FEEL AND RUDDER TRAVEL LIMITING COMPUTATION

DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION

General
The rudder travel-limiting function provides:
The limitation of the rudder travel through a control law function of Vc
The return to the low speed limitation in case of failure
The rudder travel limiting actuation is described in 27-23-00.
System Description

A. Composition
The system consists of:
Two engagement pushbutton switches common to the yaw damper and rudder
trim functions
Two Flight Augmentation Computers (FAC 1 and FAC 2)
An electro-mechanical rudder travel-limitation unit with two motors
Two position transducers integrated in the unit.
Architecture
The rudder travel-limiting system operates using the changeover technique i.e
when both sides are engaged the side 1 has priority, the side 2 is in standby. The
side 2 is active when the side 1 is disengaged (case of failure). The motor of the
standby side is not supplied (the FAC which has no priority does not deliver the
enable signal).
A synchronization is achieved on the rudder position prior to engagement
Amplitude and speed limitations are introduced:
The amplitude limitation is such that the travel remains compatible with the
limits on the aircraft structure
The speed limitation prevents saturation of the limitation unit. Upon total loss of
the rudder travel-limiting function, a control enables to bring back the stops to
the low speed conditions to restore maximum rudder deflection as soon as
slats are extended.
Power Supply

Power Supply of the Rudder Travel-Limitation Unit

The 26 V/400 Hz power is applied to the primary windings of the position
transducers directly from the busbars via the FAC circuit breakers.
The emergency control of the motor operates on the same power supply. The
28VDC power is applied to the power electronic set from the FAC circuit breakers
through a cut-off relay. This relay is controlled by the monitoring logic of the FAC.

EFF :ALL 22-61-00 Page 1

Aug 01/04

BWG
 Interface

Interface Signals For

each side:
Control signal (2 wires)
The control order signal is transmitted through a two-wire twisted lead
(high point and low point).
Position transducer signal (4 wires)
Two voltages : V1 and V2 (2 wires each).
Enable signal (1 wire)
This signal is transmitted by the FAC control logic and controls the coil of a
relay inside the rudder travel-limitation unit (+28VDC = motor activated ;
open circuit = motor not activated).
Return to low speed signal (2 wires)
This signal controls the coil of a relay inside the rudder travel-
limitation unit.
+28VDC = return to low speed order (delivered by the FAC control logic
command).
Ground = return to low speed order (delivered by the FAC control logics
monitor)
The FAC provides the coil with the electrical ground.
Monitoring signal (1 wire)
This signal which is transmitted by the rudder travel-limitation unit to the FAC
is used during the test procedure of the rudder travel-limitation unit:
Ground = rudder travel-limitation unit declared good. Open
circuit = rudder travel-limitation unit failed.
Operation

Principle (Ref. Fig.

001)
There are two modes of operation:
Normal operation
The active system controls the limitation unit through its motor. It limits the
rudder travel according to a parameter specific to the flight envelope ie the
corrected airspeed (VC).
This parameter which is delivered by the ADIRS (Air Data/Inertial
Reference System) is monitored by the FAC (Ref. 22-65-00).

EFF :ALL 22-61-00 Page 2

Aug 01/04

BWG
 Rudder Travel-Limitation Unit - Block Diagram
Figure 001
EFF :ALL 22-61-00 Page 3

Aug 01/04

BWG
 Each motor has its own power electronic set. A FAC logic interrupts the
power of the electronic set on the side which is not active and thus de-
activates the associated motor (Ref. para. C).
Two position transducers enable slaving and monitoring of the
channel.
Return to low speed conditions
This mode, which is the emergency mode, serves in case of failure of the FAC
or of the power electronic set (when the failure prevents the normal operation
of the rudder travel-limitation unit). This mode which is independent from the
normal control, is only initiated at low speed (in slats extended configuration).
A FAC internal logic (Ref. para. C) controls a relay which switches the
limitation unit to a control order called emergency control order (independent
26 V/400 Hz power supply).
Structure of the Control Law

**ON A/C 001-300,

(Ref. Fig. 002)

**ON A/C 301-400,

(Ref. Fig. 002A)

**ON A/C ALL

The control law generates a deflection order.

