Pitot tube heating control method, device and aircraft

Abstract

This application relates to a pitot tube heating control method, device, and aircraft. The method includes: obtaining first flight data from the aircraft; when the first flight data reaches a preset heating condition, controlling the pitot tube to begin heating; after the pitot tube begins heating, monitoring the aircraft's flight mode; based on the aircraft's flight mode, obtaining second flight data corresponding to the flight mode; and when the second flight data reaches a preset heating stop condition, controlling the pitot tube to stop heating. The solution provided by this application can utilize existing aircraft signals to control pitot tube heating in various aircraft flight modes, without the need for additional sensors.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of aircraft technology, and in particular to a pitot tube heating control method, device and aircraft. Background Art

[0002] Aircraft icing is the accumulation of ice on certain surfaces of the aircraft fuselage. It is most common on protruding surfaces such as the leading edges of wings and tailplanes, windshields, pitot tubes, antennas, and engine air intakes. Icing, especially on pitot tubes, can be very dangerous. It can cause important flight data such as altitude and speed to be inaccurately displayed, affecting the aircraft's controllability and stability.

[0003] In the related art, the pitot tube heating control method for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters usually uses additional ice detection sensor signals for judgment and issues heating control instructions to the pitot tube.

[0004] However, the above method is generally applicable to aircraft with a single flight mode and requires additional sensor information. Since EVTOL aircraft have both helicopter and fixed-wing modes, the above pitot tube heating control method for a single flight mode is not applicable to EVTOL aircraft with multiple flight modes. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve or partially solve the problems existing in the related art, the present application provides a pitot tube heating control method, device and aircraft, which can use the existing signals of the aircraft to control the heating of the pitot tube in various flight modes of the aircraft without the need for additional sensors.

[0006] A first aspect of the present application provides a pitot tube heating control method, comprising:

[0007] Acquiring first flight data of the aircraft;

[0008] When the first flight data reaches a preset heating condition, controlling the pitot tube to start heating;

[0009] After the pitot tube begins to heat up, monitoring the flight mode of the aircraft;

[0010] acquiring, according to the flight mode of the aircraft, second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the flight mode;

[0011] When the second flight data reaches a preset heating stop condition, the pitot tube is controlled to stop heating.

[0012] In some embodiments, when the first flight data reaches a preset heating condition, controlling the pitot tube to start heating includes:

[0013] determining, based on the first flight data and a preset heating condition, whether the first flight data meets the preset heating condition;

[0014] If it is reached, the pitot tube is controlled to heat;

[0015] Otherwise, repeat the above steps until the first flight data reaches a preset heating condition.

[0016] In some implementations, obtaining first flight data of the aircraft includes:

[0017] Acquiring corresponding first flight data according to the type of the aircraft;

[0018] When the aircraft is a tilt-wing EVTOL, the first flight data includes a wing tilt angle and a rotor speed;

[0019] When the aircraft is a tilt-rotor EVTOL, the first flight data includes a rotor tilt angle and a rotor speed;

[0020] When the aircraft is a composite-wing EVTOL, the first flight data includes an indicated airspeed and a rotor speed.

[0021] In some embodiments:

[0022] When the aircraft is a tilt-wing EVTOL, the preset heating condition is that the wing tilt angle is not less than a first preset tilt angle, and the rotor speed is not less than a first preset speed;

[0023] When the aircraft is a tilt-rotor EVTOL, the preset heating condition is that the rotor tilt angle is not less than a second preset tilt angle, and the rotor speed is not less than a second preset speed;

[0024] When the aircraft is a composite-wing EVTOL, the preset heating condition is that the indicated airspeed is not less than a first preset speed, and the rotor speed is not less than a third preset speed.

[0025] As an optional embodiment, when the second flight data reaches a preset stop heating condition, controlling the pitot tube to stop heating includes:

[0026] determining, based on the second flight data and a preset heating stop condition, whether the second flight data meets the preset heating stop condition;

[0027] If it is reached, the pitot tube is controlled to stop heating;

[0028] Otherwise, keep heating the pitot tube and repeat the above steps until the second flight data reaches the preset heating stop condition.

[0029] In some implementations, obtaining, based on the flight mode of the aircraft, second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the flight mode includes:

[0030] When the aircraft is in fixed-wing mode, obtaining second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the fixed-wing mode, the second flight data including ground speed and altitude above the ground;

[0031] When the aircraft is in helicopter mode, second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the helicopter mode is acquired, where the second flight data includes a rotor speed and an altitude above the ground.

[0032] In some embodiments:

[0033] When the aircraft is in fixed-wing mode, the preset heating condition is that the ground speed is less than a second preset speed and the altitude above the ground is less than a first preset altitude;

[0034] When the aircraft is in helicopter mode, the preset heating condition is that the rotor speed is less than a fourth preset speed and the altitude above the ground is less than a second preset altitude.

