are forced to rotate to implement the takeoff run and run with a side wind.

2. The solution of the task and obtaining the technical result is ensured due to the fact that the device for controlling the rotation of the wheels of the chassis of the aircraft, contains a power plant, drives, including actuators of the wheels of the chassis, interconnected by pressure lines with a device for moving the working medium under pressure, when In this case, each drive is made hydraulic and additionally contains at least one valve for regulating the flow of the working medium, and hydraulic motors are used as actuating devices.

Also, the solution of the task and obtaining the technical result is ensured due to the fact that in the device for controlling the rotation of the wheels of the aircraft landing gear, reversible hydraulic motors are used as hydraulic motors, and an adjustable pump with a mode of maintaining the consumed power level is used as a device for moving the working medium under pressure.

The essence of the invention is illustrated by the following figures.

In FIG. 1 shows a diagram of the wheel drive of the aircraft landing gear.

In FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the system for controlling the takeoff mode, the run of the aircraft on the runway with a crosswind to reduce side slip from the runway axis.

In FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the control system for aircraft taxiing on the airfield.

In FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the control system for the mode of alignment of the circumferential speed of the wheels of the landing gear of the aircraft before landing.

The principle of operation of the method and device for controlling the wheels of the aircraft landing gear is as follows.

The device for rotating the wheels of the aircraft landing gear 2 includes a power plant 19, a wheel drive 20 coaxially connected to the front landing gear wheel 4, a wheel drive 21 coaxially connected to the left wheel of the main landing gear 7, a wheel drive 22 coaxially connected to the right wheel the main landing gear 8, while the drives are hydraulic (Fig. 1). Each of the drives 20, 21 and 22 includes the corresponding actuators for the chassis wheels, which are hydraulic motors 3, 5 and 6. The hydraulic motors 3, 5 and 6 are connected to each other by pressure lines 24, 25 and 26 with a device for moving the media under pressure 1, made in the form of an adjustable pump with a mode of maintaining the consumed power level. Each pressure line 24, 25 and 26 contains corresponding valves 16, 17 and 18 directionally changing the flow rate of the working medium, which is mineral oil. Mineral oil enters pump 1 from suction line 23, where, in turn, it drains from hydraulic motors 3, 5 and 6. Additionally, safety valves 10, 11 and 12 are installed in each pressure line, designed to bleed the working medium when the pressure rises above the normalized value. The device also includes a feed pump 13, which is connected through a check valve 15 to the suction line 23 and serves to create a continuous flow of the working medium in each pressure line 24, 25 and 26. The feed pump 13 takes the working medium from the tank 14, the amount of which regulate the safety valve 9. With an excess of the working medium, the feed pump 13 pumps the working medium back into the tank 12 through the safety valve 9. If there is a lack of working medium, the feed pump 13 pumps the working medium through the check valve 15 into the suction line 23.

Valves 16, 17 and 18 are made with electromagnetic control implemented by signals 27, 28 and 29.

The created invention works as follows. Aircraft 2 performs one of the following modes: takeoff run and run with a crosswind, taxiing along the airfield and alignment of the circumferential speed of the wheels with the speed of the aircraft before landing when they operate on elementary prepared runways (runways) in icy conditions and variable contact loads with supporting surface. The rotation of the shaft of the pump 1 is implemented using the power plant 19 of the aircraft. The pump 1 pumps the working medium through the pressure lines 24, 25 and 26 to the hydraulic motors 3, 5 and 6 (Fig. 1). To increase the efficiency of the wheel drive device of the chassis 20, 21 and 22, the pump 1 is made adjustable, with the mode of maintaining the consumed power level.

Each hydraulic motor 3, 5 and 6 transmits torque and a certain speed to the corresponding chassis wheel 4, 7 and 8 by controlling valves 16, 17 and 18, which are provided for changing the flow of the working medium, and using valves 10, 11 and 12 , which are provided for bleeding the working medium when the pressure rises above the normalized value.

