1. A method comprising:
providing a first dog clutch having driven and driving elements, wherein the driving and driven elements are intermediate components of a gearbox of an aircraft;
mechanically connecting the driving element of the first dog clutch to a first gear having a first number of teeth:
sensing rotational speeds of each of the elements; and
using an electrical control system to independently effect acceleration of both of the elements to engage each other without the use of a friction coupling.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a second dog clutch functionally coupled in parallel with the first dog clutch.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising a mechanical interlock that prevents simultaneous engagement of the clutches.
4. The method of claim 2, further comprising coupling a driving element of the second dog clutch to a second gear having a second number of teeth different from the first number of teeth.
5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of using an electrical control system comprises controlling at least two of a rotor, a brake, a generator, an electric motor, and a combustion motor.
6. The method of claim 2, further operatively using an electric motor and an overrunning clutch to overrun a portion of a drive train that includes the first and second dog clutches, relative to an engine.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the control system operates upon a low inertia, high response rate loop comprising a motor driving the driving element.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the system has an operating frequency of at least 1 Hertz.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the system has an operating frequency of at least 10 Hertz.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a rotor blade that receives power through a drive train that includes the dog clutch, and using Individual Blade Control (IBC) to control the rotor blade.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising utilizing high speed control to reduce rotational oscillation of the drive train.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising employing a second control system that is redundant to the electrical control system.
13. A method comprising:
providing a first dog clutch having driven and driving elements;
mechanically connecting the driving element of the first dog clutch to a first gear having a first number of teeth;
sensing rotational speeds of each of the elements;
using an electrical control system to independently effect acceleration of both of the elements to engage each other without the use of a friction coupling; and
further comprising providing a rotor blade that receives power through a drive train that includes the dog clutch, and using Individual Blade Control (IBC) to control the rotor blade.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising utilizing high speed control to reduce rotational oscillation of the drive train.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A valve timing controller for an internal combustion engine, the valve timing controller adjusting a valve timing of at least one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve by driving an electric motor in a normal rotation direction or a reverse rotation direction, comprising:
a drive circuit for performing a feedback control of an energization to the electric motor based on a target rotation speed and an actual rotation speed of the electric motor so as to rotate the electric motor to a target rotation direction, wherein
the drive circuit stops the feedback control at the time of changing the target rotation direction.
2. A valve timing controller according to claim 1, further comprising
a target set circuit for establishing the target rotation speed and the target rotation direction.
3. A valve timing controller according to claim 2, wherein
the drive circuit stops the feedback control and performs an open loop control of the energization to the electric motor based on the target rotation speed at the time of changing the target rotation direction.
4. A valve timing controller according to claim 3, wherein
the drive circuit includes:
a target value calculation means for calculating an energization target value corresponding to the target rotation speed;
a correction value calculation means for calculating a feedback correction value corresponding to a difference between the target rotation speed and the target rotation direction;
a correction means for correcting the energization target value with the feedback correction value to determine an energization instruction value;
an energization means for energizing the electric motor according to the energization instruction value; and
an invalid means for invalidating the feedback correction value at a time of changing the target rotation direction.
5. A valve timing controller according to claim 4, wherein
the target set circuit instructs an invalidation of the feedback correction value to the invalid means at a time of changing the target rotation direction.
6. A valve timing controller according to claim 4, wherein
the target set circuit establishes the target rotation speed in such a manner that a difference of the energization instruction value after the target rotation direction is changed is not more than a permissible limit value at a time of changing the target rotation direction.
7. A valve timing controller according to claim 4, wherein
the correction value calculation means calculates the feedback correction value based on a difference between the energization target value obtained by converting the target rotation speed on a first conversion map and the energization target value obtained by converting the actual rotation speed on a second conversion map.
8. A valve timing controller according to claim 7, wherein
the target value calculation means calculates the energization target value by converting the target rotation speed on the first conversion map, and
the correction value calculation means utilizes the energization target value which is calculated by the target value calculation means when calculating the feedback correction value.
9. A valve timing controller according to claim 7, wherein
the energization target value is offset into the target rotation direction with respect to a zero value of the target rotation speed on the first conversion map, and
the energization result value is offset into the actual rotation direction of the electric motor with respect to a zero value of the actual rotation speed on the second conversion map.