Electric aircraft and control device for electric aircraft

Abstract

An electric vertical take-off and landing machine (100, 100a-100d) including a plurality of electric drive systems (10, 10a-10d) having a drive motor (12) for driving and rotating a rotary wing (30) and a drive unit (11) for driving the drive motor includes: a drive information detection unit (55) for detecting drive information for each of the plurality of electric drive systems; the drive information includes at least one of motor information constituting an index of a deterioration state of the drive motor and drive unit information constituting an index of a deterioration state of the drive unit; and a maintenance necessity detection unit (57) that detects, on the basis of the detected drive information, whether maintenance is to be performed on each of the plurality of electric drive systems.

Description

[0001] This invention patent application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with international application number PCT / JP2020 / 030598, international application date August 11, 2020, application number 202080060286.6 entering the Chinese national phase, and name “Electric vertical take-off and lifting machine and control device for electric vertical take-off and lifting machine”. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the control of an electric vertical lift. Background Art

[0003] In recent years, as a different type of aircraft from aircraft with gas turbines, the development of manned or unmanned aircraft called electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL: electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) has become active. The electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft includes a plurality of electric drive systems (EDS: Electric Drive System) with motors, and a plurality of rotary wings are driven by a plurality of motors to rotate, thereby obtaining lift and thrust of the fuselage. In order to ensure safety, it is desirable to replace and overhaul the electric drive system as needed. Patent document 1 records that the above engine should be replaced when the exhaust temperature of the aircraft engine exceeds a specified value.

[0004] Prior art literature Patent Literature Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-159891 Summary of the invention

[0005] An electric vertical take-off and landing machine is sometimes equipped with more motors and rotors than the number of engines and propellers included in an airplane. In addition, an electric vertical take-off and landing machine is sometimes equipped with a combination of multiple rotors having different functions, such as a lift rotor mainly used to obtain lift for the fuselage, a cruise rotor mainly used to obtain thrust for the fuselage, etc. The inventors have discovered that in the above-mentioned electric vertical take-off and landing machine, the maintenance period for each of the multiple electric drive systems may be different. Therefore, it is desired to have a technology that can appropriately determine the maintenance period for each of the multiple electric drive systems.

[0006] The present disclosure can be implemented in the following forms.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an electric vertical take-off and landing machine is provided. The electric vertical take-off and landing machine includes a plurality of electric drive systems, each of which has a drive motor that drives a rotary wing to rotate and a drive unit that drives the drive motor, and the electric vertical take-off and landing machine includes: a drive information detection unit that detects drive information for each of the plurality of electric drive systems, the drive information including at least one of motor information that is an indicator of a degradation state of the drive motor and drive unit information that is an indicator of a degradation state of the drive unit; and a maintenance detection unit that detects whether maintenance is required for each of the plurality of electric drive systems based on the detected drive information.

[0008] The electric vertical lift according to the above-mentioned method includes a drive information detection unit and a maintenance detection unit. The drive information detection unit detects drive information of at least one of motor information that is an indicator of the degradation state of the drive motor and drive unit information that is an indicator of the degradation state of the drive unit for each of the multiple electric drive systems. The maintenance detection unit detects whether maintenance is required for each of the multiple electric drive systems based on the detected drive information. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately judge the maintenance period for each of the multiple electric drive systems whose maintenance periods may be different from each other.

[0009] The present disclosure can also be implemented in various ways, for example, in the form of a control device for an electric vertical lift, a control method for an electric vertical lift, and the like. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The above objects and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 It is a top view schematically showing the appearance structure of the electric vertical take-off and lifting machine. Figure 2 It is a side view schematically showing the appearance structure of the electric vertical take-off and lifting machine. Figure 3 This is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of an electric vertical lift. Figure 4 The following is a flowchart showing the procedure of the maintenance necessity detection process. Figure 5 : is a flowchart showing the procedure of the update process of the drive history information. Figure 6 1 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the maintenance necessity detection process in the second embodiment. Figure 7 1 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the maintenance necessity detection process in the third embodiment. Figure 8 1 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the maintenance necessity detection process in the fourth embodiment. Fig. 9 The flowchart shows the procedure of the process of detecting whether abnormality inspection is required. Fig.10 1 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the maintenance necessity detection process in the fifth embodiment. Fig.11 This is an explanatory diagram for explaining the threshold value set in the fifth embodiment. Fig.12 This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electric vertical lift according to a sixth embodiment. Fig.13 This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electric vertical lift according to a seventh embodiment. Fig.14 This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electric vertical lift according to an eighth embodiment. Fig.15 It is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electric vertical lift according to a ninth embodiment. Fig.16 1 is a flowchart showing the steps of a process for detecting whether a bearing needs maintenance in the tenth embodiment. Fig.17 This is an explanatory diagram for explaining the threshold value set in the tenth embodiment. Fig.18 It is a plan view schematically showing the external appearance structure of the electric vertical lift according to the eleventh embodiment. Fig.19 It is a side view schematically showing the external appearance structure of the electric vertical lift according to the eleventh embodiment. Fig. 20 This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electric vertical lift according to an eleventh embodiment. Fig.21 is a flow chart showing the steps of the cumulative load leveling process. Fig. 22 : is a flowchart showing the procedure of the update process of the drive history information. Fig.23 1 is a flowchart showing the steps of the cumulative load leveling process in the twelfth embodiment. Fig.24 This is a flowchart showing the procedure of request rotation processing. Fig.25 It is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electric vertical lift according to a fourteenth embodiment. Fig.2614 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the request switching process in the fourteenth embodiment. Fig. 27 The following is a flowchart showing the procedure of the maintenance necessity detection process. Fig.28 15. This is a flowchart showing the procedure of the request switching process in the fifteenth embodiment. Fig.29 This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electric vertical lift according to a seventeenth embodiment. Fig.30 Detailed description of the invention is a flowchart showing the steps of requesting a simultaneous maintenance process. Fig.31 This is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method of determining electric drive systems that should be simultaneously maintained. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] A. First Implementation Method: A-1. Device structure: Figure 1 and Figure 2 The electric vertical take-off and landing machine 100 (hereinafter also referred to as "eVTOL (Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing Aircraft) 100") shown is configured as a manned aircraft that is electrically driven and can take off and land in a vertical direction. The eVTOL 100 includes: a fuselage 20; a plurality of rotors 30; and a plurality of electric drive systems 10 (hereinafter also referred to as "EDS (Electric Driving System) 10") for driving each rotor 30 to rotate. The eVTOL 100 of this embodiment includes nine rotors 30 and nine EDSs 10.

[0012] The fuselage 20 corresponds to the portion of the eVTOL 100 other than the nine rotors 30 and the nine EDSs 10. The fuselage 20 includes a fuselage body 21, a support column 22, six first support portions 23, six second support portions 24, a main wing 25, and a tail wing 28.

[0013] The fuselage main body 21 constitutes the trunk portion of the eVTOL 100. The fuselage main body 21 has a bilaterally symmetrical structure with the fuselage axis AX as the symmetry axis. In the present embodiment, the "fuselage axis AX" means an axis passing through the fuselage center of gravity position CM and along the front-rear direction of the eVTOL 100. In addition, the "fuselage center of gravity position CM" means the center of gravity position of the eVTOL 100 at the empty weight without passengers on board. A passenger compartment (not shown) is formed inside the fuselage main body 21.

[0014] The support part 22 has a generally columnar appearance extending in the vertical direction, and is fixed to the upper part of the fuselage main body part 21. In the present embodiment, the support part 22 is arranged at a position overlapping with the center of gravity position CM of the fuselage of the eVTOL 100 when viewed in the vertical direction. One end of each of the six first support parts 23 is fixed to the upper end of the support part 22. The six first support parts 23 each have a generally rod-shaped appearance, and are radially arranged at equal angles to extend along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. The rotor 30 and the EDS 10 are arranged at the other end of each first support part 23, that is, at the end at a position away from the support part 22. The six second support parts 24 each have a generally rod-shaped appearance, and connect the other ends of the first support parts 23 adjacent to each other (the ends on the side not connected to the support part 22) to each other.

[0015] The main wing 25 includes a right wing 26 and a left wing 27. The right wing 26 is formed to extend from the fuselage main body 21 to the right. The left wing 27 is formed to extend from the fuselage main body 21 to the left. The tail wing 28 is formed at the rear end of the fuselage main body 21. A rotary wing 30 and an EDS 10 are respectively arranged on the right wing 26, the left wing 27 and the tail wing 28.

[0016] Six of the nine rotors 30 are configured as lift rotors 31 arranged at the ends of the second support portions 24 and mainly used to obtain lift of the fuselage 20. Three of the nine rotors 30 are configured as cruise rotors 32 arranged at the right wing 26, the left wing 27 and the tail wing 28 and mainly used to obtain thrust of the fuselage 20. Each rotor 30 is driven to rotate independently of each other around its own rotation axis. Each rotor 30 has three blades 33 arranged at equal angles.

[0017] The nine EDSs 10 are configured as drive devices for driving and rotating the rotors 30. Six of the nine EDSs 10 drive and rotate the lift rotors 31. Three of the nine EDSs 10 drive and rotate the cruise rotors 32.

[0018] like Figure 3 As shown, each EDS 10 includes a drive unit 11, a drive motor 12, a gear box 13, a rotation speed sensor 14, a current sensor 15, and a voltage sensor 16. In addition, the eVTOL 100 also includes a battery 40, a converter 42, a distributor 44, a control device 50, a storage device 62, a fuselage communication unit 64, and a reporting unit 66. Figure 3 In FIG. 1 , for convenience of illustration, two of the nine rotors 30 and EDS 10 included in the eVTOL 100 are shown as representatives.

[0019] The drive unit 11 is constituted as an electronic device including an inverter circuit (not shown) and a controller (not shown) for controlling the inverter circuit. The inverter circuit includes power elements such as IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) and MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor), and supplies a driving voltage to the driving motor 12 according to a duty ratio corresponding to a control signal supplied by the controller. The controller is electrically connected to the control device 50, and supplies a control signal to the inverter circuit according to a command from the control device 50.

[0020] In this embodiment, the drive motor 12 includes a brushed motor and outputs a rotational motion according to the voltage and current supplied from the inverter circuit of the drive unit 11. Alternatively, the drive motor 12 may include any motor such as an induction motor or a reluctance motor.

[0021] The gear box 13 physically connects the drive motor 12 and the rotor 30. The gear box 13 has a plurality of gears (not shown) and reduces the speed of the rotation of the drive motor 12 and transmits it to the rotor 30. Alternatively, the gear box 13 may be omitted and the rotating shaft of the rotor 30 may be directly connected to the drive motor 12.

[0022] The rotation speed sensor 14 is provided at the driving motor 12, and measures the rotation speed of the driving motor 12. The current sensor 15 and the voltage sensor 16 are provided between the driving unit 11 and the driving motor 12, and measure the driving current and the driving voltage, respectively. The measurement results of each sensor 14 to 16 are output to the driving information detection unit 55 of the control device 50 described later via the driving unit 11.

[0023] The battery 40 is composed of a lithium-ion battery and functions as a power supply source for the eVTOL 100. The battery 40 mainly supplies power to the drive unit 11 of each EDS 10 and drives each drive motor 12. In addition, it can be composed of any secondary battery such as a nickel-hydrogen battery as a substitute for the lithium-ion battery, and any power supply source such as a fuel cell or a generator can be installed as a substitute for the battery 40, or any power supply source such as a fuel cell or a generator can be installed in addition to the battery 40.

[0024] The converter 42 is connected to the battery 40, and steps down the voltage of the battery 40 and supplies it to auxiliary machines (not shown) and the control device 50 included in the eVTOL 100. The distributor 44 distributes the voltage of the battery 40 to the drive unit 11 included in each EDS 10.

[0025] The control device 50 is a microcomputer including a storage unit 51 and a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and is configured as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The storage unit 51 has a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU executes a control program pre-stored in the storage unit 51, thereby functioning as a control unit 52 that controls the overall operation of the eVTOL 100, and functions as a drive information detection unit 55, a storage control unit 56, and a maintenance detection unit 57.

[0026] As the overall action of the eVTOL 100, for example, there is a vertical take-off and landing action, a flight action, etc. The vertical take-off and landing action and the flight action can be performed based on the set aviation path information, can be performed by the operation of the passenger, and can also be performed based on the instruction from the external control unit 510 included in the external device 500 described later. The control unit 52 controls the number of revolutions and the rotation direction of the drive motor 12 of each EDS 10 in the action of the eVTOL 100.

[0027] The drive information detection unit 55 detects the drive information for each of the EDS10. The drive information includes at least one of the motor information constituting an index of the degradation state of the drive motor 12 and the drive unit information constituting an index of the degradation state of the drive unit 11. The motor information is, for example, information measured by the rotation speed sensor 14 of each EDS10 (the rotation speed of the drive motor 12), the driving time of the drive motor 12, etc., which constitutes an index of the degradation state of the hardware of the drive motor 12. The drive unit information is, for example, direct information such as information measured by the current sensor 15 and the voltage sensor 16 of each EDS10 (driving current value, driving voltage value), indirect information such as the command value of the rotation speed of the drive motor 12 calculated based on the driving current value and the driving voltage value, the driving time of the drive unit 11, etc., which constitutes an index of the degradation state of the inverter circuit and the controller. In addition, the drive information is not limited to the above information, and may also include information measured by a torque sensor, a temperature sensor, a vibration sensor, etc. not shown in the figure, and may also be part of the above information. The above information is transmitted to the drive information detection unit 55 via the drive unit 11 of each EDS 10 .

[0028] The storage control unit 56 performs a process of updating the drive history information related to the history of the drive information in each of the EDSs 10 as described later. The storage control unit 56 of the present embodiment stores the updated drive history information in the storage device 62 included in the eVTOL 100. The drive history information is information related to the degree of degradation of the EDS 10, such as the accumulated drive time of the EDS 10, the accumulated number of revolutions of the drive motor 12, the accumulated load value such as the accumulated drive current of the drive motor 12, etc. The accumulated drive time of the EDS 10 may be, for example, the time during which a drive current value exceeding a prescribed value is measured.

[0029] The maintenance necessity detection unit 57 performs a process of detecting whether maintenance is required for each of the EDSs 10 (hereinafter referred to as "maintenance necessity detection process"). The maintenance necessity is detected based on the drive information detected by the drive information detection unit 55. In the present embodiment, the maintenance necessity detection unit 57 uses the drive history information of each EDS 10 stored in the storage device 62 to determine and detect whether maintenance is required. In addition, in the present embodiment, the maintenance of the EDS 10 includes replacing the components of the EDS 10.

