METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE TORQUE OF AN AIRCRAFT WHEEL ROTATION DRIVE DEVICE

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling the torque of a drive device (1) for rotating wheels (2) of an aircraft comprising actuators for selectively driving rotating wheels of the aircraft to ensure its movement on the ground, comprising the step of regulating a torque generated by the drive device according to a torque setpoint (4) issued by the pilot. According to the invention, the method involves the step of generating, as long as the torque setpoint is not sufficient to guarantee a stable movement speed of the aircraft, a replacement torque setpoint (5) to allow the aircraft to move at a stable speed, and substituting the replacement torque setpoint for the torque setpoint generated by the pilot.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the torque of a drive device (1) for rotating wheels (2) of an aircraft comprising actuators for selectively driving rotating wheels of the aircraft to ensure its movement on the ground, comprising the step of regulating a torque generated by the drive device according to a torque setpoint (4) issued by the pilot, characterized in that the method comprises the step of generating, as long as the torque setpoint is not sufficient to guarantee a stable movement speed of the aircraft, a replacement torque setpoint (5) to allow the aircraft to move at a stable speed, and substituting the replacement torque setpoint for the torque setpoint generated by the pilot.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the replacement torque setpoint (5) is substituted for the torque setpoint (4) generated by the pilot as long as the replacement torque setpoint is greater than the torque setpoint generated by the pilot.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the replacement torque setpoint is generated by a setpoint generator (11) so as to control an aircraft movement speed at a speed setpoint (V1).

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the torque setpoint generator is activated by the pilot by placing a torque control lever (3) on a predetermined notch (10) arranged at the beginning of the stroke.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the lever has a plurality of notches (10, 13), for controlling an aircraft speed according to a plurality of respective predetermined setpoints (V1, V2).

6. A method according to claim 3, wherein the speed setpoint (Va) is the speed of the aircraft at the time of actuation by the pilot of a speed regulation control (14).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description of specific embodiments of the method of the invention, while referring to the appended figures, wherein:

[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a servocontrol implementing the method of the invention according to a first particular mode of implementation;

[0012] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a servocontrol implementing the method of the invention according to a second particular mode of implementation;

[0013] FIG. 3 is a figure similar to that in FIG. 2 illustrating an alternative implementation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The method of the invention, detailed here with reference to FIG. 1, is intended to facilitate the movement of an aircraft by means of a device 1 for driving the wheels 2 of the aircraft. The drive device 1 is not the subject of the invention. It generally includes drive actuators equipped with geared motors for rotating wheels on the main landing gears. The invention relates to the way in which the drive device 1 is controlled.

[0015] Pilots are used to moving an aircraft on the ground using the throttle. The purpose of controlling the drive device by generating a torque setpoint is to provide pilots with a familiar taxiing mode of by dosing the propulsion force via the torque delivered to the wheels by the wheel drive device. For this purpose, the pilot has here a lever 3 with a stroke allowing the pilot to control a nominal torque setpoint 4 between 0% and 100% of a maximum torque Cmax.

[0016] However, experiments have shown that maintaining a stable speed at low speed is difficult, even for experienced pilots. To overcome this disadvantage, the method of the invention involves the generation of a replacement torque setpoint 5 which will temporarily replace the nominal torque setpoint 4.

[0017] The replacement torque setpoint 5 is generated by a generator 8 at a value that allows the aircraft to move at a stable speed. In practice, a torque value is used to move the aircraft at a low but stabilized speed Vo, facilitating the management of an aircraft approaching an airport terminal door.

[0018] An operational torque setpoint 6 is then transmitted to the drive device which, as appropriate, will be equal to the nominal torque setpoint 4 or the replacement torque setpoint 5. In the implementation mode illustrated here, the nominal torque setpoint 4 and the replacement torque setpoint are continuously compared here by a comparator 7 which generates an operational setpoint 6 equal to the maximum of these two values. Thus, the selection of either value is transparent to the pilot. Here, the generator 8 does not perform a speed control, but only generates a replacement setpoint 5 of a sufficient value to ensure stable speed movement.

[0019] According to a second implementation mode illustrated in FIG. 2, the lever 3 has a notch 10 at the beginning of the stroke which the pilot can position the lever 3 on to activate a torque setpoint generator 11 that generates a replacement torque setpoint 5 determined so as to control the speed V of the aircraft at a first determined setpoint speed V1. The replacement torque setpoint 5 is thus determined in real time, for example as a function of a difference between the speed of the aircraft V and the speed setpoint V1, to control the speed V of the aircraft to the setpoint speed V1. This ensures a substantially constant speed that facilitates the operation of the aircraft in the vicinity of the terminal building. A selector 12 generates an operational setpoint 6 equal to the replacement torque setpoint 5 if the generator 11 is activated, or equal to the nominal torque setpoint 4 if the generator 11 is not activated.

[0020] Of course, as shown in FIG. 3, a second notch 13 can be provided on the lever 3 for which the torque setpoint generator 11 generates a replacement torque setpoint determined so as to control the speed V of the aircraft to a second determined setpoint speed V2. Thus, the pilot has two notches at his/her disposal to operate the aircraft at two predetermined speeds, namely V1 (for example, an approach speed to a terminal door) and V2 (for example, a movement speed in an area near the terminal). The pilot can still manoeuvre the lever 3 to go beyond these two notches and send a much higher torque setpoint to the drive device to cause the aircraft to move at a higher speed, for example, when taxiing between the terminal building and the runway. Of course, other notches can also be provided, corresponding to the same number of predetermined speeds.

[0021] According to a specific implementation mode, a speed regulation control 14 is provided on the lever 3 to control the speed V of the aircraft to the speed Va of the aircraft when the pilot actuates the control 14. A replacement torque setpoint 5 is then generated by the generator 11, even without any action by the pilot on the lever 3, to ensure this speed control.

[0022] The invention is not limited to what has just been described, but encompasses every alternative solution within the scope of the claims.