[0035] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a pitot tube heating control device, comprising:

[0036] A first acquisition module, configured to acquire first flight data of the aircraft;

[0037] a first control module, configured to control the pitot tube to start heating when the first flight data reaches a preset heating condition;

[0038] a monitoring module, configured to monitor the flight mode of the aircraft after the pitot tube begins to heat up;

[0039] A second acquisition module is configured to acquire, according to the flight mode of the aircraft, second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the flight mode;

[0040] The second control module is configured to control the pitot tube to stop heating when the second flight data reaches a preset heating stop condition.

[0041] A third aspect of the present application provides an aircraft, comprising:

[0042] processor; and

[0043] The memory stores executable codes thereon, and when the executable codes are executed by the processor, the processor is caused to execute the method described above.

[0044] A fourth aspect of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium having executable code stored thereon. When the executable code is executed by a processor of an aircraft, the processor is caused to execute the method described above.

[0045] The technical solution provided by this application may have the following beneficial effects:

[0046] Based on the characteristic that EVTOL aircraft have multiple flight modes, the present application first obtains the first flight data of the aircraft after the aircraft is turned on. When the first flight data reaches a preset heating condition, the pitot tube is controlled to start heating. After the pitot tube starts heating, the flight mode of the aircraft is monitored. Then, according to the flight mode of the aircraft, the second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the flight mode is obtained. Finally, when the second flight data reaches a preset heating stop condition, the pitot tube is controlled to stop heating, thereby realizing heating and stopping heating control of the pitot tube. Since the first flight data is related to the takeoff control of the aircraft and the second flight data is related to the second flight data of the aircraft, the first flight data and the second flight data used in the pitot tube heating control in the embodiment of the present application are both existing signals of the aircraft, and there is no need to add additional sensors, which saves costs and improves control efficiency.

[0047] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present application will become more apparent by describing in more detail exemplary embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals generally represent the same components in the exemplary embodiments of the present application.

[0049] Figure 1 1 is a flow chart of a pitot tube heating control method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 2 1 is another flow chart of the pitot tube heating control method shown in an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 3 1 is a flow chart of a pitot tube heating control method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Figure 4 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a pitot tube heating control device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the aircraft shown in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] The following describes embodiments of the present application in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the present application, it should be understood that the present application can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make the present application more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art.

[0055] The terms used in this application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit this application. As used in this application and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," "the," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0056] It should be understood that although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. may be used in this application to describe various information, this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, the first information may also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information may also be referred to as the first information. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0057] In the related art, the pitot tube heating control method for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters usually uses additional ice detection sensor signals for judgment and issues heating control instructions to the pitot tube.

[0058] However, the above method is generally applicable to aircraft with a single flight mode and requires additional sensor information. Since EVTOL aircraft have both helicopter and fixed-wing modes, the above pitot tube heating control method for a single flight mode is not applicable to EVTOL aircraft with multiple flight modes.

[0059] To address the above issues, an embodiment of the present application provides a pitot tube heating control method that can utilize the aircraft's existing signals to control the pitot tube heating in various flight modes of the aircraft without the need for additional sensors.

[0060] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0061] Figure 1 It is a flow chart of the pitot tube heating control method shown in an embodiment of the present application.

[0062] See also Figure 1, the embodiment of the present application provides a pitot tube heating control method, including steps S1 to S5:

[0063] S1, obtaining first flight data of the aircraft.

[0064] The first flight data in the embodiment of the present application is data collected in real time after the aircraft is turned on, is related to the take-off information of the aircraft, and has no limitation on the time when the aircraft is turned on.

[0065] The aircraft in the embodiment of the present application is an EVTOL aircraft, which has both a helicopter mode and a fixed-wing mode. Under normal circumstances, the EVTOL aircraft takes off vertically in helicopter mode, and then switches to fixed-wing mode for cruising. When landing, it can either use helicopter mode for vertical landing or use fixed-wing mode for landing and gliding. Generally, when the aircraft enters the fixed-wing level flight cruise mode, the pitot tube is prone to ice. This is because when the aircraft is flying at high altitudes, there are supercooled water droplets in the air at high altitudes with a temperature below 0 degrees but no solidification. Once they hit the pitot tube, they will condense into ice at an extremely fast speed. Since the aircraft has several different flight modes, the freezing and de-icing of the pitot tube are different in different flight modes. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application needs to be combined with the flight mode of the aircraft to perform different pitot tube anti-icing heating controls.

[0066] Since there are many types of EVTOL aircraft, different types of EVTOL aircraft have different structural designs and different take-off control methods. For example, tilt-wing EVTOL (such as Airbus Vahana), tilt-rotor EVTOL (such as Osprey V22) and composite wing EVTOL, among which, the blades of the tilt-wing EVTOL are installed on the fixed wing (wing), the fixed wing can tilt, and the blades tilt as the fixed wing tilts; the blades of the tilt-rotor EVTOL are installed on the fixed wing (wing), the fixed wing cannot tilt, and the blades can tilt; the blades of the composite wing EVTOL are installed on the fixed wing (wing), neither the blades nor the fixed wing (wing) can tilt, but a part of the rotor provides vertical lift for vertical take-off and landing, and a part provides forward thrust for cruising. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application can obtain the corresponding first flight data according to the type of aircraft. For example: when the aircraft is a tilt-wing EVTOL, the first flight data includes the wing tilt angle α1 and the rotor speed V r , where the wing tilt angle α1 can be understood as the fixed wing tilt angle, and the rotor speed V r It can be understood as the blade speed; when the aircraft is a tilt-rotor EVTOL, the first flight data includes the rotor tilt angle α2 and the rotor speed V r , where the rotor tilt angle α2 and the rotor speed V rIt can be understood as the blade tilt angle and blade speed; when the aircraft is a composite wing EVTOL, the first flight data includes the indicated airspeed V i and rotor speed V r , where indicated airspeed V i It is the relative speed between the aircraft and the air, and is also the speed displayed on the airspeed indicator. It can also be called the indicated speed and airspeed. The rotor speed V r It can be understood as the blade speed.