[0030] The storage device 62 is configured as a memory including a ROM and a RAM, and stores the drive history information according to an instruction of the storage control unit 56 .

[0031] The fuselage communication unit 64 has a function of wireless communication, and is configured to send and receive information between the external communication unit 520 included in the external device 500 and the eVTOL 100, and can communicate with the control device 50. Wireless communication, for example, is civilian VHF (Very High Frequency) wireless communication, wireless communication provided by electric communication operators such as 4G (fourth generation mobile communication system) and 5G (fifth generation mobile communication system), wireless LAN communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard, etc. In addition, for example, it may be USB (Universal Serial Bus) or wired communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.3 standard.

[0032] The notification unit 66 makes notifications according to instructions from the control device 50. In the present embodiment, the notification unit 66 includes a display device installed in the passenger compartment to display characters and images, a speaker to output sounds and warning sounds, etc., and notifies passengers of various information through visual information and auditory information.

[0033] The external device 500 is a device different from the eVTOL 100, and is, for example, a computer for management and control such as a server device that performs maintenance records of each EDS 10. The external device 500 may be, for example, a server device disposed in an air traffic control room, or may be a personal computer or the like that is taken to the operation site of the eVTOL 100 by a maintenance worker who performs maintenance on each EDS 10. The external device 500 includes an external control unit 510, an external communication unit 520, and an external storage device 530. The external communication unit 520 has a function of wireless communication, and transmits and receives information with the fuselage communication unit 64 included in the eVTOL 100. The external storage device 530 is configured as a memory having a ROM and a RAM.

[0034] A-2. Whether maintenance, inspection and treatment are required: When the start switch of the eVTOL 100 is turned on, the control device 50 repeatedly executes Figure 4 The maintenance detection process shown is performed on each of the plurality of EDSs 10 included in the eVTOL 100 .

[0035] The drive information detection unit 55 detects the drive information of the EDS 10 (step S110 ). The storage control unit 56 executes an update process of the drive history information of the EDS 10 (step S120 ).

[0036] like Figure 5As shown, in the updating process of the drive history information of the present embodiment, the storage control unit 56 converts the drive information detected by the drive information detection unit 55 into a value for the drive history information (step S122). In the present embodiment, as the value for the drive history information, a value (hereinafter referred to as "comprehensive value") that combines the number of revolutions of the drive motor 12 measured by the revolution sensor 14 and the drive current value measured by the current sensor 15 is used. The above-mentioned comprehensive value can be calculated, for example, by substituting the number of revolutions of the drive motor 12 and the drive current value into a prescribed calculation formula. The above-mentioned calculation formula can be, for example, a formula that is weighted in a manner that makes the drive current value more reflective of the degree of deterioration than the number of revolutions of the drive motor 12. In addition, in a structure that can further detect the winding resistance value of the drive motor 12, the temperature information of the winding can be estimated based on the winding resistance value, and in addition to the number of revolutions of the drive motor 12 and the drive current value, the value showing the above-mentioned temperature information is substituted into the prescribed calculation formula to calculate the comprehensive value. The winding temperature affects the life of the insulating film of the winding, etc., and is therefore motor information that constitutes an indicator of the degradation state of the drive motor 12. Generally, the higher the winding temperature, the more degraded the drive motor 12 is. Therefore, by considering the temperature information of the winding, the degree of degradation of the drive motor 12 can be estimated with high accuracy. In addition, the value used for the drive history information is not limited to this, and may also be a value that integrates any multiple types of drive information, or may be a conversion value that is converted in a manner corresponding to the degradation rate of the EDS10. By using a value that integrates multiple drive information, the memory of the storage device 62 can be saved. In addition, by using the conversion value, even in the case where the drive information and the degradation rate of the EDS10 are not linearly related, the degree of degradation of the EDS10 can be more appropriately shown. In addition, as the value used for the drive history information, the detected drive information can also be used directly. In other words, step S122 can also be omitted.

[0037] The storage control unit 56 adds the value of the current drive history information, that is, the comprehensive value calculated this time, to the value of the drive history information stored in the storage device 62 (step S128). By executing step S128, the drive history information stored in the storage device 62 is updated and stored. In the present embodiment, the cumulative load value of the drive history information, which is information that integrates the cumulative number of revolutions and the cumulative drive current of the drive motor 12, is updated and stored. In addition, the motor information and the drive unit information may be added and stored separately as different drive history information without being integrated. In summary, the update process of the drive history information of each EDS10 is completed.

[0038] like Figure 4As shown, the maintenance detection unit 57 determines whether the drive history information updated and stored in step S120 satisfies the component replacement condition (step S130). The component replacement condition is preset and stored in the storage device 62 as a condition that can be used to infer that the EDS 10 has deteriorated to the extent that it is recommended to replace the components of the EDS 10. The component replacement condition of this embodiment is the condition that "the cumulative load value as the drive history information is greater than a predetermined component replacement threshold value".

[0039] If the drive history information satisfies the component replacement condition (step S130: YES), the maintenance detection unit 57 detects that the EDS 10 needs to have its components replaced (step S140). The control unit 52 notifies the EDS 10 of a component replacement request (step S150).

[0040] The notification of the component replacement request may be a notification sent to the passengers of the eVTOL 100 via the reporting unit 66. More specifically, for example, when the installation positions of a plurality of EDSs 10 are displayed on a display device installed in the passenger compartment, the EDS 10 to be replaced with a red light is indicated. In addition, the notification of the component replacement request may be a notification sent to the external device 500 via the fuselage communication unit 64. Through the notification of the component replacement request, it is expected that the passengers of the eVTOL 100d, maintenance workers, etc. will perform component replacement on the EDS 10 detected as needing component replacement. By executing step S150, the maintenance detection process is completed.

[0041] When it is determined that the driving history information does not satisfy the component replacement condition (step S130: No), the maintenance necessity detection unit 57 detects that maintenance of the EDS 10 is "unnecessary" (step S190). After executing step S190, the control unit 52 may make a notification that the component replacement of the EDS 10 is not necessary in the same manner as step S150. By executing step S190, the maintenance necessity detection process ends.

[0042] According to the eVTOL 100 of the first embodiment described above, the storage control unit 56 performs the update process of the driving history information of each of the plurality of EDSs 10, so that the driving history information of each of the plurality of EDSs 10 can be managed individually. In addition, the maintenance necessity detection unit 57 performs the maintenance necessity detection process and detects whether the component replacement for each of the plurality of EDSs 10 is required using the stored driving history information, so that the timing of component replacement for each of the plurality of EDSs 10 can be appropriately determined using the driving history information of each of the plurality of EDSs 10.

[0043] In the eVTOL 100 of the present embodiment, a plurality of rotors 30 having different functions, such as a lift rotor 31 mainly for obtaining lift of the fuselage and a cruise rotor 32 mainly for obtaining thrust of the fuselage, are installed in combination. In the above-mentioned eVTOL 100, the degree of deterioration of each EDS 10 that drives each rotor 30 to rotate may be different from each other. For example, the cumulative load value of the EDS 10 that drives the lift rotor 31 to rotate and the cumulative load value of the EDS 10 that drives the cruise rotor 32 to rotate may be different from each other. In addition, for example, the cumulative load value of the EDS 10 that drives the lift rotor 31 located on the right side of the fuselage 20 to rotate and the cumulative load value of the EDS 10 that drives the lift rotor 31 located on the left side of the fuselage 20 to rotate may be different from each other due to factors such as the flight path and wind direction. Therefore, the time when maintenance should be performed for each of the plurality of EDS 10 may be different from each other.

[0044] However, according to the eVTOL 100 of the present embodiment, whether or not to perform component replacement for each of the plurality of EDSs 10 is detected using the driving history information of each of the plurality of EDSs 10, and therefore, for each of the plurality of EDSs 10 whose maintenance should be performed at different times, it is possible to appropriately determine the time when component replacement should be performed. Therefore, for example, compared to a configuration in which maintenance is performed on all of the EDSs 10 at the same time, it is possible to suppress delay in performing component replacement for the EDS 10 by ignoring the state in which a specific EDS 10 has deteriorated to the extent that component replacement is recommended, and it is possible to suppress performing component replacement on the EDS 10 at an early stage even though the degree of degradation of the specific EDS 10 is small.

[0045] In addition, the maintenance necessity detection unit 57 detects whether a component needs to be replaced using the driving history information, and therefore can detect whether a component needs to be replaced based on the degree of degradation such as the cumulative load value of the EDS 10. Therefore, it is possible to detect with high accuracy whether a component needs to be replaced for each EDS 10. In addition, the maintenance necessity detection unit 57 detects that an EDS 10 whose cumulative load value as driving history information is greater than a predetermined threshold value needs to be replaced, and therefore it is possible to detect with high accuracy whether a component needs to be replaced.

[0046] In addition, the eVTOL 100 includes a storage device 62, and the storage control unit 56 stores the driving history information of each of the multiple EDS10 in the storage device 62. Therefore, the communication with the external device 500 during the execution of the updating process of the driving history information can be omitted, and the interruption of the updating process of the driving history information due to communication failure, etc. can be suppressed.

[0047] Furthermore, the driving history information of each EDS 10 is configured as a comprehensive value integrating at least two types of driving information. Therefore, the memory of the storage device 62 can be saved, and the degree of deterioration of each EDS 10 can be more appropriately indicated.

[0048] In addition, the storage device 62 and the body communication unit 64 are respectively connected to the control device 50, so the complexity of the structure for realizing the maintenance detection processing can be suppressed. In addition, compared with the structure in which the storage device 62 and the body communication unit 64 are further installed via other components different from the control device 50, the increase in processing load can be suppressed.

[0049] B. Second Implementation Method: like Figure 6 As shown, the eVTOL 100 of the second embodiment is different from the eVTOL 100 of the first embodiment in that the maintenance detection process including the update process of the driving history information is executed in cooperation with the control device 50 of the eVTOL 100 and the external device 500. The other structures including the device structure are the same as the eVTOL 100 of the first embodiment, so the same symbols are attached to the same structures and their detailed description is omitted. In addition, Figure 6 The dashed arrows in denoted the transmission and reception of information between the control device 50 installed in the eVTOL 100 and the external device 500 .

[0050] The storage control unit 56 included in the eVTOL 100 of the second embodiment stores the driving history information of each EDS 10 in the external storage device 530 of the external device 500. Therefore, in this embodiment, the storage device 62 of the eVTOL 100 can also be omitted. In addition, in the maintenance detection process of the second embodiment, the external control unit 510 of the external device 500 determines whether maintenance is required for the EDS 10. In this embodiment, the external device 500 includes a computing device with higher performance than the control device 50. In the external device 500, when the power is turned on, the operation is repeatedly performed. Figure 6 Processing shown.

[0051] The drive information detection unit 55 of the control device 50 detects the drive information of each EDS 10 (step S110). The storage control unit 56 converts the drive information detected by the drive information detection unit 55 into a value for the drive history (step S122). The storage control unit 56 causes the body communication unit 64 to transmit the value for the drive history to the external communication unit 520 of the external device 500 (step S124).

[0052] The external control unit 510 of the external device 500 determines whether the value for the driving history transmitted from the eVTOL 100 is received (step S126). If it is determined that the value for the driving history is not received (step S126: No), step S126 is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the value for the driving history is received (step S126: Yes), the external control unit 510 adds the value of the current driving history information to the value of the driving history information stored in the external storage device 530 (step S128).

[0053] The external control portion 510 determines whether the drive history information of the EDS 10 updated and stored in step S128 satisfies the component replacement condition (step S130 ).

[0054] When determining that the drive history information satisfies the component replacement condition (step S130 : Yes), the external control unit 510 determines that the component of the EDS 10 needs to be replaced, and transmits the determination result to the body communication unit 64 via the external communication unit 520 (step S142 ).

[0055] When the external control unit 510 determines that the drive history information does not satisfy the component replacement condition (step S130: No), it determines that the EDS 10 is not to be maintained, and transmits the determination result to the body communication unit 64 via the external communication unit 520 (step S192). By executing the above steps S142 and S192, the processing performed by the external device 500 ends.

[0056] The maintenance necessity detection unit 57 of the control device 50 determines whether the body communication unit 64 has received the maintenance necessity determination result transmitted from the external device 500 (step S144). In the case where it is determined that the maintenance necessity determination result has not been received (step S144: No), the maintenance necessity detection process ends. In step S144, the maintenance necessity detection unit 57 may determine whether the body communication unit 64 has received the maintenance necessity determination result within a predetermined period. That is, the maintenance necessity detection process may also end if the maintenance necessity determination result has not been received within a predetermined period.

[0057] On the other hand, when it is determined that the judgment result of whether maintenance is required is received (step S144: Yes), the maintenance detection unit 57 detects whether maintenance is required (step S146). When the judgment result of "replacement of parts is required" is sent from the external communication unit 520 (step S142), the maintenance detection unit 57 detects in step S146 that parts of the EDS 10 are to be replaced (step S146). After executing step S146, the control unit 52 notifies the request for parts replacement in a manner that parts of the EDS 10 need to be replaced. When the judgment result of "not required" maintenance is sent from the external communication unit 520 (step S192), the maintenance detection unit 57 detects in step S146 that maintenance is not required for the EDS 10 (step S146). When it is detected that maintenance is not required, the control unit 52 may also notify that parts of the EDS 10 are not to be replaced after executing step S146. By executing step S146, the maintenance detection process ends.

[0058] According to the eVTOL 100 of the second embodiment described above, the same effect as the eVTOL 100 of the first embodiment is achieved. In addition, the storage control unit 56 stores the drive history information of each EDS 10 in the external storage device 530 of the external device 500, so that the memory of the storage device 62 included in the eVTOL 100 can be saved. In addition, the maintenance detection unit 57 detects whether maintenance is required for each of the EDSs 10 determined by the external control unit 510 of the external device 500, so that the calculation load in the control device 50 can be reduced. In addition, the external control unit 510 of the external device 500 with high performance determines whether maintenance is required, so the accuracy of the determination of whether maintenance is required can be improved. Therefore, the maintenance period of each of the plurality of EDSs 10 can be further appropriately determined.

