US 12,244,258 B2
High-integrity actuator controller and control systems
Darrell Horner, Oro Valley, AZ (US); Ronald Vaughan, Chandler, AZ (US); and Dean Wilkens, Scottsdale, AZ (US)
Assigned to HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC., Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed by HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC., Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed on Jan. 11, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/152,803.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/269,077, filed on Mar. 9, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0291336 A1, Sep. 14, 2023
Int. Cl. H02P 6/24 (2006.01); H02P 101/30 (2015.01); H03K 7/08 (2006.01)
CPC H02P 6/24 (2013.01) [H03K 7/08 (2013.01); H02P 2101/30 (2015.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A high-integrity electromechanical actuator control system, comprising:
a system function controller comprising a plurality of redundant function control channels, each function control channel configured to supply digital actuator control commands;
a plurality of actuator controllers, each actuator controller coupled to receive the digital actuator control commands supplied from at least two of the function control channels, each actuator controller configured, upon receipt of the digital actuator control commands, to implement a command voting scheme to verify digital actuator control command integrity and, upon verifying digital actuator control command integrity, to generate and supply multi-phase motor drive current; and
at least one electromechanical actuator coupled to receive the multi-phase motor drive current from at least one of the actuator controllers and configured, upon receipt thereof, to actuate a device,
wherein each actuator controller comprises:
a first controller coupled to receive the digital actuator control commands supplied from two of the function control channels and configured, upon receipt thereof, to supply first digital duty cycle commands;
a second controller coupled to receive the digital actuator control commands supplied from two of the function control channels and configured, upon receipt thereof, to supply second digital duty cycle commands;
a duty cycle computation circuit coupled to receive the first digital duty cycle commands and the second digital duty cycle commands and configured, upon receipt of the first digital duty cycle commands and the second digital duty cycle commands to (i) compute an average of the first digital duty cycle commands and the second digital duty cycle commands and (ii) generate pulse width modulated (PWM) commutation control signals based on the computed average; and
a motor driver coupled to receive the PWM commutation control signals and configured, upon receipt thereof, to supply the multi-phase motor drive current.