US 12,145,717 B2
Controller providing linear fluidic control responses to vehicle manoueuvre inputs
Clyde Warsop, Bristol (GB); William James Crowther, Manchester (GB); and Ian Lunnon, Manchester (GB)
Assigned to BAE Systems plc, London (GB)
Appl. No. 17/635,628
Filed by BAE Systems plc, London (GB)
PCT Filed Sep. 3, 2020, PCT No. PCT/GB2020/052102
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 15, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/044141, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 11, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 1912636 (GB), filed on Sep. 3, 2019; and application No. 19275104 (EP), filed on Oct. 22, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0324552 A1, Oct. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. B64C 15/14 (2006.01); B64U 40/20 (2023.01); G05D 7/06 (2006.01)
CPC B64C 15/14 (2013.01) [B64U 40/20 (2023.01); G05D 7/0635 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle control system for use with at least one fluidic control effector for a vehicle, the vehicle being an aircraft, the vehicle control system comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to:
receive a vehicle control input indicating a demanded rate of change of at least one of a heading, attitude and altitude of the vehicle;
receive condition data, said condition data comprising at least one of a pressure of a local fluid outside of the vehicle, a temperature of the local fluid outside of the vehicle, and a density of t he local fluid outside of the vehicle;
determine a required control fluid mass-flow for the at least one fluid control effector based on the received vehicle control input and the condition data, wherein a relationship between the control fluid mass-flow and the rate of change of the at least one of a heading, attitude and altitude of the vehicle is non-linear; and
output data relating to the required control fluid mass-flow to effect the demanded rate of change of the at least one of a heading, attitude and altitude of the vehicle.