[0059] C. Third Implementation Method: like Figure 7 As shown, the eVTOL 100 of the third embodiment is different from the eVTOL 100 of the first embodiment in that it further detects whether a periodic inspection is required by executing steps S160 to S180 after executing step S130 in the maintenance detection process. Other structures including the device structure are the same as those of the eVTOL 100 of the first embodiment, so the same symbols are attached to the same structures and their detailed description is omitted. The maintenance of the EDS 10 of the third embodiment includes the replacement of the components of the EDS 10 and the periodic inspection of the EDS 10.

[0060] When it is determined that the drive history information does not satisfy the component replacement condition (step S130: No), the maintenance detection unit 57 determines whether the drive history information of the EDS10 satisfies the periodic maintenance condition (step S160). The periodic maintenance condition is pre-set and stored in the storage device 62 as a condition that can infer that the EDS10 has deteriorated to the extent that it is recommended to implement periodic maintenance of the EDS10. The periodic maintenance condition of the present embodiment is the condition that "the cumulative load value as the drive history information is greater than a predetermined periodic maintenance threshold." The periodic maintenance threshold is set to a value smaller than the component replacement threshold. That is, in each EDS10 of the present embodiment, after the periodic maintenance is performed, the component replacement is performed after further driving.

[0061] When it is determined that the driving history information satisfies the periodic maintenance condition (step S160: Yes), the maintenance necessity detection unit 57 detects that the periodic maintenance of the EDS 10 is "necessary" (step S170). The control unit 52 notifies the periodic maintenance requirement in a manner that the EDS 10 needs to be periodically maintained (step S180). By executing step S180, the maintenance necessity detection process ends.

[0062] When it is determined that the driving history information does not satisfy the periodic maintenance condition (step S160: No), the maintenance necessity detection unit 57 detects that maintenance is not required for the EDS 10 (step S190). The control unit 52 may also make a notification that maintenance is not required after executing step S190. By executing step S190, the maintenance necessity detection process ends.

[0063] For example, when the installation positions of a plurality of EDSs 10 are displayed on a display device installed in the passenger compartment, the notification of various maintenance requirements may be a red light indicating an EDS 10 that is a target of component replacement, an orange light indicating an EDS 10 that is a target of periodic inspection, and a green light indicating an EDS 10 that does not require maintenance. In addition, the notification of maintenance requirements may be other types of notifications sent to passengers of the eVTOL 100 via the reporting unit 66, or may be a notification sent to the external device 500 via the fuselage communication unit 64.

[0064] According to the eVTOL 100 of the third embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the eVTOL 100 of the first embodiment are achieved. In addition, for each EDS 10, whether maintenance is required is detected in a manner that distinguishes between component replacement and periodic inspection, so that the component replacement time and periodic inspection time for each of the plurality of EDSs 10 can be appropriately determined.

[0065] D. Fourth Implementation Method: like Figure 8As shown, the eVTOL 100 of the fourth embodiment is different from the eVTOL 100 of the first embodiment in that step S500 is further executed between step S110 and step S120 in the maintenance detection process, thereby further detecting whether abnormality inspection is required for each EDS 10. Other structures including the device structure are the same as those of the eVTOL 100 of the first embodiment, and therefore, the same symbols are attached to the same structures and their detailed description is omitted.

[0066] The drive information detection unit 55 detects the drive information of the EDS10 (step S110). The maintenance detection unit 57 performs a detection process for whether abnormal maintenance is required (step S500). After executing step S500, the storage control unit 56 performs an update process for the drive history information of the EDS10 (step S120). Abnormal maintenance is equivalent to the maintenance that should be performed on the above-mentioned EDS10 when the value of the drive information of the EDS10 deviates from the normal range, that is, when it can be inferred that an abnormality has occurred in the EDS10. Abnormal maintenance is different from the regular maintenance that detects whether it is necessary to perform in the maintenance detection process of the third embodiment. It detects whether maintenance is necessary based on the drive information as a substitute for the drive history information such as the cumulative load value.

[0067] exist Fig. 9 In the detection process of whether abnormal maintenance is required, the maintenance detection unit 57 reads the drive information of the EDS 10 detected in step S110 of the maintenance detection process (step S510). The maintenance detection unit 57 determines whether the value of the drive information of the EDS 10 read in step S510 is within the normal range (step S515). In the present embodiment, "within the normal range" means that it is estimated that the EDS 10 is operating normally and should be judged as a value that does not require maintenance. In the present embodiment, whether the value of the drive information is within the normal range is determined by whether the value of the drive information is below a first threshold. The first threshold is preset and stored in the storage device 62.

[0068] When it is determined that the value of the drive information is within the normal range (step S515: Yes), the maintenance necessity detection unit 57 resets the abnormality inspection count for the EDS 10 (step S520). By executing step S520, the abnormality inspection necessity detection process ends.

[0069] When it is determined that the value of the drive information is not within the normal range (step S515: No), the maintenance detection unit 57 determines whether the value of the drive information of the EDS 10 is within the maintenance-required state (step S525). In the present embodiment, "being within the maintenance-required state" means that the value of the drive state is not a state where the value of the drive state deviates greatly from the normal range, but is a state where the value deviates from the normal range. In the present embodiment, whether the value of the drive information is within the maintenance-required state is determined by whether the value of the drive information is below a second threshold value. The second threshold value is a value indicating that the value of the drive information deviates from the normal range compared to the first threshold value, and is preset and stored in the storage device 62.

[0070] When it is determined that the value of the drive information is in the maintenance-required state (step S525: Yes), the maintenance-required detection unit 57 counts up the abnormal maintenance counter for the EDS 10 (step S530). The maintenance-required detection unit 57 determines whether the value of the abnormal maintenance counter for the EDS 10 exceeds the abnormal maintenance determination value (step S535). The abnormal maintenance determination value is, for example, an integer greater than 2, and is preset and stored in the storage device 62. The abnormal maintenance determination value is set to a value for determining a state in which the abnormal maintenance of the EDS 10 is recommended because the value of the drive information of the EDS 10 is slightly out of the normal range.

[0071] When it is determined that the value of the abnormal maintenance counter does not exceed the abnormal maintenance determination value (step S535: No), the abnormal maintenance detection process is completed. On the other hand, when it is determined that the value of the abnormal maintenance counter exceeds the abnormal maintenance determination value (step S535: Yes), the maintenance detection unit 57 detects that the EDS 10 is "required" to perform abnormal maintenance (step S540). The control unit 52 notifies the abnormal maintenance request in a manner that the EDS 10 needs to be abnormally maintained (step S545). The notification of the abnormal maintenance request may be sent to the passengers of the eVTOL 100 via the reporting unit 66, or may be sent to the external device 500 via the fuselage communication unit 64. By notifying the abnormal maintenance request, it is expected that the passengers of the eVTOL 100, the maintenance operator, etc. will perform maintenance on the EDS 10 detected to need abnormal maintenance. By executing step S545, the abnormal maintenance detection process is completed.

[0072] When it is determined that the value of the drive information is not in the maintenance-required state (step S525: No), the maintenance-required detection unit 57 detects that the EDS 10 is to be abnormally inspected (step S540). When the value of the drive information is not in the maintenance-required state, since there is a possibility that an abnormality such as the value of the drive information greatly deviates from the normal range occurs, it is desirable to quickly perform maintenance on the EDS 10. The control unit 52 notifies the abnormal maintenance request in a manner that the EDS 10 needs to be abnormally inspected (step S545). By executing step S545, the abnormal maintenance-required detection process is completed.

[0073] According to the eVTOL 100 of the fourth embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the eVTOL 100 of the first embodiment are achieved. In addition, the maintenance necessity detection unit 57 detects whether abnormality maintenance is required for each EDS 10 based on the value of the drive information, so that it can be appropriately determined that abnormality maintenance should be performed for the EDS 10 that can be estimated to have an abnormality.

[0074] Furthermore, since the drive information is used to detect whether abnormal maintenance is required, the detection process of whether abnormal maintenance is required can be executed without the update process of the drive information. Therefore, it is possible to quickly detect whether abnormal maintenance is required. In addition, since the maintenance detection unit 57 determines whether the value of the drive information of the EDS 10 is in the maintenance required state, it is possible to omit the communication with the external device 500 during the execution of the detection process of whether abnormal maintenance is required, and thus it is possible to quickly detect whether abnormal maintenance is required, and it is possible to suppress the interruption of the detection process of whether abnormal maintenance is required due to communication failure or the like.

[0075] E. Fifth Implementation Method: like Fig.10 As shown, the eVTOL 100 of the fifth embodiment is different from the eVTOL 100 of the third embodiment in that steps S610 to S640 are further executed between step S120 and step S130 in the maintenance detection process, so that a forced stop for the next use of the eVTOL 100 can be executed. Other structures including the device structure are the same as those of the eVTOL 100 of the third embodiment, and therefore, the same symbols are attached to the same structures and their detailed description is omitted.

[0076] The maintenance detection unit 57 determines whether the drive history information of the EDS 10 updated and stored in step S120 satisfies the forced stop condition (step S610). The forced stop condition is preset and stored in the storage device 62 as a condition for forcibly stopping the next use of the eVTOL 100 when the EDS 10 is continuously used in a state where maintenance is not performed even if a regular inspection request or a component replacement request is notified. The forced stop condition of the present embodiment is a condition such that "the use period exceeds a predetermined period, and the accumulated load value as the drive history information is greater than a predetermined forced stop threshold value".

[0077] use Fig.11 , the thresholds related to the maintenance of EDS10 are explained. Fig.11 In the figure, the vertical axis represents the driving history information, and the horizontal axis represents the usage period of EDS10. The usage period of EDS10 means the elapsed time from when EDS10 is installed on the body 20 to the present time, regardless of whether EDS10 is driven or not. The above-mentioned usage period can be determined, for example, by providing a timer in the driving unit 11 of each EDS10 that automatically starts counting when connected to the battery 40 and sending the information of the above-mentioned timer to the control device 50. In the fifth embodiment, as thresholds related to the maintenance of EDS10, the regular inspection threshold, the parts replacement threshold, the warning threshold, and the forced stop threshold are pre-set to values ​​that gradually increase in this order. In addition, as Fig.11 As shown, the periodic maintenance threshold can also be set in two stages: a first periodic maintenance threshold and a second periodic maintenance threshold. In the above method, after the first periodic maintenance is performed, the second periodic maintenance is performed after further driving, and the component replacement is performed after further driving.

[0078] like Fig.10 As shown, when it is determined that the driving history information of the EDS 10 satisfies the forced stop condition (step S610: Yes), that is, when it is determined that the driving history information is during use or exceeds the forced stop threshold, the control unit 52 forcedly stops the next use of the eVTOL 100 (step S620). For example, in step S620, the next take-off action of the eVTOL 100 is prohibited. By executing step S620, the maintenance detection process ends.

[0079] When it is determined that the driving history information of the EDS 10 does not satisfy the forced stop condition (step S610: No), the maintenance detection unit 57 determines whether the driving history information of the EDS 10 satisfies the warning condition (step S630). The warning condition is preset and stored in the storage device 62 as a condition for forewarning that the next use of the eVTOL 100 will be forced to stop when the EDS 10 continues to be used in a state where maintenance is not performed even after notification of a periodic inspection request or a component replacement request. The warning condition of the present embodiment is a condition such as "the use period exceeds a predetermined period, or the cumulative load value as the driving history information is greater than a predetermined warning threshold value".

[0080] like Fig.10 As shown, when it is determined that the driving history information of the EDS 10 satisfies the warning condition (step S630: Yes), that is, when it is determined that the driving history information is during use or exceeds the warning threshold, the control unit 52 issues a warning to forcibly stop the next use of the eVTOL 100 (step S640). The above warning can be executed by the same method as the notification of the maintenance requirement executed in step S150, etc. By executing step S640, the maintenance detection process ends.

[0081] When it is determined that the driving history information of the EDS 10 does not satisfy the warning condition (step S630 : No), the process proceeds to step S130 .

[0082] According to the eVTOL 100 of the fifth embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the eVTOL 100 of the third embodiment are achieved. In addition, when the EDS 10 is used continuously without maintenance even after notification of a periodic inspection request or a component replacement request, the next use of the eVTOL 100 is forcibly stopped, so that it is possible to suppress the continued use of the EDS 10 without performing maintenance on the EDS 10 that requires maintenance. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the reduction in the safety of the eVTOL 100. In addition, if the warning condition is satisfied before the forced stop, a warning is issued, so it is expected that the component replacement can be performed before the forced stop.

[0083] F. Sixth Implementation Method: like Fig.12As shown in FIG. 1 , the eVTOL 100a of the sixth embodiment is different from the eVTOL 100 of the first embodiment in that the EDS 10a having the storage device 17a is included instead of the EDS 10 and the storage device 62 is omitted. With the above-mentioned structure, in the maintenance detection process executed in the eVTOL 100a of the sixth embodiment, the drive history information is stored in the storage device 17a of each EDS 10a. The other structures are the same as those of the eVTOL 100 of the first embodiment, and therefore, the same symbols are attached to the same structures and their detailed description is omitted.

[0084] In each EDS 10a, the storage device 17a is configured as a memory having a ROM and a RAM, and is connected to the drive unit 11. The storage device 17a stores the drive unit information and the motor information as the drive history information of the EDS 10a according to the instruction of the storage control unit 56. In other words, the storage control unit 56 of the sixth embodiment stores the drive history information of each EDS 10a in the storage device 17a.

[0085] According to the eVTOL 100 of the sixth embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the eVTOL 100 of the first embodiment are achieved. In addition, the storage device 17a is installed in each EDS 10a, and the drive history information of each EDS 10a is stored in the storage device 17a, so that the storage device 17a with a small storage capacity can be used, and the increase in the manufacturing cost of the eVTOL 100a can be suppressed. In addition, the drive history information is stored in the storage device 17a installed in each EDS 10a, so even in the method of performing rotation of the EDS 10a, the drive history information of a plurality of EDSs 10a can be easily managed. More specifically, it is possible to omit the transmission of the identification information together with the drive history information of each EDS 10a to the control device 50, and it is possible to omit the storage of the identification information of each EDS 10a in the storage device 62. The rotation of the EDS 10 a means switching the plurality of EDSs 10 a , and for example, means physically switching the installation positions of the plurality of EDSs 10 a or electrically switching the combination of the EDS 10 a and the rotor 30 in the EDS 10 a .