[0067] It should also be noted that the first flight data in the embodiments of the present application can be obtained by the flight control computer, and the first flight data is related to monitoring the takeoff information of the aircraft, without the need for additional sensors to obtain it. Regardless of the type of aircraft, the obtained first flight data, such as wing pitch angle, rotor pitch angle, indicated airspeed, and rotor speed, can be used to control the takeoff of the aircraft.

[0068] S2: When the first flight data reaches a preset heating condition, the pitot tube is controlled to start heating.

[0069] In the embodiment of the present application, it is possible to determine whether the first flight data meets the preset heating condition based on the first flight data and the preset heating condition; if so, the pitot tube is controlled to heat; otherwise, the above steps are repeated until the first flight data meets the preset heating condition.

[0070] S3: After the pitot tube starts heating up, monitor the flight mode of the aircraft.

[0071] While the pitot tube is being heated for anti-icing, the flight control computer is constantly monitoring the flight status to determine whether it is necessary to stop heating the pitot tube.

[0072] S4. According to the flight mode of the aircraft, obtain second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the flight mode.

[0073] The second flight data in the embodiment of the present application is data collected in real time before the aircraft lands, and is related to the landing information of the aircraft.

[0074] Since the aircraft can land vertically in helicopter mode or glide in fixed-wing mode when landing, the second flight data of the aircraft is different when landing in different modes. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain the second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the flight mode according to the flight mode of the aircraft.

[0075] For example, when the aircraft is in fixed-wing mode, the second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the fixed-wing mode is obtained. The second flight data includes the ground speed V g and ground height H r When the aircraft is in helicopter mode, obtain the second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the helicopter mode, the second flight data includes the rotor speed Vr and ground height H r .

[0076] It should also be noted that the second flight data in the embodiments of the present application can be acquired by the flight control computer, and that this second flight data is related to monitoring the aircraft's landing information, without the need for additional sensors. Regardless of the aircraft type and flight mode, the acquired second flight data, such as ground speed, altitude above the ground, and rotor speed, can be used for aircraft landing control.

[0077] S5 , when the second flight data reaches a preset heating stop condition, controlling the pitot tube to stop heating.

[0078] In the embodiment of the present application, it is possible to determine whether the second flight data meets the preset stop heating condition based on the second flight data and the preset stop heating condition; if so, the pitot tube is controlled to stop heating; otherwise, the above steps are repeated until the second flight data meets the preset stop heating condition.

[0079] According to the characteristic of EVTOL aircraft having multiple flight modes, the embodiment of the present application first obtains the first flight data of the aircraft after the aircraft is turned on. When the first flight data reaches a preset heating condition, the pitot tube is controlled to start heating. After the pitot tube starts heating, the flight mode of the aircraft is monitored. Then, according to the flight mode of the aircraft, the second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the flight mode is obtained. Finally, when the second flight data reaches a preset heating stop condition, the pitot tube is controlled to stop heating, thereby realizing heating and stopping heating control of the pitot tube. Since the first flight data is related to the takeoff control of the aircraft and the second flight data is related to the second flight data of the aircraft, the first flight data and the second flight data used in the pitot tube anti-icing heating control in the embodiment of the present application are both existing signals of the aircraft, and no additional sensors are required, which saves costs and improves control efficiency.

[0080] Figure 2 1 is another flow chart of the pitot tube heating control method shown in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 It is a flow chart of the pitot tube heating control method shown in an embodiment of the present application (taking the tilt-wing EVTOL as an example).

[0081] See also Figure 2 and Figure 3 The embodiment of the present application provides a pitot tube heating control method, comprising the following steps:

[0082] S100: Acquire corresponding first flight data according to the type of the aircraft.

[0083] The aircraft in the embodiment of the present application is an EVTOL aircraft, which has both a helicopter mode and a fixed-wing mode. Normally, the EVTOL aircraft takes off vertically in helicopter mode, then switches to fixed-wing mode for cruising, and can land vertically in helicopter mode or in fixed-wing mode for landing and gliding. Therefore, no matter what flight mode the aircraft adopts, it basically takes off vertically in helicopter mode when taking off, so the first flight data can ignore the flight mode of the aircraft and can be defaulted to helicopter mode. However, different types of EVTOL aircraft have different structural shapes and different take-off control methods. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain corresponding first flight data for different types of EVTOL aircraft, so that it can adapt to various types of aircraft.

