A method for controlling a hydraulic winch includes acquiring measurements from sensors coupled to the hydraulic winch. A first control function is computed based on the measurements. The first control function sets pressure across a variable displacement motor that produces motion of the tool string following a desired motion trajectory. A second control function is computed. The second control function sets displacement of a variable displacement pump that causes the pressure across the variable displacement motor to track the first control function. A pump command is selected based on the second control function. The pump command is transmitted to the variable displacement pump. The tool string moves responsive to the pump command.

A method for controlling a hydraulic winch includes acquiring measurements from sensors coupled to the hydraulic winch. A first control function is computed based on the measurements. The first control function sets pressure across a variable displacement motor that produces motion of the tool string following a desired motion trajectory. A second control function is computed. The second control function sets displacement of a variable displacement pump that causes the pressure across the variable displacement motor to track the first control function. A pump command is selected based on the second control function. The pump command is transmitted to the variable displacement pump. The tool string moves responsive to the pump command.

The invention relates to a free fall winch comprising a drum, which can be rotationally driven by a winch drive, wherein a free fall brake is provided for braking the drum in free fall operation. According to the invention, a torque acting on the free fall winch, which depends on the free fall braking torque, is detected by means of a detection device, and a brake actuation force with which the free fall brake is actuated is controlled or adjusted by a control device according to the detected torque.

The invention relates to a free fall winch comprising a drum, which can be rotationally driven by a winch drive, wherein a free fall brake is provided for braking the drum in free fall operation. According to the invention, a torque acting on the free fall winch, which depends on the free fall braking torque, is detected by means of a detection device, and a brake actuation force with which the free fall brake is actuated is controlled or adjusted by a control device according to the detected torque.

A method for controlling lifting of a hanging load using a lifting winch integrating a drum on which a lifting rope is wound coupled to the load, includes measuring a mass parameter and a lifting speed representative of a mass and of a displacement speed of the load and supervising an emergency stop which, once activated, shuts off the lifting winch. The method also includes, during an ascending of the load, comparing the lifting speed with a low threshold and a high threshold which vary according to the mass parameter, and monitoring lifting in an optimized mode in which the lifting speed when ascending is authorized below the high threshold and forbidden above the high threshold, and if the emergency stop is activated during an ascending and while the lifting speed is higher than the low threshold then an alarm is activated.

An unmanned aerial vehicle according to certain embodiments generally includes a chassis, a power supply mounted to the chassis, a control system operable to receive power from the power supply, at least one rotor operable to generate lift under control of the control system, and a winch mounted to the chassis. The winch includes a reel and a motor. The reel has a line wound thereon, the line having a free end. The reel includes a circumferential channel in which a wound portion of the line is wound onto the reel. The circumferential channel includes an inner portion, an outer portion, and a passage connecting the inner portion and the outer portion. The motor is operable to rotate the reel under control of the control system to thereby cause the line to wind onto and off of the reel, thereby causing the free end of the line to raise and lower.

An unmanned aerial vehicle according to certain embodiments generally includes a chassis, a power supply mounted to the chassis, a control system operable to receive power from the power supply, at least one rotor operable to generate lift under control of the control system, and a winch mounted to the chassis. The winch includes a reel and a motor. The reel has a line wound thereon, the line having a free end. The reel includes a circumferential channel in which a wound portion of the line is wound onto the reel. The circumferential channel includes an inner portion, an outer portion, and a passage connecting the inner portion and the outer portion. The motor is operable to rotate the reel under control of the control system to thereby cause the line to wind onto and off of the reel, thereby causing the free end of the line to raise and lower.

A method of controlling operation of equipment that spools cable on and off a rotatable drum, in one or more embodiments, includes obtaining video data of a position of the cable on the rotatable drum. The method can also include feeding data into a trained artificial neural network and processing the data fed into the trained artificial neural network to determine at least one of a calculated position of the cable on the rotatable drum, a calculated fleet angle, or both. The method can also include actuating the rotatable drum to one of spool cable on and off the rotatable drum.

The invention relates to a continuous cable winch comprising a drive unit (20) and an output unit (60) for applying a drive force to a cable, which output unit is coupled to the drive unit (20). According to the invention, it is proposed that the drive unit (20) has a frequency converter (30) with a primary side (32) for drawing current from a power supply system (33) and a secondary side (36) for outputting an AC voltage (U.sub.U, U.sub.V, U.sub.W), an AC motor (40) for driving the continuous cable winch (10) at a variable rotation speed (ω.sub.1), which AC motor is supplied with the AC voltage (U.sub.U, U.sub.V, U.sub.W) by the frequency converter (30), a control unit (50) which is interconnected with the frequency converter (30) and the AC motor (40) for the purpose of controlling the drive unit (20), wherein the control unit (50) is designed to change the rotation speed (ω.sub.1) of the AC motor (40) by means of the frequency converter (30).

A control system for a rescue hoist attached to an aircraft is disclosed. In various embodiments, the control system includes a first bus extending between a control module of the rescue hoist and a control input device; and a second bus extending between the control module of the rescue hoist and the control input device. The first bus is configured to transmit a first signal from the control input device to the control module and the second bus is configured to transmit a second signal from the control input device to the control module, both the first signal and the second signal being generated by the control input device in response to a manipulation of the control input device.