[0086] G. Seventh Implementation Method: like Fig.13 As shown, the eVTOL 100b of the seventh embodiment is different from the eVTOL 100a of the sixth embodiment in that it includes an EDS 10b having two storage devices 17b and 18b instead of the EDS 10a. Other structures are the same as the eVTOL 100a of the sixth embodiment, so the same structures are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0087] In each EDS 10b, the storage device 17b is connected to the drive unit 11 and stores the drive unit information constituting the index of the degradation state of the drive unit 11 in the drive history information. In addition, in each EDS 10b, the storage device 18b is connected to the drive motor 12 and stores the motor information constituting the index of the degradation state of the drive motor 12 in the drive history information. In other words, the storage control unit 56 of the seventh embodiment stores the drive unit information in the drive history information of each EDS 10b in the storage device 17b, and stores the motor information in the storage device 18b.

[0088] The storage device 18b can mechanically measure and store the motor information. For example, the rotation of the rotor of the drive motor 12 can be accumulated and stored by a counter. In addition, for example, the contact loss of a brushed motor can be used to estimate the accumulated number of revolutions of the drive motor 12 based on the length of the contact that has been cut off and store it. In addition, for example, the temperature of the drive motor 12 during driving can be mechanically accumulated and stored by sticking a sticker to the drive motor 12, and the sticker includes an indicator formed by a material that melts when a specified temperature is reached. In addition, the storage device 18b can also be configured as a memory having ROM and RAM, for example, to electronically store the motor information.

[0089] According to the eVTOL 100b of the seventh embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the eVTOL 100a of the sixth embodiment are achieved. In addition, each EDS 10b is equipped with a storage device 17b for storing drive unit information and a storage device 18b for storing motor information, so that it is easy to realize a structure that manages the degradation degree of the drive unit 11 and the degradation degree of the drive motor 12 separately. Therefore, in each EDS 10b, it is further easy to determine the time to replace the drive unit 11 and the time to replace the drive motor 12.

[0090] H. Eighth Implementation Method: like Fig.14 As shown, the eVTOL 100c of the eighth embodiment is different from the eVTOL 100a of the sixth embodiment in that it includes an EDS 10c further including a communication unit 19c instead of the EDS 10a and in that the fuselage communication unit 64 is omitted. The other structures are the same as the eVTOL 100 of the sixth embodiment, and therefore, the same symbols are attached to the same structures and their detailed description is omitted.

[0091] In each EDS 10c, a communication unit 19c is connected to the drive unit 11. The communication unit 19c has a function of wireless communication, and is configured to transmit and receive information between an external communication unit 520 included in the external device 500 and the eVTOL 100c, and can communicate with the control device 50.

[0092] The maintenance necessity detection process of the eighth embodiment may be executed in cooperation between the control device 50 and the external device 500, similarly to the second embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, the communication unit 19c corresponds to the body communication unit of the present disclosure.

[0093] According to the eVTOL 100c of the eighth embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the eVTOL 100 of the second embodiment and the eVTOL 100a of the sixth embodiment are achieved.

[0094] I. Ninth Implementation Method: like Fig.15 As shown, the eVTOL 100d of the ninth embodiment is different from the eVTOL 100b of the seventh embodiment in that it includes an EDS 10d having the same communication unit 19c as the eighth embodiment instead of the EDS 10b and in that the fuselage communication unit 64 is omitted. The other structures are the same as the eVTOL 100 of the seventh embodiment, and thus the same symbols are assigned to the same structures and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0095] The maintenance necessity detection process of the ninth embodiment may be executed in cooperation between the control device 50 and the external device 500, similarly to the second embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, the communication unit 19c corresponds to the body communication unit of the present disclosure.

[0096] According to the eVTOL 100d of the ninth embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the eVTOL 100b of the seventh embodiment are achieved.

[0097] J. Tenth Implementation Method: The eVTOL 100 of the tenth embodiment performs Fig.16 The processing for detecting whether the bearing needs to be repaired is different from the eVTOL 100 of the first embodiment. In the eVTOL 100 of the tenth embodiment, other structures including the device structure and processing steps are the same as those of the eVTOL 100 of the first embodiment, so the same structures and processing steps are marked with the same symbols and their detailed description is omitted.

[0098] Although in Figure 1 to Figure 3 Although not shown in the figure, a bearing member including a bearing is provided between the gear box 13 and the rotary blade 30 . Fig.16The bearing maintenance detection process shown is a process for detecting whether the bearings consumed by the rotation of the rotor 30 need to be replaced regularly. When the start switch of the eVTOL 100 is turned on, the bearing maintenance detection process is executed in the control device 50. The bearing maintenance detection process is executed for each of the plurality of EDSs 10 included in the eVTOL 100.

[0099] The driving information detection unit 55 detects the output torque of the eVTOL 100 from the torque sensor not shown in the figure (step S210). The maintenance detection unit 57 determines whether the bearing life value has reached the bearing life time (step S220). The bearing life value means the value of the life time that requires regular replacement of the bearing. The bearing life value is gradually subtracted from the value of the life time in the preset initial state by the amount of the use time of the eVTOL 100, and is also subtracted according to the overload condition as described later. In addition, in step S220, it is determined whether the life time has reached 0 (zero). If it has reached 0 (zero), it is determined that the bearing life time has been reached. In addition, when a new bearing component is installed, the life value of the bearing in the initial state is a predetermined life value that is preset and stored in the storage device 62 in advance.

[0100] When it is determined that the bearing life value has reached the bearing life time (step S220: Yes), the control unit 52 issues a notice of a maintenance request in which the EDS 10 needs maintenance (step S290).

[0101] The notification of maintenance request may be a notification sent to the passengers of the eVTOL 100 via the reporting unit 66. More specifically, for example, when the installation positions of a plurality of EDSs 10 are displayed on a display device installed in the passenger compartment, the EDS 10 that is the target of component replacement is indicated by a red light. In addition, the notification of maintenance request may be a notification sent to the external device 500 via the fuselage communication unit 64. As described above, there is a great expectation that the passengers of the eVTOL 100, maintenance workers, etc., will perform maintenance on the EDS 10. By executing step S290, it is detected whether the maintenance process is to be completed.

[0102] When it is determined that the bearing life time has not been reached (step S220: No), the maintenance detection unit 57 determines whether the output torque detected in step S210 is greater than the threshold value A (step S230). The threshold value A is a torque value at which the drive motor 12 is recognized as being in an overload state, and is a predetermined value that can be obtained and set in advance through experiments or the like.

[0103] If it is determined that the output torque is not greater than the threshold value A (step S230: No), the process returns to step S210. On the other hand, if it is determined that the output torque is greater than the threshold value A (step S230: Yes), the maintenance detection unit 57 stores the duration of the state in which the torque value is greater than the threshold value A (hereinafter referred to as "overload duration") in the storage device 62 (step S240).

[0104] The maintenance detection unit 57 reflects the overload duration stored in the storage device 62 in step S240 in the bearing life calculation (step S250). Specifically, the maintenance detection unit 57 subtracts the value obtained by multiplying the overload duration by a specified coefficient (hereinafter referred to as the "life reduction coefficient") from the current life time. The extent to which the life will be reduced according to the duration of the overload state is determined in advance through experiments, etc., and the life reduction coefficient is set based on the experimental results obtained. In this embodiment, in order to make a more accurate life prediction, multiple life reduction coefficients are set according to the level of the load. For an overload state in which the output torque is greater than a threshold value A and is within a range below a threshold value B described later, a first life reduction coefficient is set. In addition, for an overload state in which the output torque is greater than a threshold value B, a second life reduction coefficient is set. In addition, the second life reduction coefficient is greater than the first life reduction coefficient. In addition, threshold value B is a value greater than threshold value A.

[0105] The maintenance detection unit 57 determines whether the output torque detected in step S210 is greater than a threshold value B (step S260). The threshold value B is a torque value at which the drive motor 12 is recognized as being in an overloaded state and the possibility of a bearing failure is high, and is a predetermined value that can be determined and set in advance through experiments or the like.

[0106] When it is determined that the output torque is not greater than the threshold value B (step S260: No), the process returns to step S210. In contrast, when it is determined that the output torque is greater than the threshold value B (step S260: Yes), the maintenance detection unit 57 stores the number of times the output torque exceeds the threshold value B and the overload duration of the output torque exceeding the threshold value B in the storage device 62 (step S270). Regarding the number of times the output torque exceeds the threshold value B, specifically, "the number of times the output torque exceeds the threshold value B" stored in the storage device 62 is incremented by 1. In addition, in the initial state, "the number of times the output torque exceeds the threshold value B" stored in the storage device 62 is set to 0 (zero).

[0107] The maintenance detection unit 57 reflects the overload duration exceeding the threshold value B stored in the storage device 62 in step S270 in the bearing life calculation (step S275). As described above, for the overload state exceeding the threshold value B, the second life reduction coefficient is set.

[0108] The maintenance necessity detection unit 57 determines whether the "number of times exceeding the threshold value B" is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value (step S280). If it is determined that the "number of times exceeding the threshold value B" is less than the threshold value (step S280: No), the process returns to step S210. If the maintenance necessity detection unit 57 determines that the "number of times exceeding the threshold value B" is greater than or equal to the threshold value (step S280: Yes), step S290 is executed to notify the maintenance requirement in a manner that the EDS 10 needs to be maintained.

[0109] like Fig.17 As shown in FIG. 1 , when excessive torque is temporarily applied to the drive motor 12, an overload state is formed in which the output torque temporarily increases. Fig.17 In the diagram, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents output torque. When the output torque exceeds a predetermined threshold value A due to external effects, an overload state is reached. In addition, when the output torque exceeds the threshold value B, the possibility of bearing failure increases.

[0110] A value obtained by multiplying the first life reduction coefficient by the overload duration tr1 from time t1 to time t2 when the overload state is formed is subtracted from the life time. Similarly, a value obtained by multiplying the first life reduction coefficient by the time from time t3 to time t4 among the overload duration tr2 from time t3 to time t6 when the overload state is formed is subtracted from the life time.

[0111] The value obtained by multiplying the second life reduction coefficient by the overload duration from time t4 to time t5 is subtracted from the life time. The value obtained by multiplying the first life reduction coefficient by the overload duration from time t5 to time t6 is subtracted from the life time. In addition, as described above, for the overload state from time t4 to time t5 when the output torque exceeds the threshold value B, the "number of times exceeding the threshold value B" is increased by one.

[0112] According to the eVTOL 100 of the tenth embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the eVTOL 100 of the first embodiment are achieved. In addition, for each EDS 10, even if the maintenance of the drive motor 12 itself is basically unnecessary, a guideline for periodic replacement of the bearing can be obtained by using the overload duration of the output torque and the number of times the output torque exceeds the threshold value B. As a result, the bearing can be fully used until the end of its life, and the running cost of the EDS 10 can be suppressed. In addition, the possibility of a bearing failure can be appropriately detected.

[0113] K. Eleventh Implementation Method: Fig.18 and Fig.19The electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft 100e shown (hereinafter also referred to as "eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft) 100e") is configured as a manned aircraft that is electrically driven and can take off and land in a vertical direction. The eVTOL 100e includes: a fuselage 20; a plurality of rotating blades 30; and a plurality of electric drive systems 10e (hereinafter also referred to as "EDS (Electric Driving System) 10e") for driving each rotating blade 30 to rotate. The eVTOL 100e of this embodiment includes nine rotating blades 30 and nine EDS10e.

[0114] The fuselage 20 corresponds to the portion of the eVTOL 100e other than the nine rotor blades 30 and the nine EDSs 10e, and includes a fuselage body 21 , a support column 22 , six first support portions 23 , six second support portions 24 , a main wing 25 , and a tail wing 28 .

[0115] The fuselage main body 21 constitutes the trunk portion of the eVTOL 100e. The fuselage main body 21 has a bilaterally symmetrical structure with the fuselage axis AX as the symmetry axis. In the present embodiment, the "fuselage axis AX" means an axis passing through the fuselage center of gravity position CM and along the front-rear direction of the eVTOL 100e. In addition, the "fuselage center of gravity position CM" refers to the center of gravity position of the eVTOL 100e when the passenger is not on board. A passenger compartment (not shown) is formed inside the fuselage main body 21.

[0116] The support part 22 has a generally columnar appearance extending in the vertical direction, and is fixed to the upper part of the fuselage main body part 21. In the present embodiment, the support part 22 is arranged at a position overlapping with the center of gravity position CM of the fuselage of the eVTOL 100e when viewed in the vertical direction. One end of each of the six first support parts 23 is fixed to the upper end of the support part 22. The six first support parts 23 each have a generally rod-shaped appearance, and are radially arranged at equal angles to extend along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. The rotor 30 and the EDS 10e are arranged at the other end of each first support part 23, that is, at the end at a position away from the support part 22. The six second support parts 24 each have a generally rod-shaped appearance, and connect the other ends of the first support parts 23 adjacent to each other (the ends on the side not connected to the support part 22).

[0117] The main wing 25 includes a right wing 26 and a left wing 27. The right wing 26 is formed to extend rightward from the main fuselage portion 21. The left wing 27 is formed to extend leftward from the main fuselage portion 21. The tail wing 28 is formed at the rear end of the main fuselage portion 21. The right wing 26, the left wing 27 and the tail wing 28 are respectively provided with a rotary wing 30 and an EDS 10e.

[0118] Six of the nine rotors 30 are configured as lift rotors 31 arranged at the ends of the second support portions 24 and mainly used to obtain lift of the fuselage 20. Three of the nine rotors 30 are configured as cruise rotors 32 arranged at the right wing 26, the left wing 27 and the tail wing 28 and mainly used to obtain thrust of the fuselage 20. Each rotor 30 is driven to rotate independently of each other around its own rotation axis. Each rotor 30 has three blades 33 arranged at equal angles.

[0119] The nine EDSs 10e are configured as drive devices for driving and rotating the rotors 30. Six of the nine EDSs 10e drive and rotate the lift rotors 31. Three of the nine EDSs 10e drive and rotate the cruise rotors 32.

[0120] like Fig. 20 As shown, each EDS 10e has a drive unit 11, a drive motor 12, a gear box 13, a rotation speed sensor 14, a current sensor 15, and a voltage sensor 16. In addition, the eVTOL 100e also includes a battery 40, a converter 42, a distributor 44, a control device 50e, a storage device 62, a fuselage communication unit 64, and a reporting unit 66. Fig. 20 In FIG. 1 , for convenience of illustration, two of the nine rotors 30 and EDS 10e included in the eVTOL 100e are shown as representatives.