A synchronization is achieved for the channel in standby mode or not
engaged, from the position of the motor position feedback.
Operating Logic

Normal operation
(Ref. Fig. 003)
The rudder travel-limitating system operates using the changeover technique
when a channel is detected faulty. The priority is given to the side 1 through
the aircraft wiring (side 1 signal).
In normal operation the RTL (Rudder Travel-Limiting) channel No. 1 is active
and drives the associated motor.
The other channel is in standby (synchronization mode) and the power
electronic set of the associated motor is not supplied.
This changeover is accomplished through hard-wired logic as follows:

EFF :ALL 22-61-00 Page 4

May 01/09

BWG
 Rudder Travel-Limitation Unit - Control Law
Figure 002
R EFF :001-300, 22-61-00 Page 5

May 01/09

BWG
R Rudder Travel-Limitation Unit - Control Law
R Figure 002A
R EFF :301-400, 22-61-00 Page 6

May 01/09

BWG
 Rudder Travel-Limitation - Changeover Logic
Figure 003
EFF :ALL 22-61-00 Page 7

May 01/09
R
BWG
 A logic signal C (+28VDC = motor activated) controls a relay inside the motor
A logic signal M (+28VDC = motor activated) controls an intermediary relay
13CC1(2) which supplies (+28VDC via the circuit breaker 5CC1 (2)) the
power electronic set of the associated servomotor.
The logic is identical (on command and monitoring channels) and uses:
The hard-wired signal on side 1
The hard-wired signal of the active opposite RTL function
The general monitoring of the FAC
The RTL specific logic.
This logic validates the associated power channel according to the
considered side.

Return to low speed logic (Ref.

Fig. 004)
This logic controls the motor in emergency mode when the normal
control is not possible (FAC or motor electronic failure).
It controls a relay inside the rudder travel-limitation unit.
This relay switches the motor on a supply independent from the power
electronic set of the limitation unit. This supply is delivered from the 26VAC
busbar through the circuit breaker 14CC1(2).
The switching relay is activated upon slat extension:
In case of dual failure of the rudder travel-limitation function, and

During a fixed time corresponding to the acquisition of the maximum stop.

The signal C (+28VDC = return to low speed order) energizes the

switching relay inside the unit.
The FAC provides the relay ground (signal M) from the monitoring side.
The logic is identical for both sides.

Monitoring of Rudder Travel-Limiting Function (Ref.

Fig. 005)
This function has three types of monitoring.
Monitoring of acquisition
The VC parameters from the ADIRS are monitored by a two-by-two
comparison (Ref. 22-65-00).
Monitoring of computation
After amplitude and speed limiting, the C and M computation orders are
compared (C and M duplicated C1 comparators).
Activation of this monitoring function causes the loss of the rudder travel
limiting function on the considered side.

EFF :ALL 22-61-00 Page 8

May 01/09
R
BWG
 Return to Low Speed Logic
Figure 004
EFF :ALL 22-61-00 Page 9

May 01/09
R
BWG
 Monitoring of Rudder Travel-Limiting Function
Figure 005
EFF :ALL 22-61-00 Page 10

May 01/09
R
BWG
 Power monitoring
Two position transducers are used for slaving and monitoring. This
monitoring is based on:
The monitoring of the acquisition of the transducer (cut wire, short
circuits, variation of the power supply voltage)
A comparator C2 between the order and the rudder feedback on the sides
C and M.
Activation of these monitoring functions causes the loss of the rudder
travel-limiting function on the considered side.
Warnings
The loss of the rudder travel-limiting function is indicated by the warnings
given below:
Loss of a rudder travel-limiting channel
The amber message: AUTO FLT RUD TRV LIM 1(2) appears on the
upper display unit of the ECAM system.
Loss of two rudder travel-limiting channels
The amber message: AUTO FLT RUD TRV LIM SYS appears on the
upper display unit of the ECAM system and the single chime sounds.
After action on the CLR pushbutton switch on the ECAM control panel
this message appears: SYSTEM INOP : RUD TRV LIM.
**ON A/C 201-400,

R The RTL indication on the FLT CTL page of the ECAM system is
R flagged (amber indexes) if this information is not available.
**ON A/C ALL

Test Procedure

Test of Rudder Travel-Limitation Unit

A test procedure is initiated at FAC energization to check the integrity of the
standby channel.
This procedure permits to check:
The triggering capability of the internal monitoring of the rudder travel-
limitation unit
The slaving of the rudder travel-limitation unit without motion of the rudder.
The test sequence is as follows:

EFF :ALL 22-61-00 Page 11

May 01/09

BWG
 Monitoring triggered at fault status
The enable order is not sent : the motor order is fed back on the test
circuit of the rudder travel-limitation unit.
A null order lower than the programmed threshold is sent and the
monitoring must be triggered (open circuit to the FAC).

Monitoring triggered at good status The

enable order is not sent.
The rudder travel-limitation unit receives a slaving order (equal to half of the
travel) and the monitoring must return to good status (ground to the FAC).

Test of slaving
The enable order is sent as well as a null order. The stage of the switching
relay of the enable order must be tested. The monitoring must be forced to
the good status.
Test of Return to Low Speed Function
The test of the return to low speed function is not automatic. It can be performed
on the ground by maintenance personnel in the conditions given below:
- FAC 1 and FAC 2 pushbutton switches set to OFF -
Slats extended.
Test of Cutoff Relays
The test of the RTL SYS1 and SYS2 relays 13CC1 and 13CC2 (cutoff of the 28
V of the rudder travel-limitation unit) is performed automatically during these
tests (capability to open).