[0084] As an optional embodiment, before step S100, the following steps may also be included:

[0085] Start the aircraft and control the pitot tube heating time.

[0086] In an embodiment of the present application, after the aircraft is started, the flight control computer sends a control instruction for heating for a preset time, for example, 30 seconds, to the atmospheric data computer. The atmospheric data computer controls the pitot tube to stop heating after the preset time, for example, 30 seconds, to prevent the pitot tube from being blocked by ice when parked on the ground.

[0087] S101, when the aircraft is a tilt-wing EVTOL, the first flight data includes the wing tilt angle α1 and the rotor speed V r .

[0088] The propeller blades of the tilt-wing EVTOL are installed on the wing, which can tilt. The propeller blades tilt as the wing tilts. The tilt-wing EVTOL collects the wing tilt angle α1 and the rotor speed V in real time during takeoff. r To control takeoff, the embodiment of the present application directly uses these first flight data to control the pitot tube anti-icing. r It can be collected through the aircraft's existing photoelectric / magnetoelectric sensors.

[0089] S102, when the aircraft is a tilt-rotor EVTOL, the first flight data includes the rotor tilt angle α2 and the rotor speed V r .

[0090] The blades of the tilt-rotor EVTOL are installed on the wings. The wings cannot tilt, but the blades can tilt. The tilt-rotor EVTOL collects the rotor tilt angle α2 and rotor speed V in real time during takeoff. r To control takeoff, the embodiment of the present application directly uses these first flight data to control the pitot tube anti-icing.r It can be collected through the aircraft's existing photoelectric / magnetoelectric sensors.

[0091] S103, when the aircraft is a composite wing EVTOL, the first flight data includes the indicated airspeed V i and rotor speed V r .

[0092] The blades of the composite wing EVTOL are mounted on the wings. Neither the blades nor the wings can be tilted, but part of the rotor provides vertical lift for vertical takeoff and landing, and part provides forward thrust for cruising. The composite wing EVTOL collects the indicated airspeed V in real time during takeoff. i and rotor speed V r To control takeoff, the embodiment of the present application directly uses these first flight data to control the pitot tube to prevent de-icing. i The rotor speed V can be collected through the aircraft's own atmospheric data system / pitot tube r It can be collected through the aircraft's existing photoelectric / magnetoelectric sensors.

[0093] S200 , judging whether the first flight data meets the preset heating condition based on the first flight data and the preset heating condition.

[0094] In the embodiment of the present application, it is necessary to determine whether the first flight data meets the preset heating condition according to different types of EVTOL aircraft. Specifically, the determination can be made in the following manner:

[0095] When the aircraft is a tilt-wing EVTOL, the preset heating condition can be that the wing tilt angle α1 is not less than the first preset tilt angle, and the rotor speed V r Not less than a first preset speed.

[0096] When the aircraft is a tilt-rotor EVTOL, the preset heating condition is that the rotor tilt angle α2 is not less than the second preset tilt angle, and the rotor speed V r Not less than a second preset speed.

[0097] When the aircraft is a composite wing EVTOL, the preset heating condition is the indicated airspeed V i is not less than the first preset speed, and the rotor speed V r Not less than the third preset speed.

[0098] The first preset tilt angle may be the critical tilt angle α0 of the wing, which may be an empirical value or pre-defined according to the aircraft model; the second preset tilt angle may be the critical tilt angle α'0 of the rotor, which may be an empirical value or pre-defined according to the aircraft model; the first preset speed may be the critical indicated airspeed V i0, critical indicated airspeed V i0 It can be an empirical value or pre-defined according to the model; the first preset speed, the second preset speed and the third preset speed can all be the lift-off rotor speed V r0 , rotor speed V at liftoff r0 It can be an empirical value or pre-customized according to the model. The first preset speed, second preset speed and third preset speed of the same model can be set to the same, and the first preset speed, second preset speed and third preset speed of different models can be set to different.

[0099] S201: If the first flight data meets the preset heating condition, control the pitot tube to heat.

[0100] When the aircraft is a tilt-wing EVTOL, if the wing tilt angle α1 is not less than the critical wing tilt angle α0, and the rotor speed V r Not less than the rotor speed V at take-off r0 When the aircraft has taken off and entered the fixed-wing level flight mode, the flight control computer can send an anti-icing heating control instruction to the atmospheric data computer, and the pitot tube anti-icing heating function is activated and begins heating.

[0101] When the aircraft is a tilt-rotor EVTOL, if the rotor tilt angle α2 is not less than the rotor critical tilt angle α'0, and the rotor speed V r Not less than the rotor speed V at take-off r0 When the aircraft has taken off and entered the fixed-wing level flight mode, the flight control computer can send an anti-icing heating control instruction to the atmospheric data computer, and the pitot tube anti-icing heating function is activated and begins heating.

[0102] When the aircraft is a composite wing EVTOL, if the indicated airspeed V i Not less than the critical indicated airspeed V i0 , and the rotor speed V r Not less than the rotor speed V at take-off r0 When the aircraft has taken off and entered the fixed-wing level flight mode, the flight control computer can send an anti-icing heating control instruction to the atmospheric data computer, and the pitot tube anti-icing heating function is activated and begins heating.