[0121] The drive unit 11 is constituted as an electronic device including an inverter circuit (not shown) and a controller (not shown) for controlling the inverter circuit. The inverter circuit includes power elements such as IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) and MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor), and supplies a driving voltage to the driving motor 12 according to a duty ratio corresponding to a control signal supplied by the controller. The controller is electrically connected to the control device 50e, and supplies a control signal to the inverter circuit according to a command from the control device 50e.

[0122] In this embodiment, the drive motor 12 includes a brushless motor and outputs a rotational motion according to the voltage and current supplied from the inverter circuit of the drive unit 11. Alternatively, the drive motor 12 may include any motor such as an induction motor or a reluctance motor.

[0123] The gear box 13 physically connects the drive motor 12 and the rotor 30. The gear box 13 has a plurality of gears (not shown) and reduces the speed of the rotation of the drive motor 12 and transmits it to the rotor 30. Alternatively, the gear box 13 may be omitted and the rotating shaft of the rotor 30 may be directly connected to the drive motor 12.

[0124] The rotation speed sensor 14 is provided at the driving motor 12, and measures the rotation speed of the driving motor 12. The current sensor 15 and the voltage sensor 16 are provided between the driving unit 11 and the driving motor 12, and measure the driving current and the driving voltage, respectively. The measurement results of each sensor 14 to 16 are output to the driving information detection unit 55e of the control device 50e described later via the driving unit 11.

[0125] The battery 40 is composed of a lithium-ion battery and functions as a power supply source for the eVTOL 100e. The battery 40 mainly supplies power to the drive unit 11 of each EDS 10e and drives each drive motor 12. In addition, it can be composed of any secondary battery such as a nickel-hydrogen battery as a substitute for the lithium-ion battery, and any power supply source such as a fuel cell or a generator can be installed as a substitute for the battery 40, or any power supply source such as a fuel cell or a generator can be installed in addition to the battery 40.

[0126] The converter 42 is connected to the battery 40, and steps down the voltage of the battery 40 and supplies it to auxiliary machines (not shown) and the control device 50e included in the eVTOL 100e. The distributor 44 distributes the voltage of the battery 40 to the drive unit 11 included in each EDS 10e.

[0127] The control device 50e is a microcomputer including a storage unit 51e and a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and is configured as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The storage unit 51e has a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU functions as the control unit 52, the drive information detection unit 55e, and the storage control unit 56e by executing a control program pre-stored in the storage unit 51e.

[0128] The control unit 52 controls the overall operation of the eVTOL 100e. Examples of the overall operation of the eVTOL 100e include vertical take-off and landing operations and flight operations. The vertical take-off and landing operations and flight operations may be performed based on set aviation path information, may be performed by passenger operations, or may be performed based on instructions from an external control unit 510 included in an external device 500 described later. The control unit 52 controls the number of revolutions and the direction of rotation of the drive motor 12 of each EDS 10e in the operation of the eVTOL 100e. In addition, the control unit 52 performs a process (hereinafter referred to as "cumulative load leveling process") of making the required output of the EDS 10e with a greater degree of degradation smaller than the required output of the EDS 10e with a lesser degree of degradation as a process for suppressing an increase in the number of maintenance times of the eVTOL 100e as a whole. The detailed description of the cumulative load leveling process will be described below.

[0129] The drive information detection unit 55e detects the drive information for each of the EDS10e. The drive information includes motor information that is an indicator of the degradation state of the drive motor 12 and drive unit information that is an indicator of the degradation state of the drive unit 11. The motor information is, for example, information (the number of revolutions of the drive motor 12) measured by the revolution sensor 14 respectively possessed by each EDS10e. The drive unit information is, for example, information (drive current value, drive voltage value) measured by the current sensor 15 and the voltage sensor 16 respectively possessed by each EDS10e. In addition, the drive information is not limited to the above information, and may also include information measured by a torque sensor, temperature sensor, vibration sensor, etc. not shown in the figure, and may also be part of the above information. The above information is sent to the drive information detection unit 55e via the drive unit 11 of each EDS10e.

[0130] The storage control unit 56e performs an update process of the drive history information related to the history of the drive information as described later. The storage control unit 56e of the present embodiment stores the updated drive history information in the storage device 62 included in the eVTOL 100e. The drive history information is information related to the degree of degradation of the EDS 10e, such as the accumulated drive time of the EDS 10e, the accumulated number of revolutions of the drive motor 12, the accumulated load value such as the accumulated drive current of the drive motor 12, etc. The accumulated drive time of the EDS 10e may be, for example, the time during which a drive current value exceeding a prescribed value is measured.

[0131] The storage device 62 is configured as a memory including a ROM and a RAM, and stores the drive history information according to the instruction of the storage control unit 56e.

[0132] The fuselage communication unit 64 has a function of wireless communication, and is configured to send and receive information between the external communication unit 520 included in the external device 500 and the eVTOL 100e, and can communicate with the control device 50e. Wireless communication is, for example, civil VHF (Very High Frequency) wireless communication, wireless communication provided by electric communication operators such as 4G (fourth generation mobile communication system) and 5G (fifth generation mobile communication system), wireless LAN communication in accordance with the IEEE802.11 standard, etc. In addition, for example, it may be USB (Universal Serial Bus) or wired communication in accordance with the IEEE802.3 standard. In addition, the external device 500 is, for example, a management and control computer such as a server device that performs maintenance records of each EDS10e. The management and control computer may be, for example, a server device arranged in an air traffic control room, or may be a personal computer taken to the operation site of the eVTOL 100e by a maintenance operator who performs maintenance on each EDS10e.

[0133] The notification unit 66 makes notifications according to instructions from the control device 50e. In this embodiment, the notification unit 66 includes a display device installed in the passenger compartment to display text and images, a speaker to output sound and warning sounds, etc., and notifies passengers of various information through visual information and auditory information.

[0134] When the start switch of the eVTOL 100e is turned on, the control device 50e repeatedly executes Fig.21 The cumulative load leveling process is shown.

[0135] The driving information detection unit 55e detects driving information (step S110e). The storage control unit 56e executes a process of updating the driving history information (step S120e).

[0136] like Fig. 22As shown, in the updating process of the driving history information of the present embodiment, the storage control unit 56e converts the driving information detected by the driving information detection unit 55e into a value for the driving history information (step S210e). In the present embodiment, as the value for the driving history information, the historical information that integrates the number of revolutions of the driving motor 12 measured by the number of revolutions sensor 14 and the driving current value measured by the current sensor 15 is used. The above-mentioned historical information can be synthesized by, for example, substituting the number of revolutions of the driving motor 12 and the driving current value into a prescribed calculation formula. The above-mentioned calculation formula can be, for example, a formula that weights the driving current value in a manner that better reflects the degree of degradation than the number of revolutions of the driving motor 12. In addition, the value for the driving history information is not limited to this, and can also be historical information that integrates any multiple types of driving information, and can also be information as a converted value converted in a manner corresponding to the degradation speed of the EDS10e. By using historical information that integrates multiple types of driving information, the memory of the storage device 62 can be saved. Furthermore, by using the conversion value, even when the driving information and the degradation rate of the EDS 10e are not linearly related, the degradation degree of the EDS 10e can be more appropriately indicated. In addition, the detected driving information can be directly used as the value for the driving history information. In other words, step S210e can also be omitted.

[0137] The storage control unit 56e adds the value of the current drive history information to the value of the drive history information stored in the storage device 62 (step S220e). By executing step S220e, the drive history information stored in the storage device 62 is updated and stored. In this embodiment, the drive history information that integrates the accumulated number of revolutions and the accumulated drive current of the drive motor 12 is updated and stored. In summary, the update process of the drive history information is completed.

[0138] like Fig.21 As shown, the control unit 52e uses the driving history information updated and stored in step S120e to identify the EDS 10e with the greatest degree of deterioration among the multiple EDSs 10e (step S130e). The EDS 10e with the greatest degree of deterioration has the largest cumulative load value, and therefore it is estimated that the maintenance period will come soonest among the multiple EDSs 10e. Replacement of the EDS 10e, replacement of components of the EDS 10e, and regular inspection of the EDS 10e belong to the maintenance of the EDS 10e.

[0139] The control unit 52e determines the EDS10e that cooperates with the EDS10e with the greatest degree of deterioration (step S140e). The cooperative EDS10e means the EDS10e that cooperates with each other to generate lift for the eVTOL 100e. For example, EDS10e that generate thrust in the same direction belong to the cooperative EDS10e. It is assumed that the required outputs of the EDS10e that cooperate with each other are set to the same degree. The cooperative EDS10e determined in step S140e means an EDS10e that has a function similar to that of the EDS10e with the greatest degree of deterioration and is configured near the EDS10e with the greatest degree of deterioration to form a cooperative system. In step S140e, the control unit 52e may determine one EDS10e as the cooperative EDS10e, or may determine multiple EDS10e as the cooperative EDS10e. The degree of degradation of the cooperating EDS 10 e determined in step S140 e is smaller than the degree of degradation of the EDS 10 e with the largest degree of degradation determined in step S130 e .

[0140] The control unit 52e calculates the remaining driving capacity of the EDS 10e that cooperates (step S150e). The remaining driving capacity corresponds to the amount of reduction in load energy in the EDS 10e with the greatest degree of deterioration.

[0141] The control unit 52e reduces the required output for the EDS 10e with the largest degree of degradation determined in step S130e (step S160e). The required output is set based on the remaining driving force calculated in step S150e. In step S160e, the control unit 52e may set the required output to zero.

[0142] The control unit 52e increases the required output for the cooperating EDS 10e determined in step S140e (step S170e). Through steps S160e and S170e, the required output for the EDS 10e with the greatest degree of degradation is smaller than the required output for the cooperating EDS 10e. In each EDS 10e, the driving motor 12 is driven according to each required output, and each rotor 30 is driven to rotate. The accumulated load leveling process is completed as described above.

[0143] According to the eVTOL 100e of the eleventh embodiment described above, the control unit 52e performs the cumulative load leveling process of making the required output for the EDS 10e with a large degree of degradation smaller than the required output for the EDS 10e with a small degree of degradation, so that the cumulative load values ​​of the plurality of EDSs 10e can be leveled. Therefore, the maintenance time for the EDS 10e estimated to be relatively soon among the plurality of EDSs 10e can be delayed. Therefore, for example, the maintenance time for the EDS 10e with a large degree of degradation can be matched with the maintenance time for the other EDSs 10e. In this way, according to the eVTOL 100e of the present embodiment, the cumulative load leveling process is performed as a process related to the maintenance of the plurality of EDSs 10e using the stored drive history information, thereby suppressing the occurrence of unevenness in the maintenance time for each of the plurality of EDSs 10e, and thus suppressing an increase in the number of maintenance times for the entire eVTOL 100e.

[0144] In addition, the output required for the EDS 10e with the greatest degree of deterioration is smaller than the output required for other EDSs 10e cooperating with the EDS 10e, so that the maintenance time of the EDS 10e estimated to be the soonest among the multiple EDSs 10e can be delayed. Therefore, the maintenance time of the entire eVTOL 100e can be effectively delayed, and the increase in the number of maintenance times of the entire eVTOL 100e can be further suppressed.

[0145] In addition, the history information that integrates a plurality of drive information is used as the drive history information, so that the memory of the storage device 62 can be saved. In addition, the control device 50e is installed in the eVTOL 100e, and the drive history information is stored in the storage device 62, so that the communication with the external device 500 during the execution of the cumulative load leveling process can be omitted, and the interruption of the cumulative load leveling process due to communication failure can be suppressed.

[0146] L. Twelfth Implementation Method: like Fig.23 As shown in FIG. 1 , the eVTOL 100 of the twelfth embodiment is different from the eVTOL 100 of the eleventh embodiment in that steps S130ea to S180ea are executed in place of steps S130e to S170e in the cumulative load leveling process executed by the control unit 52e. Other structures including the device structure are the same as those of the eVTOL 100 of the eleventh embodiment, and therefore, the same symbols are attached to the same structures and their detailed description is omitted.

[0147] The control unit 52e uses the driving history information updated and stored in step S120e to identify the EDS 10 with the least degree of deterioration among the plurality of EDSs 10 (step S130ea). The EDS 10 with the least degree of deterioration has the smallest cumulative load value and therefore corresponds to the EDS 10 estimated to require maintenance the latest among the plurality of EDSs 10.

[0148] The control unit 52e determines other EDS10s that are different from the EDS10 with the smallest degree of degradation determined in step S130ea (step S140ea). In step S140ea, the control unit 52e may determine one EDS10 or a plurality of EDS10s. The degree of degradation of the EDS 10 determined in step S140ea is greater than the EDS10 with the smallest degree of degradation determined in step S130ea, and corresponds to the EDS10 for which the load is to be leveled. Other EDS10s that are different from the EDS10 with the smallest degree of degradation may be the same EDS10 as the "cooperative EDS10" determined in the cumulative load leveling process of the eleventh embodiment.

[0149] The control unit 52e calculates the required outputs for the other EDSs 10 assuming that the required output of the EDS 10 with the smallest degree of deterioration is operated at the maximum rated value as the required outputs for the other EDSs 10 identified in step S140ea (step S150ea).

[0150] The control unit 52e sets the required output constituting the rated operation for the EDS 10 determined in step S130ea, and sets the required output calculated in step S150ea for each of the other EDSs 10 determined in step S140ea (step S180ea). As described above, the required output for the EDS 10 with the smallest degree of degradation can be made smaller than the required output for the EDS 10 with a large degree of degradation. According to step S180ea, in each EDS 10, the drive motor 12 is driven according to each required output to drive each rotor 30 to rotate. In summary, the cumulative load leveling process is completed.

[0151] According to the eVTOL 100 of the twelfth embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the eVTOL 100 of the eleventh embodiment are achieved. In addition, the control unit 52e performs a cumulative load leveling process to make the required output of the EDS 10 with the smallest degree of degradation greater than the required output of the EDS 10 with the largest degree of degradation. Therefore, the EDS 10 estimated to be due for maintenance later among the plurality of EDSs 10 is actively operated, and the load of the other EDSs 10 estimated to be due for maintenance earlier is reduced, so that the maintenance period for the other EDSs 10 can be delayed. For example, when the cumulative load value of one of the plurality of EDSs 10 is much smaller than the cumulative load values ​​of the other EDSs 10 due to replacement, by leveling the cumulative load values ​​of the plurality of EDSs 10, it is also possible to suppress the occurrence of uneven maintenance periods for each of the plurality of EDSs 10. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of maintenance times for the eVTOL 100 as a whole.

