Method and apparatus for proximity control between rotating and non-rotating aircraft components
The aircraft includes a rotor. The rotor includes a plurality of rotor blades. The aircraft further includes a non-rotating aircraft component. A proximity sensor is disposed with at least one of the non-rotating aircraft component and the rotor blades. A flight control computer is electrically coupled to the proximity sensor.
1. An aircraft comprising:
a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades;
a non-rotating aircraft component;
a proximity sensor configured to detect a proximity of a rotor blade of the plurality of rotor blades to the non-rotating aircraft component and disposed within at least one of the non-rotating aircraft component and the plurality of rotor blades; and
a flight control computer electrically coupled to the proximity sensor.
2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the non-rotating aircraft component is a wing.
3. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the non-rotating aircraft component is a sponson.
4. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the non-rotating aircraft component is a fuselage.
5. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the non-rotating aircraft component is a wing extension.
6. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the non-rotating aircraft component is a tail boom.
7. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the proximity sensor is at least one of an electromagnetic sensor, an inductive sensor, a radar sensor, and a LiDAR sensor.
8. The aircraft of claim 1 , comprising an antenna embedded in a tip region of each rotor blade of the plurality of rotor blades.
9. The aircraft of claim 1 , comprising at least one of an actuator and a servo motor electrically coupled to the flight control computer.
10. The aircraft of claim 9 , wherein:
the flight control computer is operable to signal the at least one of the actuator and the servo motor to adjust a flight parameter responsive to a determination that the plurality of rotor blades are within a minimum safe distance of the non-rotating aircraft component; and
wherein the flight parameter includes at least one of, a nacelle position, a rotor-blade position, a control surface position, and a landing gear position.
11. A flight control system comprising:
a pilot control;
a flight control computer electrically coupled to the pilot control;
at least one of an actuator and a servo motor electrically coupled to the flight control computer, the at least one of the actuator and the servo motor operable to control a flight parameter;
a proximity sensor configured to detect a proximity of a rotor blade to a non-rotating aircraft component and disposed within at least one of the non-rotating aircraft component and a tip region of the rotor blade, the proximity sensor being electrically coupled to the flight control computer; and
wherein, the flight control computer is operable to signal the actuator to alter the flight parameter in response to the rotor blade being within a minimum safe distance of the non-rotating aircraft component.
12. The flight control system of claim 11 , comprising an antenna embedded in at least one of a tip region of a rotor blade and the non-rotating aircraft component.
13. The flight control system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one of the actuator and the servo motor control at least one of a nacelle position, a rotor position, a control surface position, and a landing gear position.
14. The flight control system of claim 11 , wherein the pilot control includes at least one of cyclic and collective control.
15. The flight control system of claim 11 , wherein the flight parameter includes at least one of a heading, an airspeed, and a rate of climb.
16. A method of controlling rotor-blade clearance, the method comprising:
measuring, via a proximity sensor disposed within at least one of a non-rotating aircraft component and a rotor blade, a proximity of the rotor blade relative to the non-rotating aircraft component;
transmitting a measured position of the rotor blade to a flight control computer;
determining, via the flight control computer, if the rotor blade is outside of a minimum safe distance of the non-rotating aircraft component; and
responsive to a determination that the rotor blade is within a minimum safe distance of the non-rotating aircraft component, initiating, via the flight control computer a corrective action.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the corrective action comprises providing at least one of an audible or visual warning to a pilot.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the corrective action comprises at least one of adjusting a rotor position and adjusting a control surface position.
19. The method of claim 16 , comprising recording, via the flight control computer, position information of the rotor blade.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the non-rotating aircraft component is selected from the group consisting of a wing, a fuselage, a sponson, and a tail boom.