[0103] S202 , if the first flight data does not meet the preset heating condition, repeat steps S200 to S201 until the first flight data meets the preset heating condition.

[0104] When the aircraft is a tilt-wing EVTOL, if the wing tilt angle α1 does not reach the critical wing tilt angle α0, and / or the rotor speed V r The rotor speed V is not reached at takeoff r0When the aircraft has not yet taken off, the flight control computer continues to obtain the wing tilt angle α1 and rotor speed V in real time through the bus signal. r , until the wing tilt angle α1 reaches the critical wing tilt angle α0, and the rotor speed V r Reaching the rotor speed V at liftoff r0 Among them, the wing tilt angle α1 and the rotor speed V r It can be acquired at the same frequency or at different frequencies. For example, the flight control computer can synchronously acquire the wing tilt angle α1 and the rotor speed V every 1 second. r , you can also obtain the wing tilt angle α1 every 1s and the rotor speed V every 1.5s r .

[0105] When the aircraft is a tilt-rotor EVTOL, if the rotor tilt angle α2 does not reach the rotor critical tilt angle α'0, and / or the rotor speed V r The rotor speed V is not reached at takeoff r0 When the aircraft has not yet taken off, the flight control computer continues to obtain the rotor tilt angle α2 and rotor speed V in real time through the bus signal. r Until the rotor tilt angle α2 reaches the critical rotor tilt angle α'0, and the rotor speed V r Reaching the rotor speed V at liftoff r0 Among them, the rotor tilt angle α2 and the rotor speed V r It can be acquired at the same frequency or at different frequencies. For example, the flight control computer can synchronously acquire the rotor tilt angle α2 and the rotor speed V every 1s. r , you can also get the rotor tilt angle α2 every 1s, and the rotor speed V every 1.5s r .

[0106] When the aircraft is a composite wing EVTOL, if the indicated airspeed V i Critical indicated airspeed V not reached i0 , and / or, rotor speed V r The rotor speed V is not reached at takeoff r0 When the aircraft has not taken off, the flight control computer will continue to obtain the indicated airspeed V in real time through the bus signal. i and rotor speed V r , until the indicated airspeed V i Reaching critical indicated airspeed V i0 , and the rotor speed V r Reaching the rotor speed V at liftoff r0 Where, the indicated airspeed V i and rotor speed V rIt can be acquired at the same frequency or at different frequencies. For example, the flight control computer can synchronously acquire the indicated airspeed V at intervals of 1 second. i and rotor speed V r , you can also get the indicated airspeed V every 1s i , obtain the rotor speed V at intervals of 1.5s r .

[0107] S300: After the pitot tube starts heating, monitor the aircraft's flight mode.

[0108] Since the pitot tube of an EVTOL aircraft is prone to icing during flight, it is necessary to heat the pitot tube. However, the icing of the pitot tube is greatly alleviated after landing. Therefore, the pitot tube can be controlled to stop heating when the aircraft lands. In addition, different types of EVTOL aircraft can use either helicopter mode for vertical landing or fixed-wing mode for landing and gliding. The icing and de-icing of the pitot tube are different in different flight modes. Therefore, the embodiments of the present application need to implement different pitot tube heating controls in combination with the flight mode of the aircraft.

[0109] S400, when the aircraft is in fixed-wing mode, obtain second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the fixed-wing mode, the second flight data including ground speed V g and ground height H r .

[0110] When the aircraft is in fixed-wing mode, second flight data related to the fixed-wing mode is obtained, which may include ground speed V g and ground height H r .

[0111] Among them, ground speed V g The ground height H can be collected through the aircraft's existing GPS r It can be collected through the aircraft's existing altimeter radar.

[0112] S401, when the aircraft is in helicopter mode, obtain second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the helicopter mode, the second flight data including the rotor speed V r and ground height H r .

[0113] When the aircraft is in helicopter mode, the second flight data related to the helicopter mode is obtained, which may include the rotor speed V r and ground height H r .

[0114] Wherein, the rotor speed V r The height above the ground H can be collected by the aircraft's existing photoelectric / magnetoelectric sensors. r It can be collected through the aircraft's existing altimeter radar.

[0115] S500 , judging whether the second flight data meets the preset heating stop condition based on the second flight data and the preset heating stop condition.

[0116] In the embodiment of the present application, it is necessary to determine whether the second flight data meets the preset stop heating condition according to different flight modes of the EVTOL aircraft. Specifically, the determination can be made in the following manner:

[0117] When the EVTOL aircraft is in fixed-wing mode, the preset heating condition is ground speed V g is less than the second preset speed, and the height above the ground H r Less than the first preset height.

[0118] When the EVTOL aircraft is in helicopter mode, the preset heating condition is the rotor speed V r is less than the fourth preset speed, and the height above the ground H r Less than the second preset height.