[0152] M. Thirteenth Implementation Method: like Fig.24 As shown, the eVTOL 100 of the thirteenth embodiment is different from the eVTOL 100 of the eleventh embodiment in that a process of sending a request to switch between an EDS 10 with a large degree of degradation and an EDS 10 with a small degree of degradation (hereinafter referred to as a "request rotation process") is performed instead of the cumulative load leveling process, or the request rotation process is performed in addition to the cumulative load leveling process. Other structures including the device structure are the same as those of the eVTOL 100 of the eleventh embodiment, so the same symbols are attached to the same structures and their detailed description is omitted. In addition, in the thirteenth embodiment, the identification information of each EDS 10 is stored in the storage device 62 together with the driving history information of each EDS 10.

[0153] When the start switch of the eVTOL 100 is turned on, the demand switching process is repeatedly executed in the control device 50 .

[0154] The drive information detection unit 55e detects the drive information (step S110e). The storage control unit 56e performs the update process of the drive history information (step S120e). The control unit 52e uses the drive history information updated and stored in step S120e to identify the EDS 10 with the largest degree of deterioration among the plurality of EDSs 10 (step S130e). The processes of steps S110e to S130e are performed in the same manner as steps S110e to S130e in the cumulative load leveling process of the eleventh embodiment.

[0155] The control unit 52e uses the drive history information updated and stored in step S120e to identify the EDS 10 with the smallest degree of degradation among the plurality of EDSs 10 (step S130ea). Step S130ea is performed in the same manner as step S130ea in the twelfth embodiment. Alternatively, step S130e may be performed after step S130ea is performed.

[0156] The control unit 52e sends a request to switch the EDS 10 determined in step S130e and the EDS 10 determined in step S130ea (step S190g). In the following description, the above request is referred to as a "rotation request". The rotation request may be a request to physically switch the installation positions of the two determined EDSs 10, or a request to electrically switch the combination of the EDS 10 and the rotary wing 30 by switching the connection state of the wiring. In addition, when the installation positions of the two determined EDSs 10 are physically switched, the EDS 10 and the rotary wing 30 that drives the EDS 10 to rotate may be set as a group, and the above groups may be switched between each other, without being limited to the rotation between the EDSs 10. The transmission of the rotation request may also be sent to the passengers and maintenance workers of the eVTOL 100 via the reporting unit 66, and may also be sent to the external device 500 via the fuselage communication unit 64. By executing step S190g, the rotation request processing ends. By sending the rotation request, it is expected that the passengers of the eVTOL 100, maintenance workers, etc. will perform the rotation between the EDS 10 with a greater degree of degradation and the EDS 10 with a lesser degree of degradation.

[0157] According to the thirteenth embodiment described above, the control unit 52e performs a request rotation process and sends a rotation request to replace the EDS 10 with a large degree of degradation with the EDS 10 with a small degree of degradation. Therefore, when the rotation is performed, the unevenness of the future cumulative load values ​​among the plurality of EDSs 10 can be suppressed, and the maintenance period for the EDS 10 with a large degree of degradation can be delayed. As described above, according to the eVTOL 100 of the thirteenth embodiment, the request rotation process is performed as a process related to the maintenance of the plurality of EDSs 10 using the stored drive history information, thereby suppressing the unevenness of the maintenance period for each of the plurality of EDSs 10, and thus suppressing the increase in the number of maintenance times for the eVTOL 100 as a whole.

[0158] Furthermore, by sending a rotation request to replace the EDS 10 with the greatest degree of deterioration with the EDS 10 with the least degree of deterioration, the maintenance time of the EDS 10 estimated to be required for the fastest maintenance among the plurality of EDSs 10 and the maintenance time of the EDS 10 estimated to be required for the latest maintenance among the plurality of EDSs 10 can be brought closer to each other. Therefore, for example, even when the degree of deterioration of the EDS 10 at a specific installation position is particularly great, it is possible to effectively suppress the occurrence of uneven maintenance time for each of the plurality of EDSs 10.

[0159] Furthermore, by sending the rotation request, it is possible to suppress the unevenness of the future accumulated load values ​​among the plurality of EDSs 10. Therefore, even in the eVTOL 100 where the number of installed EDSs 10 and the rotor 30 is small and there is no cooperating EDS 10 or there are few cooperating EDSs 10, it is possible to effectively suppress the unevenness of the maintenance period for each of the EDSs 10. Furthermore, since the identification information of each EDS 10 is stored together with the driving history information of each EDS 10 in the storage device 62, it is possible to appropriately manage the driving history information of the plurality of EDSs 10 even after the rotation is performed. In addition, according to the eVTOL 100 of the thirteenth embodiment, the same effects as those of the eVTOL 100 of the eleventh embodiment are achieved.

[0160] N. Fourteenth Implementation Method: Fig.25 The eVTOL 100h of the fourteenth embodiment shown is different from the eVTOL 100e of the thirteenth embodiment in that it includes a control device 50h instead of the control device 50. The control unit 52h of the control device 50h further performs a process of detecting whether maintenance is required for each EDS 10h (hereinafter referred to as "maintenance detection process"), and performs a request rotation process based on the processing result of the maintenance detection process. The other structures are the same as the eVTOL 100e of the thirteenth embodiment, so the same symbols are attached to the same structures and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0161] The control device 50h further includes a maintenance necessity detecting unit 57h. The maintenance necessity detecting unit 57h uses the driving history information stored in the storage device 62 to detect whether maintenance is required for each of the EDSs 10h.

[0162] exist Fig.26 In the request switching process of the fourteenth embodiment shown, a switching request is transmitted according to the processing result of the maintenance detection process.

[0163] When the start switch of the eVTOL 100h is turned on, the control device 50h repeatedly executes Fig. 27Indicates whether maintenance inspection processing is required.

[0164] The drive information detection unit 55e detects the drive information (step S110e). The storage control unit 56e performs a process of updating the drive history information (step S120e). The processes of steps S110e and S120e are performed in the same manner as steps S110e and S120e in the cumulative load leveling process of the eleventh embodiment.

[0165] The maintenance detection unit 57h determines whether the drive history information updated and stored in step S120e satisfies the component replacement condition (step S310). The component replacement condition is pre-set and stored in the storage device 62 as a condition that can infer that the EDS10h has deteriorated to the extent that it is recommended to replace the components of the EDS10h. The component replacement condition of this embodiment is the condition that "the cumulative load value as the drive history information is greater than a predetermined component replacement threshold." The above-mentioned component replacement threshold can be, for example, a threshold of the cumulative drive time of the drive motor 12, a threshold of the cumulative number of revolutions of the drive motor 12, a threshold of the cumulative drive current of the drive motor 12, etc.

[0166] When it is determined that the driving history information satisfies the component replacement condition (step S310: Yes), the maintenance necessity detection unit 57h detects that the component replacement is necessary (step S330). By executing step S330, the maintenance necessity detection process ends.

[0167] When it is determined that the driving history information does not satisfy the component replacement condition (step S310: No), the maintenance detection unit 57h determines whether the driving history information satisfies the periodic maintenance condition (step S320). The periodic maintenance condition is pre-set and stored in the storage device 62 as a condition that can infer that the EDS10h has deteriorated to the extent that it is recommended to perform periodic maintenance of the EDS10h. The periodic maintenance condition of the present embodiment is the condition that "the cumulative load value as the driving history information is greater than the predetermined periodic maintenance threshold value." The periodic maintenance threshold value is set to a value lower than the component replacement threshold value. That is, in the EDS10h of the present embodiment, after the periodic maintenance is performed, the component replacement is performed after further driving.

[0168] When it is determined that the driving history information satisfies the periodic maintenance condition (step S320: Yes), the maintenance necessity detection unit 57h detects that the periodic maintenance is "necessary" (step S340). By executing step S340, the maintenance necessity detection process ends.

[0169] When it is determined that the driving history information does not satisfy the periodic maintenance condition (step S320: No), the maintenance necessity detection unit 57h detects that the maintenance is "unnecessary" (step S350). The control unit 52h may also make a notification about unnecessary maintenance after step S350. The notification about unnecessary maintenance may be a notification sent to the passengers of the eVTOL 100h via the reporting unit 66, or a notification sent to the external device 500 via the fuselage communication unit 64. By executing step S350, the maintenance necessity detection process ends.

[0170] like Fig.26 As shown, the control unit 52h uses the result of the maintenance detection process to determine whether there is a maintenance request for at least one of the plurality of EDSs 10h (step S105h). If it is determined that there is no maintenance request for the EDS 10h (step S105h: No), the process returns to step S300.

[0171] On the other hand, when it is determined that the EDS 10h requires maintenance (step S105h: Yes), that is, when there is an EDS 10h to be maintained, the control unit 52h reads the driving history information updated and stored in step S120e of the maintenance detection process (step S125h). The control unit 52h uses the driving history information read in step S125h to identify the EDS 10h with the greatest degree of deterioration among the EDSs 10h other than the EDS 10h to be maintained (step S130h). Step S130h is performed in the same manner as step S130 in the thirteenth embodiment.

[0172] The control unit 52h uses the drive history information read in step S125h to identify the EDS 10h with the smallest degree of deterioration among the other EDSs 10h other than the EDS 10h to be maintained (step S132h). Step S132h is performed in the same manner as step S130ea in the thirteenth embodiment. Alternatively, step S130h may be performed after step S132h is performed.

[0173] The control unit 52h sends a maintenance request to the EDS 10h detected as "needing" maintenance in step S330 or step S340 of the maintenance detection process, and sends a rotation request to switch the EDS 10h determined in step S130h and the EDS 10h determined in step S132h (step S190h). The maintenance request and the rotation request may be sent to the passengers of the eVTOL 100h via the reporting unit 66, and may be sent to the external device 500 via the fuselage communication unit 64. By executing step S190h, the rotation request process ends.

[0174] In the present embodiment, the component replacement threshold and the periodic inspection threshold respectively correspond to the “first threshold” of the present disclosure.

[0175] According to the eVTOL 100h of the fourteenth embodiment described above, the same effect as the eVTOL 100e of the thirteenth embodiment is exerted. In addition, it also includes a maintenance detection unit 57h that detects whether maintenance is required for each of the multiple EDS10h using the stored drive history information, so that the maintenance period for each of the multiple EDS10h can be appropriately determined. In addition, the maintenance detection unit 57h detects that the EDS 10h whose cumulative load value as the drive history information is greater than a predetermined threshold value needs maintenance, so it can detect whether maintenance is required with high accuracy. In addition, the maintenance is detected in a manner that distinguishes between component replacement and periodic inspection, so the component replacement period and the periodic inspection period for each of the multiple EDS10h can be appropriately determined.

[0176] In the rotation request process, a rotation request is sent when maintenance is requested for at least one of the plurality of EDSs 10h, so that the EDSs 10h can be rotated at the same time as the maintenance target EDSs 10h are maintained. Therefore, the rotation can be performed efficiently, and the increase in the number of maintenance can be further suppressed.

[0177] O. Fifteenth Implementation Method: like Fig.28 As shown in FIG. 1 , the eVTOL 100h of the fifteenth embodiment is different from the eVTOL 100h of the fourteenth embodiment in that, in the request shifting process executed by the control unit 52h, steps S130i, S132i, and S190i are executed instead of steps S130h, S132h, and S190h. Other structures including the device structure are the same as those of the eVTOL 100h of the fourteenth embodiment, and therefore, the same symbols are attached to the same structures and their detailed description is omitted.

[0178] The control unit 52h reads the driving history information updated and stored in step S120e of the maintenance detection process (step S125h). The control unit 52h uses the driving history information read in step S125h to determine a group of a portion of EDS10h with the greatest degree of deterioration among other EDS10h except the EDS10h to be maintained (step S130i). In the present embodiment, a plurality of EDS10h are pre-divided into a plurality of groups including a portion of EDS10h. In addition, the group of EDS10h may be determined in step S130i without being pre-divided, and may also include EDS10h that cooperate with each other. For example, when the degree of deterioration of the three EDS10h that respectively drive the three lift rotors 31 located on the right side of the fuselage 20 to rotate is large, the above three EDS10h may be determined as a group in step S130i.

[0179] The control unit 52h determines a group of some EDS10h with a smaller degree of degradation among the other EDS10h except the EDS10h to be maintained (step S132i). For example, when the degree of degradation of three EDS10h that respectively drive the three lift rotors 31 located on the left side of the fuselage 20 to rotate is smaller, the three EDS10h can be determined as a group in step S132i. In addition, the number of EDS10h included in the group determined in step S132i is the same as the number of EDS10h included in the group determined in step S130i. In addition, step S130i can also be executed after executing step S132i.

[0180] The control unit 52h sends a maintenance request to the EDS 10h detected as "needed" for maintenance in step S330 or step S340 of the maintenance detection process, and sends a rotation request to switch the group of EDS 10h determined in step S130i and the group of EDS 10h determined in step S132i (step S190i). By executing step S190i, the rotation request process ends. In the above example, it is expected that the installation positions of the three EDS 10h with a greater degree of deterioration and the three EDS 10h with a smaller degree of deterioration are rotated.

[0181] According to the eVTOL 100h of the fifteenth embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the eVTOL 100h of the fourteenth embodiment are achieved. In addition, a rotation request is sent to switch between a group of some EDS 10h with a larger degree of degradation among the plurality of EDSs 10h and a group of some EDS 10h with a smaller degree of degradation among the plurality of EDSs 10h, so that the maintenance period for the plurality of EDSs 10h with a larger degree of degradation can be delayed. Therefore, the occurrence of uneven maintenance period for each of the plurality of EDSs 10h can be further suppressed, and the increase in the number of maintenance times of the eVTOL 100 as a whole can be further suppressed.

[0182] P. Sixteenth Implementation Method: The eVTOL 100e of the sixteenth embodiment is Fig.24 The request rotation process shown is different from the eVTOL 100e of the thirteenth embodiment in that the degradation degree of each EDS 10e is detected using the route history information related to the history of the flight route. Other structures including the device structure are the same as the eVTOL 100e of the thirteenth embodiment, so the same symbols are attached to the same structures and their detailed description is omitted.

[0183] The storage device 62 stores the path history information related to the history of the flight path of the eVTOL 100e as the driving history information. The path history information may be stored as the history of the flight path information set by the passengers of the eVTOL 100e, may be received and stored from the external device 500, or may be stored as the history of the flight path information acquired by using the camera, radar, etc. (not shown) possessed by the eVTOL 100e. In addition, the driving load of each EDS 10e, such as the number of revolutions of the driving motor 12 and the driving time, is different for each flight path. In addition, in the same flight path, the driving load of each EDS 10e is almost the same.

