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CN-122029415-A - Lock tester for thrust reverser actuation system

CN122029415ACN 122029415 ACN122029415 ACN 122029415ACN-122029415-A

Abstract

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method for testing operation of a thrust reverser actuator lock that includes determining, by a controller, that an actuator output of a controllable actuator is in a predetermined first position, locking, by the controller, the actuator lock configured to prevent movement of the actuator output of the actuator away from the predetermined first position, initiating, by the controller, actuation of the actuator output away from the predetermined first position, determining, by the controller, a second position of the actuator output based on a position feedback sensor, determining, by the controller, a nominal condition of the actuator lock based on determining that the second position is within a predetermined threshold distance from the predetermined first position of the actuator output, and providing, by the controller and based on the determined nominal condition, a signal indicative of the nominal condition.

Inventors

  • J.LU

Assignees

  • 伍德沃德有限公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20240819
Priority Date
20230818

Claims (19)

  1. 1. A computer-implemented method for testing operation of a thrust reverser actuator lock for an aircraft thrust reverser actuation system, comprising: Determining, by the controller, that an actuator output of the controllable actuator is in a predetermined first position; Locking, by the controller, an actuator lock configured to prevent movement of the actuator output of an actuator away from the predetermined first position; initiating actuation of the actuator output from the predetermined first position by the controller; Determining, by the controller, a second position of the actuator output based on a position feedback sensor; determining, by the controller, a nominal condition of the actuator lock based on determining that the second position is within a predetermined threshold distance from the predetermined first position of the actuator output, and A signal indicative of the nominal condition is provided by the controller and based on the determined nominal condition.
  2. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing, by the controller, a value representative of the nominal condition.
  3. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising: Determining, by the controller, a fault condition of the actuator lock based on determining that the second position is outside the predetermined threshold distance from the predetermined first position of the actuator output, and A signal indicative of a fault condition of the actuator lock is provided by the controller.
  4. 4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising storing, by the controller, a value representative of the fault condition.
  5. 5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the actuator output is movable from the predetermined first position to a predetermined third position by an operating distance, and the predetermined threshold distance is less than the operating distance.
  6. 6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the position sensor is configured to detect movement of the actuator output away from the predetermined first position.
  7. 7. The method of any of claims 1-6, further comprising receiving a test initiation signal, wherein the controller is configured to perform the locking based on the received test initiation signal.
  8. 8. The method of any of claims 1-7, further comprising determining, by the controller, one or more of a predetermined aircraft operational state, a predetermined time interval, or a predetermined aircraft operational condition, wherein the controller is configured to perform the locking based on the predetermined aircraft operational condition, the predetermined time interval, or the predetermined aircraft operational condition.
  9. 9. A test system for testing operation of a thrust reverser actuator lock for an aircraft thrust reverser actuation system, the test system comprising: A controllable actuator configured to actuate the actuator output between a predetermined first position and a second position different from the predetermined first position; An actuator lock controllable to a locked configuration configured to prevent movement of the controllable actuator output beyond a predetermined distance from the predetermined first position toward the second position, and an unlocked configuration in which movement of the actuator output beyond the predetermined distance is permitted; a position feedback sensor configured to provide a position feedback signal indicative of a position of the actuator output; processing circuitry configured to: Controlling the actuator lock to the locked configuration; Initiating actuation of the actuator output away from the predetermined first position; receiving the position feedback signal; Determining a third position of the actuator output based on the received position feedback signal; determining a nominal condition of the actuator lock based on determining that the third position is within a predetermined threshold distance from the predetermined first position, and A signal indicative of the nominal condition is provided.
  10. 10. The test system defined in claim 9, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to store a value representative of the nominal condition.
  11. 11. The test system of claim 9 or 10, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: determining a fault condition of the actuator lock based on determining that the second position is outside the predetermined threshold distance from the predetermined first position of the actuator output, and A signal indicative of a fault condition of the actuator lock is provided by the controller.
  12. 12. The test system defined in claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to store a value representative of the fault condition.
  13. 13. The test system of any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the actuator output is movable from the predetermined first position to a predetermined third position by an operating distance, and the predetermined threshold distance is less than the operating distance.
  14. 14. The test system of any one of claims 9-13, wherein the position sensor is configured to detect movement of the actuator output away from the predetermined first position.
  15. 15. The test system of any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the actuator is a thrust reverser actuator of a thrust reverser actuator system and the actuator lock is a thrust reverser actuator system lock.
  16. 16. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by data processing apparatus, cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising: Determining that an actuator output of the thrust reverser actuator is in a predetermined first position; Locking a thrust reverser actuator lock configured to prevent movement of the actuator output from the predetermined first position; Initiating actuation of the actuator output away from the predetermined first position; Determining a second position of the actuator output based on the position feedback signal; Determining a nominal condition of the thrust reverser actuator lock based on determining that the second position is within a predetermined threshold distance from the predetermined first position of the actuator output, and Based on the determined nominal condition, a signal indicative of the nominal condition is provided.
  17. 17. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 16, the operations further comprising: determining a fault condition of the thrust reverser actuator lock based on determining that the second position is outside the predetermined threshold distance from the predetermined first position of the actuator output, and A signal is provided indicating a fault condition of the actuator lock.
  18. 18. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 16 or 17, wherein the actuator output is movable from the predetermined first position to a predetermined third position through an operating distance, and the predetermined threshold distance is less than the operating distance.
  19. 19. The non-transitory computer storage medium of any one of claims 16-18, wherein the data processing device is a thrust reverser actuator system controller.