[0119] The second preset speed can be the ground contact speed V g0 The fourth preset rotation speed may be the lift-off rotor rotation speed V r0 The first preset height can be the minimum height from the ground H r0 The second preset height can also be the minimum height from the ground H r0 ; Touchdown speed V g0 , Rotor speed V at liftoff r0 and minimum height from the ground H r0 It can be an empirical value or pre-customized according to the model; the first preset height and the second preset height of the same model can be set to the same, and the first preset height and the second preset height of different models can be set to different.

[0120] S501: If the second flight data reaches a preset heating stop condition, control the pitot tube to stop heating.

[0121] When EVTOL is in fixed-wing mode, if the ground speed V g Less than ground speed V g0 , and the height above the ground is H r Less than the minimum height from the ground H r0 When , it indicates that the EVTOL in fixed-wing mode is already in the landing and taxiing stage on the airport runway, the flight control computer sends a pitot tube heating stop command to the atmospheric data computer, and the pitot tube stops heating.

[0122] When EVTOL is in helicopter mode, if the rotor speed V is detected r Less than the rotor speed V at takeoff r0 , and the height above the ground is H rLess than the minimum height from the ground H r0 When , it indicates that EVTOL is already in the rotor vertical landing approaching stage, the flight control computer sends the pitot tube heating stop command to the atmospheric data computer, and the pitot tube stops heating.

[0123] S502 , if the second flight data does not meet the preset heating stop condition, keep the pitot tube heating, and repeat steps S500 to S501 until the second flight data meets the preset heating stop condition.

[0124] When EVTOL is in fixed-wing mode, if the ground speed V g Not less than ground speed V g0 , and / or, height above ground H r Not less than the minimum height from the ground H r0 When the EVTOL in fixed-wing mode is still in flight, the flight control computer sends a command to the air data computer to keep the pitot tube heated, and continues to obtain the ground speed and altitude in real time through the bus signal until the ground speed V g Less than ground speed V g0 , and the height above the ground is H r Less than the minimum height from the ground H r0 Among them, ground speed V g and ground height H r It can be acquired at the same frequency or at different frequencies. For example, the flight control computer can synchronously acquire the ground speed V at intervals of 1 second. g and ground height H r , you can also get the ground speed V every 1s g , obtain the ground height H at intervals of 1.5s r .

[0125] When EVTOL is in helicopter mode, if the rotor speed V is detected r Not less than the rotor speed V at take-off r0 , and / or, height above ground H r Not less than the minimum height from the ground H r0 When the EVTOL is still in the flight phase, the flight control computer sends a command to the air data computer to keep the pitot tube heated, and continues to obtain the rotor speed and altitude in real time through the bus signal until the rotor speed V r Less than the rotor speed V at takeoff r0 , and the height above the ground is H r Less than the minimum height from the ground H r0 Among them, the rotor speed V r and ground height H r It can be acquired at the same frequency or at different frequencies. For example, the flight control computer can synchronously acquire the rotor speed V every 1s. r and ground height Hr , you can also get the rotor speed V every 1s r , obtain the ground height H at intervals of 1.5s r .

[0126] According to the characteristics of EVTOL aircraft having various types and multiple flight modes, the embodiments of the present application obtain the first flight data of the aircraft according to the different types of EVTOL aircraft during takeoff. For example, when the aircraft is a tilt-wing EVTOL, the first flight data includes the wing tilt angle and the rotor speed; when the aircraft is a tilt-rotor EVTOL, the first flight data includes the rotor tilt angle and the rotor speed; when the aircraft is a compound-wing EVTOL, the first flight data includes the indicated airspeed and the rotor speed. When the first flight data reaches a preset heating condition, the pitot tube is controlled to begin heating. For example, if the aircraft is a tilt-wing EVTOL, the preset heating condition may be that the wing tilt angle is not less than a first preset tilt angle and the rotor speed is not less than a first preset speed; if the aircraft is a tilt-rotor EVTOL, the preset heating condition may be that the rotor tilt angle is not less than a second preset tilt angle and the rotor speed is not less than a second preset speed; if the aircraft is a composite wing EVTOL, the preset heating condition may be that the indicated airspeed is not less than a first preset speed and the rotor speed is not less than a third preset speed. After the pitot tube begins heating, the aircraft's flight mode is monitored. Based on the aircraft's flight mode, second flight data corresponding to the flight mode is acquired. For example, if the aircraft is in fixed-wing mode, the second flight data corresponding to the fixed-wing mode is acquired, including ground speed and altitude above the ground; if the aircraft is in helicopter mode, the second flight data corresponding to the helicopter mode is acquired, including rotor speed and altitude above the ground. Finally, when the second flight data reaches the preset stop heating condition, the pitot tube is controlled to stop heating; for example, when the EVTOL aircraft is in fixed-wing mode, the preset heating condition is that the ground speed is less than the second preset speed and the altitude above the ground is less than the first preset altitude; when the EVTOL aircraft is in helicopter mode, the preset heating condition is that the rotor speed is less than the fourth preset speed and the altitude above the ground is less than the second preset altitude. Through the above control method, the heating and stopping of the pitot tube are controlled. Since the first flight data is related to the takeoff control of the aircraft, and the second flight data is related to the second flight data of the aircraft, the first flight data and the second flight data used in the pitot tube heating control in the embodiment of the present application are both existing signals of the aircraft, and no additional sensors are required, which saves costs and improves control efficiency.