[0184] The control unit 52 Fig.24 In step S130 and step S130ea shown, the driving load information indicating the driving load history of each EDS10e is detected using the route history information, and the degree of degradation of each EDS10e is detected using the detected driving load information. The control unit 52 determines the EDS10e with the greatest degree of degradation among the plurality of EDS10e (step S130), and determines the EDS10e with the least degree of degradation among the plurality of EDS10e (step S130ea). The control unit 52 sends a rotation request to switch between the EDS10e determined in step S130 and the EDS10e determined in step S130ea (step S190), requesting the rotation process to end.

[0185] According to the eVTOL 100e of the sixteenth embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the eVTOL 100e of the thirteenth embodiment are achieved. In addition, the degradation degree of each EDS 10e is detected using the route history information related to the history of the aviation route, so the degradation degree corresponding to the operation status of the eVTOL 100e can be detected with high accuracy. For example, even if the driving load of the EDS 10e installed on the left wing 27 is larger than the driving load of the EDS 10e installed on the right wing 26, when regularly flying on an aviation route where the driving load of a specific EDS 10e becomes larger, the degradation degree of the EDS 10e can be detected with high accuracy. Therefore, the rotation request can be sent more effectively according to the degradation degree of the EDS 10e.

[0186] Q. Seventeenth embodiment: Fig.29 The eVTOL 100k of the seventeenth embodiment shown is different from the eVTOL 100h of the fourteenth embodiment in that it includes a control device 50k instead of the control device 50h and performs a process of sending a maintenance request to an EDS10k that should be maintained simultaneously when any one of the plurality of EDS10k is maintained (hereinafter referred to as "simultaneous maintenance request process") instead of the rotation request process or in addition to the rotation request process. The other structures are the same as the eVTOL 100h of the fourteenth embodiment, and therefore, the same symbols are attached to the same structures and their detailed description is omitted.

[0187] The control device 50k further includes a simultaneous maintenance detection unit 58k. The simultaneous maintenance detection unit 58k uses the drive history information stored in the storage device 62 to detect whether there is an EDS 10k that should be maintained simultaneously when any one of the plurality of EDSs 10k is being maintained.

[0188] like Fig.30 As shown, the maintenance processing required in this embodiment includes Fig. 27 When the start switch of the eVTOL 100k is turned on, the control device 50k repeatedly executes Fig.30 The requirements for simultaneous maintenance processing are shown.

[0189] The control unit 52k uses the result of the maintenance detection process to determine whether there is a maintenance request for at least one of the plurality of EDSs 10k (step S105h). Step S105h is performed in the same manner as step S105h in the request rotation process of the fourteenth embodiment. When it is determined that there is no maintenance request for the EDS 10k (step S105h: No), the process returns to step S300.

[0190] On the other hand, when it is determined that the EDS 10k has a maintenance request (step S105h: Yes), that is, when there is an EDS 10k to be maintained, the control unit 52k reads the drive history information updated and stored in step S120e of the maintenance request detection process (step S125h). Step S125h is executed in the same manner as step S125h in the request switching process of the fourteenth embodiment.

[0191] The simultaneous maintenance detection unit 58k uses the drive history information read in step S125h to detect whether there is an EDS 10k other than the maintenance target EDS 10k that should be maintained at the same time as the maintenance target EDS 10k (step S410k). Fig. 27 In the same manner as steps S310 to S350 of the maintenance detection process shown, it is also possible to distinguish between component replacement and periodic inspection as maintenance and execute step S410k using a threshold value.

[0192] use Fig.31 , the method of determining the EDS10k to be maintained at the same time as the EDS10k to be maintained is described. Fig.31 In the example of parts replacement and parts replacement in periodic inspection, maintenance for EDS10k is shown as a representative. Fig.31 In the figure, the vertical axis represents the driving history information, and the horizontal axis represents the usage period of the EDS10k. The driving history information may be, for example, a cumulative load value such as the cumulative driving time of the driving motor 12, the cumulative number of revolutions of the driving motor 12, and the cumulative driving current of the driving motor 12. The above-mentioned cumulative load value may also be a value that integrates any plurality of driving information and is converted in a manner corresponding to the degradation rate of the EDS 10k. The usage period of the EDS10k means the elapsed time from when the EDS10k is installed on the fuselage 20 to the present, regardless of whether the EDS10k is driven. The above-mentioned usage period can be determined, for example, by providing a timer in the driving unit 11 of each EDS10k that automatically starts counting when connected to the battery 40, and sending the information of the above-mentioned timer to the control device 50k.

[0193] The first threshold value indicates a component replacement threshold value applied to the maintenance detection process. In the maintenance detection process, the EDS10k whose driving history information is greater than the first threshold value is detected as requiring maintenance. The second threshold value indicates a component replacement threshold value applied to the simultaneous maintenance request process. In the simultaneous maintenance request process, the EDS10k whose driving history information value is greater than the second threshold value is detected as requiring maintenance at the same time as the maintenance of the EDS10k of the maintenance object detected as requiring maintenance in the maintenance detection process. The second threshold value is a value smaller than the first threshold value, and is pre-set and stored in the storage device 62. The second threshold value is set to a value of about 80% of the first threshold value, for example.

[0194] The EDS 10k whose driving history information value is less than the first threshold but greater than the second threshold is estimated to have a driving history information value that will soon exceed the first threshold. Therefore, for the EDS 10k greater than the second threshold, the maintenance time is advanced and the maintenance is performed at the same time as the maintenance of the maintenance target EDS 10k, thereby suppressing the increase in the number of maintenance times of the entire eVTOL 100k. In step S410k, all EDSs 10k that are to be maintained at the same time as the maintenance target EDS 10k are identified.

[0195] like Fig.30 As shown, when it is detected that there is no EDS 10k that should be maintained simultaneously with the maintenance target EDS 10k (step S410k: No), the control unit 52k only sends a maintenance request to the maintenance target EDS 10k that is detected as "needed" for maintenance in the maintenance detection process (step S420k), requesting the simultaneous maintenance process to end.

[0196] On the other hand, when an EDS 10k that should be maintained simultaneously with the maintenance target EDS 10k is detected (step S410k: Yes), that is, when an EDS 10k whose driving history information value is greater than the second threshold is detected, the control unit 52k sends a maintenance request for the maintenance target EDS 10k and a maintenance request for the EDS 10k that should be maintained simultaneously (step S430k). In the following description, the above request is referred to as a "simultaneous maintenance request". By executing step S430k, the simultaneous maintenance request processing ends. For example, when the installation positions of a plurality of EDSs 10k are displayed on a display device installed in the passenger compartment, the simultaneous maintenance request can indicate the maintenance target EDS 10k with a red light and the EDS 10k that should be maintained simultaneously with an orange light. By sending the simultaneous maintenance request, it is expected that the passengers of the eVTOL 100k, the maintenance operator, etc., will perform maintenance on all the EDSs 10k that should be maintained simultaneously at the same time as the maintenance on the maintenance target EDS 10k is performed.

[0197] According to the eVTOL 100k of the seventeenth embodiment described above, the control unit 52k performs the simultaneous maintenance request processing, and sends a simultaneous maintenance request to the EDS 10k that should be maintained at the same time when the maintenance of the maintenance target EDS 10k is performed. As a result, the time of maintenance for the EDS 10k that is estimated to need maintenance at an earlier time in the future can be brought forward, and maintenance can be performed at the same time as the maintenance of the maintenance target EDS 10k. That is, when the maintenance of the maintenance target EDS 10k is performed, maintenance of other EDSs 10k can be performed at the same time. In this way, according to the eVTOL 100k of the seventeenth embodiment, the simultaneous maintenance request processing is performed as a processing related to the maintenance of multiple EDSs 10k using the stored drive history information, thereby suppressing the occurrence of unevenness in the time of maintenance for each of the multiple EDSs 10k, and thus suppressing an increase in the number of maintenance times of the eVTOL 100k as a whole.

[0198] Furthermore, when a maintenance request for the EDS 10k determined in the maintenance necessity detection process is detected, it is detected whether there is an EDS 10k that should be maintained at the same time. Therefore, it is possible to detect whether there is an EDS 10k that should be maintained at the same time using the drive history information updated in the maintenance necessity detection process. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in detection accuracy, and further suppress an increase in the number of maintenance times of the eVTOL 100k as a whole. In addition, an EDS 10k whose cumulative load value as drive history information is greater than a predetermined threshold is detected as requiring maintenance at the same time, so it is possible to detect whether there is an EDS 10k that should be maintained at the same time with high accuracy.

[0199] R. Other implementations: R-1. Other embodiments 1: The maintenance detection process performed in the above-mentioned embodiments is only an example, and various changes can be made. For example, it is also possible to detect whether each EDS10, 10a~10d needs maintenance without distinguishing between component replacement and periodic inspection. More specifically, for example, the driving history information that is respectively correlated with the degree of deterioration of multiple components included in the EDS10, 10a~10d can be used to detect whether maintenance is required. In addition, the driving history information that is correlated with the degree of deterioration of the component with the shortest interval between the periods during which maintenance should be performed among the components respectively included in the EDS10, 10a~10d can be used to detect whether maintenance is required. In addition, for example, in step S130, the condition of replacing the entire EDS10, 10a~10d can be used instead of the component replacement condition. In addition, it is also possible to detect whether maintenance is required using driving history information based on multiple driving information, and it is also possible to detect whether maintenance is required in combination with information related to the use time of the EDS10 in addition to the driving history information. In addition, for example, thresholds such as a component replacement threshold and a periodic maintenance threshold can be set based on indicators of different drive history information. In addition, for example, as thresholds such as a component replacement threshold and a periodic maintenance threshold, the threshold for motor information and the threshold for drive unit information can be set based on the same indicators or different indicators. More specifically, for example, the threshold for motor information can be set based on the cumulative number of revolutions as the cumulative load value of the drive motor 12, and the threshold for drive unit information can be set based on the cumulative output power as the cumulative load value of the drive unit 11, and the threshold for motor information and the threshold for drive unit information can also be set based on the cumulative drive time as the cumulative load value. In addition, for example, the following method can be used: the component replacement condition, the periodic maintenance condition, etc. can be set based on the specified type of drive history information as a substitute for the component replacement threshold, the periodic maintenance threshold, etc., or in addition to the component replacement threshold, the periodic maintenance threshold, etc., the component replacement condition, the periodic maintenance condition, etc. can also be set based on the specified type of drive history information. In the above method, for example, the change value of the driving information within a specified period, such as the increase in the accumulated driving current of the driving motor 12 within a specified period being greater than a specified value, can also be set as a component replacement condition, a regular maintenance condition, etc. The above structure can also achieve the same effect as the above embodiments.

[0200] R-2. Other embodiments 2: The maintenance-needed detection process of the above-mentioned second embodiment is executed in cooperation with the control device 50 and the external device 500, and the driving history information of each EDS 10 is stored in the external storage device 530, and the external control unit 510 determines whether maintenance is required for each of the EDS 10, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, in the same manner as the first embodiment and the third embodiment to the ninth embodiment, the driving history information of each EDS 10 may be stored in the storage devices 62, 17b, and 18b included in the eVTOL 100, 100a~100d. In addition, for example, the maintenance-needed detection unit 57 may perform the judgment on whether maintenance is required for each EDS 10 to detect whether maintenance is required, instead of the external control unit 510 performing the judgment on whether maintenance is required for each EDS 10. In this way, at least a part of the maintenance-needed detection process may also be performed by the external device 500. That is, generally speaking, the eVTOL 100, 100a to 100d may include a storage control unit 56 for storing driving history information related to the history of driving information of the EDS 10, 10a to 10d, and may include a maintenance necessity detection unit 57 for detecting whether maintenance is necessary determined using the stored driving history information. The above configuration can also produce the same effect as the above second embodiment.

[0201] R-3. Other implementations 3: The maintenance detection process performed in the fourth embodiment is only an example, and various changes can be made. For example, the maintenance detection process can also be terminated according to the end of the abnormal maintenance detection process (step S500). In other words, the maintenance detection unit 57 can also only detect whether abnormal maintenance is required instead of whether component maintenance is required as whether each EDS10 needs maintenance. That is, generally speaking, the maintenance detection unit 57 can also detect whether maintenance is required for each of the multiple EDS10 based on the detected drive information. In the above structure, the storage control unit 56 and the storage device 62 can also be omitted. In addition, for example, the abnormal maintenance detection process can also be performed by the control device 50 and the external device 500 in collaboration. More specifically, it can also be the following method: the drive information is sent to the external device 500 via the body communication unit 64 and the external communication unit 520, and the external control unit 510 performs a judgment on whether the value of the above drive information is within the normal range. According to the above method, it is possible to detect whether abnormal maintenance is required by referring to the data stored in the external storage device 530. More specifically, for example, it is possible to detect whether abnormal maintenance is required by referring to data indicating that the behavior of the prescribed drive information may be related to an accident. In this way, it is possible to detect whether abnormal maintenance is required by referring to the data accumulated in the external storage device 530 having a larger capacity than the storage device 62 included in the eVTOL 100, so that a higher level of judgment can be performed, and further, it is possible to detect whether abnormal maintenance is required with higher accuracy.

[0202] R-4. Other embodiments 4: The control device 50 in each of the above-mentioned embodiments is installed in the eVTOL 100, 100a to 100d, but it may be installed in the external device 500. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the control signal may be sent and received between the fuselage communication unit 64 connected to the control device (a control device different from the control device 50) installed in the eVTOL 100, 100a to 100d, the communication unit 19c, and the external communication unit 520. That is, generally speaking, the control device 50 may also further include the external communication unit 520 that can communicate with the fuselage communication unit 64 provided in the eVTOL 100, 100a to 100d, and exists outside the eVTOL 100, 100a to 100d. According to the above-mentioned structure, the maintenance detection process for the plurality of eVTOLs 100, 100a to 100d can be controlled in the external device 500.

