US 11,884,380 B2
Flight control surface actuation systems including skew detection systems, and associated methods
Ira Mitchell, III, Seattle, WA (US)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Nov. 9, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/522,734.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/112,070, filed on Nov. 10, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0144413 A1, May 12, 2022
Int. Cl. B64C 13/38 (2006.01); B64C 9/00 (2006.01); B64C 13/16 (2006.01); B64C 13/34 (2006.01)
CPC B64C 13/38 (2013.01) [B64C 9/00 (2013.01); B64C 13/16 (2013.01); B64C 13/34 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of utilizing a flight control surface actuation system to operate a flight control surface of a wing of a vehicle, wherein the flight control surface comprises one or more control surface segments, and wherein the flight control surface actuation system comprises:
a control surface actuator configured to be operatively coupled to a corresponding control surface segment of the one or more control surface segments and configured to transition the corresponding control surface segment among a plurality of segment configurations defined between and including a retracted configuration and an extended configuration; and
a skew detection system configured to detect a skew condition in the flight control surface;
wherein the skew detection system is configured to generate a skew detection signal that at least partially represents the skew condition of the flight control surface; wherein the skew detection system comprises:
a skew lanyard configured to be operatively coupled to each control surface segment of a skew lanyard subset of the one or more control surface segments; and
a detection mechanism assembly (DMA) configured to detect a lanyard displacement of the skew lanyard relative to a nominal configuration of the skew lanyard and to generate a lanyard displacement signal that at least partially represents the lanyard displacement; wherein the DMA includes an analog position sensor for detecting the lanyard displacement;
wherein the skew detection signal includes the lanyard displacement signal; wherein the DMA is configured such that the lanyard displacement signal indicates that the lanyard displacement is any of a continuous plurality of values; and wherein the analog position sensor is configured to generate the lanyard displacement signal;
the method comprising:
detecting, with the flight control surface actuation system, a skew condition in the flight control surface, wherein the detecting the skew condition includes:
generating, with the DMA of the flight control surface actuation system, the lanyard displacement signal; and
generating, with a controller of the flight control surface actuation system and at least partially based upon the lanyard displacement signal, a skew condition signal that includes an indication of a magnitude of the skew condition in the flight control surface;
wherein the wing is a first wing; wherein the flight control surface actuation system is a first flight control surface actuation system; wherein the flight control surface is a first flight control surface; wherein the skew detection system is a first skew detection system; wherein the skew lanyard is a first skew lanyard; wherein the DMA is a first DMA; wherein the lanyard displacement is a first lanyard displacement, wherein the lanyard displacement signal is a first lanyard displacement signal; wherein the vehicle further comprises a second wing with a second flight control surface and a second flight control surface actuation system for operating the second flight control surface; wherein the second flight control surface actuation system includes a second skew detection system configured to detect a skew condition in the second flight control surface; wherein the second skew detection system includes a second skew lanyard and a second DMA configured to detect a second lanyard displacement of the second skew lanyard relative to a nominal configuration of the second skew lanyard and to generate a second lanyard displacement signal that at least partially represents the second lanyard displacement;
wherein the generating the skew condition signal includes comparing the first lanyard displacement signal and the second lanyard displacement signal; and
wherein the comparing the first lanyard displacement signal and the second lanyard displacement signal includes calculating a lanyard displacement difference between the first lanyard displacement and the second lanyard displacement and comparing the lanyard displacement difference to a threshold lanyard displacement difference.