[0127] Corresponding to the aforementioned application function implementation method embodiment, the present application also provides a pitot tube heating control device, an aircraft and corresponding embodiments.

[0128] Figure 4Schematic diagram of the structure of the pitot tube heating control device shown in an embodiment of the present application.

[0129] See also Figure 4 The embodiment of the present application further provides a pitot tube heating control device, comprising a first acquisition module 400, a first control module 401, a monitoring module 402, a second acquisition module 403, and a second control module 404.

[0130] The first acquisition module 400 is used to acquire first flight data of the aircraft. Specifically, the first acquisition module 400 can be used to acquire corresponding first flight data based on the type of aircraft. When the aircraft is a tilt-wing EVTOL aircraft, the first flight data includes the wing tilt angle and rotor speed; when the aircraft is a tilt-rotor EVTOL aircraft, the first flight data includes the rotor tilt angle and rotor speed; when the aircraft is a composite-wing EVTOL aircraft, the first flight data includes the indicated airspeed and rotor speed.

[0131] The first control module 401 is configured to control the pitot tube to initiate heating when the first flight data meets a preset heating condition. Specifically, the first control module 401 may be configured to determine whether the first flight data meets the preset heating condition based on the first flight data and the preset heating condition; if so, control the pitot tube to initiate heating; otherwise, repeatedly acquire the first flight data of the aircraft and determine whether the first flight data meets the preset heating condition based on the first flight data and the preset heating condition until the first flight data meets the preset heating condition.

[0132] The preset heating conditions may be:

[0133] When the aircraft is a tilt-wing EVTOL, the preset heating condition may be that the wing tilt angle is not less than a first preset tilt angle, and the rotor speed is not less than a first preset speed.

[0134] When the aircraft is a tilt-rotor EVTOL, the preset heating condition is that the rotor tilt angle is not less than a second preset tilt angle, and the rotor speed is not less than a second preset speed.

[0135] When the aircraft is a composite-wing EVTOL, the preset heating condition is that the indicated airspeed is not less than a first preset speed, and the rotor speed is not less than a third preset speed.

[0136] The monitoring module 402 is used to monitor the flight mode of the aircraft after the pitot tube starts heating. The flight mode of the aircraft may include a helicopter mode and a fixed-wing mode.

[0137] The second acquisition module 403 is configured to acquire second flight data corresponding to the flight mode of the aircraft, based on the flight mode of the aircraft. Specifically, the second acquisition module 403 can be configured to acquire the second flight data corresponding to the fixed-wing mode when the aircraft is in fixed-wing mode, where the second flight data includes ground speed and altitude above the ground; and to acquire the second flight data corresponding to the helicopter mode, where the second flight data includes rotor speed and altitude above the ground, when the aircraft is in helicopter mode.

[0138] The second control module 404 is configured to control the pitot tube to stop heating when the second flight data reaches a preset stop heating condition. The second control module 404 can be configured to determine whether the second flight data meets the preset stop heating condition based on the second flight data and the preset stop heating condition; if so, control the pitot tube to stop heating; otherwise, maintain pitot tube heating and repeatedly acquire the second flight data of the aircraft, and determine whether the second flight data meets the preset stop heating condition based on the second flight data and the preset stop heating condition until the second flight data meets the preset stop heating condition.

[0139] When the EVTOL aircraft is in fixed-wing mode, the preset heating condition is that the ground speed is less than a second preset speed and the altitude above the ground is less than a first preset altitude. When the EVTOL aircraft is in helicopter mode, the preset heating condition is that the rotor speed is less than a fourth preset speed and the altitude above the ground is less than a second preset altitude.

[0140] Regarding the apparatus in the above embodiment, the specific manner in which each module performs operations has been described in detail in the embodiment of the method, and will not be elaborated again here.

[0141] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the aircraft shown in an embodiment of the present application.

[0142] See also Figure 5 , the aircraft 500 includes a memory 510 and a processor 520 .

[0143] The processor 520 may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0144] The memory 510 may include various types of storage units, such as system memory, read-only memory (ROM), and permanent storage. ROM may store static data or instructions required by the processor 520 or other modules of the computer. The permanent storage may be a readable and writable storage device. The permanent storage may be a non-volatile storage device that retains stored instructions and data even when the computer is powered off. In some embodiments, the permanent storage device uses a large-capacity storage device (e.g., a magnetic or optical disk, flash memory) as the permanent storage device. In other embodiments, the permanent storage device may be a removable storage device (e.g., a floppy disk, optical drive). The system memory may be a readable and writable storage device or a volatile readable and writable storage device, such as dynamic random access memory. The system memory may store some or all instructions and data required by the processor during operation. In addition, the memory 510 may include any combination of computer-readable storage media, including various types of semiconductor memory chips (e.g., DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, flash memory, programmable read-only memory), and magnetic disks and / or optical disks may also be used. In some embodiments, the memory 510 may include a readable and / or writable removable storage device, such as a compact disc (CD), a read-only digital versatile disc (e.g., DVD-ROM, dual-layer DVD-ROM), a read-only Blu-ray disc, an ultra-density optical disc, a flash memory card (e.g., SD card, mini SD card, Micro-SD card, etc.), a magnetic floppy disk, etc. Computer-readable storage media do not include carrier waves and transient electronic signals transmitted wirelessly or wired.