[0203] R-5. Other embodiments 5: The structures of the eVTOL 100, 100a to 100d in the above-mentioned embodiments are only examples, and various changes can be made. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the drive information detection unit 55, the storage control unit 56, and the maintenance detection unit 57 are respectively realized by the CPU included in the control device 50, but at least one of the drive information detection unit 55, the storage control unit 56, and the maintenance detection unit 57 can also be installed in the EDS 10, 10a to 10d. In addition, for example, in the eVTOL 100, 100a to 100d in the first embodiment, the third embodiment to the ninth embodiment, the fuselage communication unit 64 and the communication unit 19c can also be omitted. In addition, for example, the rotor 30 and the EDS 10 are not limited to nine, and can be any number, and can also be installed at any position. In addition, for example, instead of the lift rotor 31 and the cruise rotor 32, a tilt rotor (Japanese: ティルトロータ) can also be used. In addition, for example, the eVTOLs 100 and 100a to 100d may also be configured as unmanned aerial vehicles as a substitute for manned aerial vehicles.

[0204] R-6. Other embodiments 6: The detection of whether the bearing needs to be repaired in the tenth embodiment is performed on the bearing, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. It is also possible to detect whether the maintenance is required by any type of consumables whose consumption degree changes accordingly with the driving time and output torque of the driving motor 12. For example, it is also possible to detect whether the maintenance is required by the mounting bolts of the EDS 10. The above structure can also achieve the same effect as the tenth embodiment.

[0205] R-7. Other embodiments 7: The cumulative load leveling process in the above-mentioned eleventh embodiment and twelfth embodiment is only an example, and various changes can be made. For example, the control unit 52e may also level the cumulative load value when there is a deviation of more than a specified value in the cumulative load value of each of the multiple EDS10e. In other words, the cumulative load value may be leveled when the degree of degradation of the multiple EDS10 is greatly uneven. More specifically, for example, it is also possible to judge whether the unevenness of the degree of degradation is above a specified threshold, and when it is judged to be above the specified threshold, the cumulative load value is leveled. In addition, for example, it is also possible to level the cumulative load value when the degree of degradation of the EDS10e with the largest degree of degradation exceeds a predetermined threshold. In addition, for example, it is also possible to divide the multiple EDS10e into multiple groups including cooperating EDS10e, and weight the required output according to each cumulative load value in these groups, thereby leveling the cumulative load value in the above-mentioned group. In addition, for example, the degradation degree of each EDS 10e may be detected separately using the route history information related to the history of the air route in the same manner as the request rotation process of the sixteenth embodiment. In addition, instead of adjusting the required output of the EDS 10e with the greatest degree of degradation and the EDS 10e with the least degree of degradation, the required output of the EDS 10e with any degree of degradation may be adjusted so that the required output of the EDS 10e with the greatest degree of degradation is smaller than the required output of the EDS 10e with the least degree of degradation. With the above structure, the same effect as the above eleventh and twelfth embodiments can be achieved.

[0206] R-8. Other embodiments 8: The request rotation processing in the above-mentioned thirteenth to sixteenth embodiments is only an example, and various changes can be made. For example, the control unit 52e, 52h may also send a rotation request when the cumulative load value of each of the multiple EDS10e, 10h deviates by more than a specified amount. In other words, a rotation request may also be sent when the degree of degradation of the multiple EDS10e, 10h is greatly uneven. More specifically, for example, it is also possible to judge whether the unevenness of the degree of degradation is above a specified threshold, and send a rotation request when it is judged to be above the specified threshold. In addition, for example, it is also possible to send a rotation request when the degree of degradation of the EDS 10e, 10h with the greatest degree of degradation exceeds a predetermined threshold. According to the above-mentioned structure, it is possible to suppress the transmission of rotation requests at an excessively high frequency, and it is expected that the rotation will be implemented more effectively. Furthermore, for example, instead of switching the EDS 10e, 10h with the greatest degree of degradation and the EDS 10e, 10h with the least degree of degradation, a rotation request for switching the EDS 10e, 10h with the greatest degree of degradation and the EDS 10e, 10h with the least degree of degradation may be sent to two EDSs 10e, 10h with any degree of degradation. The above configuration can also produce the same effects as those of the thirteenth to sixteenth embodiments.

[0207] R-9. Other embodiments 9: The maintenance detection process performed in the above-mentioned fourteenth to seventeenth embodiments is only an example, and various changes can be made. For example, it is also possible to detect whether maintenance is required without distinguishing between component replacement and periodic inspection. In addition, for example, in step S310, the condition of replacing the entire EDS10h can also be used instead of the component replacement condition. In addition, it is also possible to detect whether maintenance is required using driving history information based on a variety of driving information, and it is also possible to detect whether maintenance is required in combination with information related to the use time of the EDS10h in addition to the driving history information. In addition, for example, it is also possible to set the component replacement condition and the periodic inspection condition based on the specified driving history information as a replacement for the component replacement threshold and the periodic inspection threshold of the first threshold, or set the component replacement condition and the periodic inspection condition based on the specified driving history information in addition to the first threshold. In the above-mentioned method, for example, the change value of the driving information within a specified period, such as the increase in the cumulative driving current of the driving motor 12 within a specified period is greater than a specified value, can also be set as the component replacement condition and the periodic inspection condition. The above-described structure can also produce the same effects as those of the fourteenth to seventeenth embodiments described above.

[0208] R-10. Other embodiments 10: The simultaneous maintenance request processing of the seventeenth embodiment is configured to include a maintenance detection process, but it may also be a method in which the maintenance detection process is omitted. In the above method, for example, when a passenger of the eVTOL 100k, a maintenance operator, or the like discovers an abnormality in the EDS 10k and performs maintenance on the EDS 10k that has been found to be abnormal, it may be detected whether there are other EDS 10k that should be maintained simultaneously with the above EDS 10k. In addition, in the simultaneous maintenance request processing of the seventeenth embodiment, it may also be the following method: based on the specified driving history information, the component replacement condition and the regular inspection condition that should be maintained simultaneously are set as a substitute for the second threshold value, or in addition to the second threshold value, the component replacement condition and the regular inspection condition that should be maintained simultaneously are set based on the specified driving history information. Through the above structure, the same effect as that of the seventeenth embodiment can also be achieved.

[0209] R-11. Other embodiments 11: In the above-mentioned embodiments, the control devices 50e, 50h, 50k are installed in the eVTOL 100e, 100h, 100k, but they may be installed in the external device 500. In the above-mentioned embodiments, control signals may be sent and received between the fuselage communication unit 64 connected to the control device (a control device different from the control device 50e, 50h, 50k) installed in the eVTOL 100e, 100h, 100k and the external communication unit 520. That is, generally speaking, the control device 50e, 50h, 50k may further include the external communication unit 520 capable of communicating with the fuselage communication unit 64 provided in the eVTOL 100e, 100h, 100k, and may be located outside the eVTOL 100e, 100h, 100k. According to the above configuration, the external device 500 can control the accumulated load leveling process, the maintenance necessity detection process, the rotation request process, and the simultaneous maintenance request process for the plurality of eVTOLs 100e, 100h, 100k.

[0210] R-12. Other embodiments 12: The structures of the eVTOL 100e, 100h, and 100k in the above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples, and various changes can be made. For example, the storage device 62 may be omitted, and the drive history information may be stored in a memory (not shown) included in the external device 500. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the storage control unit 56e stores the drive history information in the memory of the external device 500 via the fuselage communication unit 64 and the external communication unit 520. In addition, for example, the EDS 10e may each have a storage device capable of storing the drive history information, and may each have a communication device capable of communicating with the external communication unit 520. In addition, by storing the drive history information in the storage device installed in each EDS 10e, even when the rotation of the EDS 10e is performed, the drive history information of a plurality of EDSs 10e can be easily managed. More specifically, it is possible to omit the transmission of the drive history information and identification information of each EDS 10e to the control device 50e, etc., and it is possible to omit the storage of the identification information of each EDS 10e in the storage device 62, etc. In addition, for example, each EDS 10e has a driving unit 11, but a plurality of driving motors 12 may be driven by a common driving unit 11. In addition, for example, the number of the rotors 30 and EDS 10e is not limited to nine, but may be any number, and may be installed at any position. In addition, for example, as a substitute for the lifting rotor 31 and the cruising rotor 32, a tilt rotor may be used. In addition, for example, as a substitute for a manned aircraft, the eVTOL 100e, 100h, 100k may also be configured as an unmanned aircraft.

[0211] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be implemented by various structures within the scope of the above-mentioned subject matter. For example, the technical features in each embodiment corresponding to the technical features in the form recorded in the invention content section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve part or all of the above-mentioned technical problems, or to achieve part or all of the above-mentioned effects. In addition, the above-mentioned technical features can be appropriately deleted as long as they are not described as necessary structures in this specification.

[0212] The control device, external device and method thereof described in the present disclosure may also be implemented by a special-purpose computer, which is provided by constituting a processor and a memory, and the above-mentioned processor is programmed to perform one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the control unit and method thereof described in the present disclosure may be implemented by a special-purpose computer, which is provided by constituting a processor composed of one or more special-purpose hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control device, external device and method thereof described in the present disclosure may also be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers, which are constituted by a combination of a processor and a memory programmed to perform one or more functions and a processor constituted by one or more hardware logic circuits. In addition, the computer program may also be stored in a computer-readable non-temporary tangible storage medium as an instruction executed by a computer.

Claims

1. An electric aircraft, comprising a plurality of electric drive systems, each of which has a drive motor for driving a rotor to rotate the rotor and a drive unit for driving the drive motor, wherein: The electric aircraft includes a driving information detection unit and a maintenance detection unit. During the operation of the electric aircraft, The drive information detection unit detects drive information including at least one of motor information as an indicator of a degradation state of the drive motor and drive unit information as an indicator of a degradation state of the drive unit for each of the plurality of electric drive systems. The maintenance necessity detection unit detects whether maintenance is required for each of the plurality of electric drive systems based on the detected drive information. The maintenance at least includes replacement of components of the electric drive system.

2. The electric aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detection of whether maintenance is required includes detection of whether abnormality inspection is required based on whether the value of the driving information deviates from a normal range.

3. The electric aircraft according to claim 2, characterized in that: The threshold of the driving information used for detecting whether abnormal maintenance is required includes: a first threshold indicating that the value of the driving information deviates from a normal range and a second threshold indicating that the value of the driving information deviates greatly from the normal range. When the value of the driving information exceeds the second threshold value, or when the value exceeds the first threshold value but continues to be less than the second threshold value, a request for abnormality inspection is executed.

4. The electric aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: further comprising a storage control unit configured to store driving history information related to the history of the driving information, The maintenance necessity detecting unit detects the maintenance necessity determined by using the stored driving history information.

5. The electric aircraft according to claim 4, characterized in that: Also included is a storage device for storing the driving history information.

6. The electric aircraft according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: The detection of the need for maintenance includes detection of whether a component inspection is needed based on the driving history information.

7. The electric aircraft according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: During the maintenance, it includes detecting whether to perform a regular inspection based on the driving history information.

8. The electric aircraft according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: When implementing the maintenance described above, it includes: executing a process of requesting the component replacement for the electric drive system whose driving history information satisfies a predetermined component replacement condition; and processing of requesting a periodic maintenance for the electric drive system whose driving history information satisfies a predetermined periodic maintenance condition, When the driving history information satisfies the component replacement condition, executing the component replacement request, When the driving history information does not satisfy the component replacement condition but satisfies the periodic maintenance condition, the periodic maintenance request is implemented.

9. The electric aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inspection whether maintenance is required is Based on the driving information, whether abnormal maintenance is required is detected. When it is detected that abnormal maintenance is not necessary, whether the component replacement or periodic maintenance is necessary is detected based on the driving history information.

10. The electric aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: further comprising a fuselage communication unit capable of communicating with an external communication unit included in an external device different from the electric aircraft, The body communication unit transmits the detected driving information to the external communication unit, and receives the determination of whether maintenance is required in the external device using the transmitted driving information. The maintenance necessity detection unit detects the received maintenance necessity information.

11. A control device for an electric aircraft, the electric aircraft comprising a plurality of electric drive systems, the plurality of electric drive systems having a drive motor for driving a rotary wing to rotate the rotary wing and a drive unit for driving the drive motor, characterized in that: The electric aircraft includes a driving information detection unit and a maintenance detection unit. During the operation of the electric aircraft, The drive information detection unit detects drive information including at least one of motor information as an indicator of a degradation state of the drive motor and drive unit information as an indicator of a degradation state of the drive unit for each of the plurality of electric drive systems. The maintenance necessity detection unit detects whether maintenance is required for each of the plurality of electric drive systems based on the detected drive information. The maintenance at least includes replacement of components of the electric drive system.

12. The control device for an electric aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detection of whether maintenance is required includes detection of whether abnormality inspection is required based on whether the value of the driving information deviates from a normal range.

13. The control device for an electric aircraft according to claim 12, characterized in that: The threshold of the driving information used for detecting whether abnormal maintenance is required includes: a first threshold indicating that the value of the driving information deviates from a normal range and a second threshold indicating that the value of the driving information deviates greatly from the normal range. When the value of the driving information exceeds the second threshold value, or when the value exceeds the first threshold value but continues to be less than the second threshold value, a request for abnormality inspection is executed.

14. The control device for an electric aircraft according to claim 11, characterized in that: further comprising a storage control unit configured to store driving history information related to the history of the driving information, The maintenance necessity detecting unit detects the maintenance necessity determined by using the stored driving history information.

15. The electric aircraft according to claim 14, characterized in that: Also included is a storage device for storing the driving history information.

16. The electric aircraft according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that: The detection of the need for maintenance includes detection of whether a component inspection is needed based on the driving history information.

17. The electric aircraft according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that: During the maintenance, it includes detecting whether to perform a regular inspection based on the driving history information.

18. The electric aircraft according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that: When implementing the maintenance described above, it includes: executing a process of requesting the component replacement for the electric drive system whose driving history information satisfies a predetermined component replacement condition; and processing of requesting a periodic maintenance for the electric drive system whose driving history information satisfies a predetermined periodic maintenance condition, When the driving history information satisfies the component replacement condition, executing the component replacement request, When the driving history information does not satisfy the component replacement condition but satisfies the periodic maintenance condition, the periodic maintenance request is implemented.

19. The electric aircraft according to claim 11, characterized in that: The inspection whether maintenance is required is Based on the driving information, whether abnormal maintenance is required is detected. When it is detected that abnormal maintenance is not necessary, whether the component replacement or periodic maintenance is necessary is detected based on the driving history information.

20. The electric aircraft according to any one of claims 11 to 19, characterized in that: further comprising a fuselage communication unit capable of communicating with an external communication unit included in an external device different from the electric aircraft, The body communication unit transmits the detected driving information to the external communication unit, and receives the determination of whether maintenance is required in the external device using the transmitted driving information. The maintenance necessity detection unit detects the received maintenance necessity information.

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