The working medium enters the pump 1 from the suction line 23, where it comes from each hydraulic motor 3, 5 and 6. To maintain the required pressure level in the suction line 23, a feed pump 13 is used, which takes the working medium from the tank 14. line 23, the check valve 15 closes the feed pump 13 and the suction line 23, and it flows through the safety valve 9 back into the tank 12. If the pressure of the working medium in the suction line 23 is insufficient, the check valve 15 opens and connects the feed pump 13 to the line 23, the working medium enters line 23, creating the missing pressure level.

Torque control for spinning or braking the chassis wheels 4, 7 and 8 is carried out by changing the flow rate of the working medium to the corresponding hydraulic motors 3, 5 and 6. The flow control of the working medium can be performed both manually and by applying electromagnetic signals 27, 28 and 29 to valves 16, 17 and 18.

To implement three modes of operation of the chassis wheel drive device - takeoff run and run with a side wind, taxiing of the aircraft along the airfield and alignment of the circumferential speed of the wheels with the speed of the aircraft before landing, control signals 27, 28 and 29, which are implemented with three different adaptive algorithms (FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4).

For a directional change in the rotational speed of the wheels of the aircraft landing gear in order to reduce side slip during takeoff or run with a side wind, it is necessary to apply signals 27, 28 and 29 (Fig. 2) to control valves 16, 17 and 18. These signals are generated through two master channels through blocks 31 and 33. In block 31, a graph of the required speed change on the takeoff run or run is entered, and pilot 30 commands are also given to adjust the aircraft speed in the current conditions of a particular runway. From block 31, the signal goes to blocks for determining the rotation speeds of hydraulic motors 34, 35 and 36. After determining the required rotation speeds of hydraulic motors 3, 5 and 6, control signals for valves 16, 17 and 18 are generated, which directionally change the flow rate of the working medium supplied to hydraulic motors 3, 5 and 6. The rotation speed of each hydraulic motor 3, 5 and 6 is entered in blocks 25, 26, 27. Next, the control signals are sent to the input control unit of the aircraft 37, which, when it moves, forms the current value of side slip from the runway axis 38. Side slip control aircraft 2 from the runway axis is carried out using a positioning sensor 32. In the presence of side slip, the wheels 4, 7 and 8 are forced to rotate by changing the flow rate of the working medium supplied to the hydraulic motors 3, 5 and 6. The regulation of the flow of the working medium is carried out by sending signals control 27, 28 and 29 to valves 16, 17 and 18. The formation of control signals 27, 28 and 29 is formed in accordance in line with the algorithm shown in Fig. 2.

For aircraft taxiing on the airfield with main engines turned off, a control algorithm is used in accordance with the block diagram (Fig. 3). The pilot's input command 30 is fed to the block for setting the aircraft speed during maneuvering 39. Then the processed control signal is fed to the formation of control signals 27, 28 and 29 of valves 16, 17 and 18, which in turn supply the working medium with the required flow rate to hydraulic motors 3, 5 and 6. Hydraulic motors 3, 5 and 6 rotate at a speed that implements the movement of the aircraft on the runway. Control signals 27, 28 and 29 are control inputs for the aircraft. This control is implemented by block 37. Block 37 generates an output array of parameters-coordinates 40 of the aircraft about its position on the airfield. The pilot, studying these parameters, if necessary, can change the control signal 30, carrying out manual control of the aircraft.

To implement the movement of the aircraft in reverse, reversible hydraulic machines are used: pump 1 and hydraulic motors 3, 5 and 6.

To spin the wheels of the aircraft chassis before landing to a speed corresponding to its current flight speed, the control algorithm is used in accordance with the block diagram (Fig. 4). The input command of the pilot 30 enters the block for setting the speed of the aircraft during landing 41. After measuring the current speed of the aircraft and its height above the supporting surface, a feedback channel is formed to spin up the landing gear wheels to a speed equal to the landing speed of the aircraft. This is achieved by sending signals to blocks 34, 35 and 36 and further changing the flow rate of the working medium supplied to hydraulic motors 3, 5 and 6 by applying control signals 27, 28 and 29 to valves 16, 17 and 18. After that, an output array of parameters is formed 42 aircraft during descent before landing (current speed, altitude, etc.). The mode of leveling the circumferential speed of the landing gear wheels before landing works in automatic mode.