[0145] The memory 510 stores executable codes. When the executable codes are processed by the processor 520 , the processor 520 may execute part or all of the above-mentioned methods.

[0146] In addition, the method according to the present application may also be implemented as a computer program or a computer program product, which includes computer program code instructions for executing some or all of the steps in the above method of the present application.

[0147] Alternatively, the present application can also be implemented as a computer-readable storage medium (or non-transitory machine-readable storage medium or machine-readable storage medium) on which executable code (or computer program or computer instruction code) is stored. When the executable code (or computer program or computer instruction code) is executed by a processor of an aircraft (or server, etc.), the processor executes part or all of the steps of the above-mentioned method according to the present application.

[0148] The embodiments of the present application have been described above. The above description is exemplary, not exhaustive, and is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is selected to best explain the principles of the embodiments, their practical applications, or improvements to the technology in the market, or to enable other persons skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A pitot tube heating control method, characterized in that: include: Acquiring first flight data of the aircraft; When the first flight data reaches a preset heating condition, controlling the pitot tube to start heating; After the pitot tube begins to heat up, monitoring the flight mode of the aircraft; acquiring, according to the flight mode of the aircraft, second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the flight mode; When the second flight data reaches a preset stop heating condition, controlling the pitot tube to stop heating; The acquiring, according to the flight mode of the aircraft, second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the flight mode includes: When the aircraft is in fixed-wing mode, obtaining second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the fixed-wing mode, the second flight data including ground speed and altitude above the ground; When the aircraft is in helicopter mode, obtaining second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the helicopter mode, the second flight data including rotor speed and altitude above the ground; When the aircraft is in the fixed-wing mode, the preset heating stop condition is that the ground speed is less than a second preset speed and the altitude above the ground is less than a first preset altitude; When the aircraft is in helicopter mode, the preset heating stop condition is that the rotor speed is less than a fourth preset speed and the altitude above the ground is less than a second preset altitude.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that When the first flight data reaches a preset heating condition, controlling the pitot tube to start heating includes: determining, based on the first flight data and a preset heating condition, whether the first flight data meets the preset heating condition; If it is reached, the pitot tube is controlled to heat; Otherwise, repeat the above steps until the first flight data reaches a preset heating condition.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The obtaining of first flight data of the aircraft includes: Acquiring corresponding first flight data according to the type of the aircraft; When the aircraft is a tilt-wing EVTOL, the first flight data includes a wing tilt angle and a rotor speed; When the aircraft is a tilt-rotor EVTOL, the first flight data includes a rotor tilt angle and a rotor speed; When the aircraft is a composite-wing EVTOL, the first flight data includes an indicated airspeed and a rotor speed.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: When the aircraft is a tilt-wing EVTOL, the preset heating condition is that the wing tilt angle is not less than a first preset tilt angle, and the rotor speed is not less than a first preset speed; When the aircraft is a tilt-rotor EVTOL, the preset heating condition is that the rotor tilt angle is not less than a second preset tilt angle, and the rotor speed is not less than a second preset speed; When the aircraft is a composite-wing EVTOL, the preset heating condition is that the indicated airspeed is not less than a first preset speed, and the rotor speed is not less than a third preset speed.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein When the second flight data reaches a preset stop heating condition, controlling the pitot tube to stop heating includes: determining, based on the second flight data and a preset heating stop condition, whether the second flight data meets the preset heating stop condition; If it is reached, the pitot tube is controlled to stop heating; Otherwise, keep heating the pitot tube and repeat the above steps until the second flight data reaches the preset heating stop condition.

6. A pitot tube heating control device, characterized in that: include: A first acquisition module, configured to acquire first flight data of the aircraft; a first control module, configured to control the pitot tube to start heating when the first flight data reaches a preset heating condition; a monitoring module, configured to monitor the flight mode of the aircraft after the pitot tube begins to heat up; a second acquisition module, configured to acquire, based on the flight mode of the aircraft, second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the flight mode; wherein, when the aircraft is in fixed-wing mode, the second acquisition module is configured to acquire the second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the fixed-wing mode, the second flight data including ground speed and altitude above the ground; and when the aircraft is in helicopter mode, the second flight data of the aircraft corresponding to the helicopter mode, the second flight data including rotor speed and altitude above the ground; a second control module, configured to control the pitot tube to stop heating when the second flight data reaches a preset heating stop condition; wherein, when the aircraft is in fixed-wing mode, the preset heating stop condition is that the ground speed is less than a second preset speed and the altitude above the ground is less than a first preset altitude; and when the aircraft is in helicopter mode, the preset heating stop condition is that the rotor speed is less than a fourth preset speed and the altitude above the ground is less than a second preset altitude.

7. An aircraft, characterized in that: include: processor; as well as A memory having executable codes stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. A computer-readable storage medium having executable codes stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor of an aircraft, causes the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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