Description

Lock tester for thrust reverser actuation system Priority statement The present application claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/235,666 filed 8/2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field The present specification relates to test systems for aircraft actuators, and more particularly to test systems for aircraft thrust reverser actuator system deployment locks. Background Contemporary aircraft engines may include thrust reverser actuation systems (thrust reverser actuation system, TRAS) to help reduce aircraft speed during landing. A typical thrust reverser includes a movable translating cowl (transcowl) that reverses at least a portion of the airflow through the engine when in an activated position. Accidental or unintentional activation and deployment of the thrust reverser at improper times can be dangerous or fatal. Accidental deployment on the ground may cause injury or death when ground personnel are performing service on the engine. Accidental activation during flight can result in catastrophic airspeed loss or loss of fuselage. Mechanical failure (such as loss of hydraulic pressure) may also cause the inverter to move out of the stowed position at an improper time. To prevent accidental or unintended deployment of the thrust reverser, a locking mechanism is used. The lock must be disengaged before the thrust reverser can be moved from its stowed position. Such locking systems are typically tested periodically while the aircraft is on the ground in order to verify proper lock operation or to identify lock failure. Existing testing procedures can be very manual in nature. In an example of an existing procedure, the circuit breaker is manually opened in order to intentionally prevent the electrical unlocking signal from reaching the lock, then the actuator is actuated towards deployment, and then deployment is manually observed by directly observing the actuator or by observing the sensor indicator. If the lock mechanism is operating properly, the lock, which is still locked, will prevent significant movement of the actuator from its stowed position. The apparent movement of the actuator observed during the test indicates a fault somewhere in the system. Such a manual process may be time consuming and may require the attention of multiple service personnel. For example, aviation regulations may require an electrical expert to open a circuit breaker, may require another person to trigger deployment from the cockpit, may require another person to observe the actuator on the ground, may require an electrical expert to close the circuit breaker, and may require yet another person to verify that the circuit breaker and actuator have returned to a safe and navigable state. Disclosure of Invention In general, this document describes a test system for an aircraft thrust reverser actuator system deployment lock. In a first example, a computer-implemented method for testing operation of a thrust reverser actuator lock for an aircraft thrust reverser actuation system includes determining, by a controller, that an actuator output of a controllable actuator is in a predetermined first position, locking, by the controller, the actuator lock configured to prevent movement of the actuator output of the actuator away from the predetermined first position, initiating, by the controller, actuation of the actuator output away from the predetermined first position, determining, by the controller, a second position of the actuator output based on a position feedback sensor, determining, by the controller, a nominal condition of the actuator lock based on determining that the second position is within a predetermined threshold distance from the predetermined first position of the actuator output, and providing, by the controller and based on the determined nominal condition, a signal indicative of the nominal condition. In a second example, according to example 1, the method further comprises storing, by the controller, a value representative of the nominal condition. In a third example, according to example 1 or 2, the method further includes determining, by the controller, a fault condition of the actuator lock based on determining that the second position is outside of a predetermined threshold distance from a predetermined first position of the actuator output, and providing, by the controller, a signal indicative of the fault condition of the actuator lock. In a fourth example, according to example 3, the method further comprises storing, by the controller, a value representative of the fault condition. In a fifth example, according to any one of examples 1 to 4, the actuator output is movable from a predetermined first position to a predetermined third position by an operating distance, and the predetermined threshold distance is less than the operating distance. In a sixth example, according to any one of examples 1 to 5, the position sensor is configure