A method and a device for controlling the rotation of the wheels of the aircraft landing gear have been created, which make it possible to implement the modes of takeoff and run with a side wind, taxiing the aircraft along the airfield and aligning the circumferential speed of the wheels with the speed of the aircraft before landing, when operating on unpaved uneven runways with icy and snowy plots.

Also, the created method and device make it possible to increase the level of aircraft safety during their operation on unpaved uneven runways with icy and snowy areas in the takeoff and crosswind run modes, aircraft taxiing along the airfield and aligning the circumferential speed of the wheels with the aircraft speed before landing.

Designations for the description of a group of inventions

1 - a device for moving the working medium under pressure, made in the form of a pump;

2 - aircraft;

3 - hydromotor of the wheel of the front landing gear of the aircraft;

4 - wheel of the front landing gear of the aircraft;

5 - hydraulic motor of the left wheel of the main landing gear of the aircraft;

6 - hydraulic motor of the right wheel of the main landing gear of the aircraft;

7 - left wheel of the main landing gear of the aircraft;

8 - right wheel of the main landing gear of the aircraft;

9 - safety valve of the feed pump;

10, 11, 12 - safety valves;

13 - boost pump;

14 - tank;

15 - check valve;

16 - valve for regulating the flow of the working medium for the hydraulic motor of the wheel of the front landing gear of the aircraft;

17 - valve for regulating the flow of the working medium for the hydraulic motor of the left wheel of the main landing gear of the aircraft;

18 - valve for regulating the flow of the working medium for the hydraulic motor of the right wheel of the main landing gear of the aircraft;

19 - power plant;

20 - wheel drive of the front landing gear of the aircraft;

21 - drive of the left wheel of the main landing gear of the aircraft;

22 - drive of the right wheel of the main landing gear of the aircraft;

23 - suction line;

24 - pressure line of the wheel drive of the front landing gear of the aircraft;

25 - pressure line of the drive of the left wheel of the main landing gear of the aircraft;

26 - pressure line of the drive of the right wheel of the main landing gear of the aircraft;

27 - valve control signal 16;

28 - valve control signal 17;

29 - valve control signal 18;

30 - input command of the pilot to control the aircraft;

31 - block setting the speed of the aircraft for takeoff or run;

32 - sensor positioning the position of the aircraft on the runway;

33 - relay block;

34 - block for determining the speed of the hydraulic motor 3;

35 - block for determining the speed of the hydraulic motor 5;

36 - block for determining the speed of the hydraulic motor 6;

37 - input control unit of the aircraft;

38 - output value of the side slip of the aircraft from the runway axis;

39 - block setting the speed of the aircraft when maneuvering at the airport;

40 - output array of parameters-coordinates of the aircraft about its position at the airfield;

41 - block setting the speed of the aircraft during landing;

42 - output array of aircraft parameters during descent before landing (current speed, altitude, etc.).

Claims (4)

1. A method for controlling the rotation of aircraft landing gear wheels, including generating a control signal to the landing gear wheel drive actuators and correspondingly bringing the landing gear wheels into rotation to implement the taxiing mode on the airfield and the mode of aligning the circumferential speed of the wheels with the aircraft speed before landing, characterized in that additionally carry out control of the side slip of the wheels of the chassis and, if it is available, carry out the forced rotation of the wheels of the chassis to implement the takeoff run and run with a side wind. 2. A device for controlling the rotation of the wheels of the landing gear of an aircraft, containing a power plant, drives, including actuators for driving the wheels of the landing gear, interconnected by pressure lines with a device for moving the working medium under pressure, characterized in that each drive is made hydraulic and additionally contains at least one a valve for regulating the flow of the working medium, and a hydraulic motor is used as an actuator. 3. The device for controlling the rotation of the wheels of the aircraft landing gear according to claim 2, characterized in that reversible hydraulic motors are used as hydraulic motors. 4. The device for controlling the rotation of the wheels of the aircraft landing gear according to claim 2, characterized in that an adjustable pump with a mode of maintaining the consumed power level is used as a device for moving the working medium under pressure.

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