US 12,470,157 B2
High-integrity actuator controller and control systems
Darrell W. Horner, Tempe, AZ (US); and Ronald Vaughan, Tempe, AZ (US)
Assigned to HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC., Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed by HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC., Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed on Dec. 4, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/527,667.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/488,615, filed on Mar. 6, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0305224 A1, Sep. 12, 2024
Int. Cl. B64C 13/00 (2006.01); H02P 6/16 (2016.01); H02P 6/28 (2016.01); H02P 9/02 (2006.01); H02P 27/08 (2006.01)
CPC H02P 6/16 (2013.01) [H02P 6/28 (2016.02); H02P 9/02 (2013.01); H02P 2209/09 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A high-integrity electromechanical actuator control system, comprising:
a plurality of actuator controllers, each actuator controller adapted to receive digital actuator control commands supplied from at least two different functional control channels, each actuator controller configured, upon receipt of the actuator control commands, to implement a command voting scheme to verify actuator control command integrity and, upon verifying actuator control command integrity, to generate and supply analog actuator position commands, each actuator controller including a primary channel and a backup channel, each primary channel comprising a first controller, a second controller, and a duty cycle computation circuit, each backup channel comprising a backup controller; and
at least one electromechanical actuator coupled to receive the actuator position commands from at least one of the actuator controllers and configured, upon receipt thereof, to actuate a device,
wherein:
the first controller is adapted to receive the digital actuator control commands supplied from two different functional control channels and is configured, upon receipt thereof, to supply first digital duty cycle commands,
the second controller is adapted to receive the digital actuator control commands supplied from two different control channels and is configured, upon receipt thereof, to supply second digital duty cycle commands,
the duty cycle computation circuit is coupled to receive the first digital duty cycle commands and the second digital duty cycle commands and is configured, upon receipt of the first and second duty cycle commands to (i) compute an average of the first and second duty cycle commands and (ii) generate and supply primary pulse width modulated (PWM) commutation control signals based on the computed average,
the backup controller is adapted to receive the digital actuator control commands supplied from two different functional control channels and is configured, upon receipt thereof, to generate and supply backup PWM commutation control signals, and
a motor driver coupled to receive either the primary PWM commutation control signals or the backup PWM commutation control signals and configured, upon receipt thereof, to supply multi-phase motor drive current.