EVTOL flight control system and eVTOL flight control method based on time-sensitive network

Abstract

The invention discloses an eVTOL flight control system based on a time sensitive network and a control method, the eVTOL flight control system is used for an eVTOL model, the system comprises a main flight control unit, a backup flight control unit, a time sensitive network unit and a data concentration unit, the main flight control unit is connected with the backup flight control unit, the data concentration unit is connected with the time sensitive network unit, and the backup flight control unit is connected with the time sensitive network unit. The time sensitive network unit is connected with the main flight control unit; the main flight control unit is used for executing calculation processing and redundancy management of main flight control; the backup flight control unit is used for taking over when the main flight control unit fails; the time sensitive network unit is used for carrying out communication conversion on the main flight control unit and the backup flight control unit; the data concentration unit is used for converting data of external equipment and transmitting the data to the time-sensitive network unit. According to the invention, through communication conversion between the time-sensitive network unit and the data concentration unit, miniaturization and light weight of equipment can be realized on the premise of ensuring performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of aircraft flight control technology, and in particular to an eVTOL flight control system and a control method based on a time-sensitive network. Background Art

[0002] With the development of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL), traditional fly-by-wire flight control systems are no longer fully applicable to this new type of aircraft. The take-off weight of eVTOL aircraft generally does not exceed 3 tons, with a passenger capacity of 4-5 people, and its safety requirements are relatively low. However, since eVTOL adopts a hybrid configuration of multi-rotor and fixed-wing, pilots cannot control multiple sets of actuators through mechanical connections and must rely on fly-by-wire flight control systems for flight stability control. At the same time, the size and weight of eVTOL are limited, making the weight and volume of traditional network equipment unsuitable for its use. In order to adapt to the special needs of eVTOL, the industry urgently needs a new flight control system technology solution that can achieve miniaturization and lightweight equipment while ensuring performance. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an eVTOL flight control system and control method based on a time-sensitive network, aiming to solve the problem that traditional network equipment cannot be applied to eVTOL aircraft.

[0004] An embodiment of the present invention provides an eVTOL flight control system based on a time-sensitive network, which is used for an eVTOL aircraft, including:

[0005] A main flight control unit, a backup flight control unit, a time-sensitive network unit and a data concentration unit, wherein the main flight control unit is connected to the backup flight control unit, the data concentration unit is connected to the time-sensitive network unit, and the time-sensitive network unit is connected to the main flight control unit;

[0006] The primary flight control unit is used to perform calculation processing and redundancy management of primary flight control;

[0007] The backup flight control unit is used to take over the main flight control unit when the main flight control unit fails;

[0008] The time-sensitive network unit is used to perform communication conversion between the primary flight control unit and the backup flight control unit, and transmit data of the backup flight control unit to the primary flight control unit;

[0009] The data concentration unit is used to convert the external device data and transmit it to the time sensitive network unit.

[0010] Furthermore, it also includes:

[0011] A navigation sensing unit, a flight control unit, a landing gear sensing unit, a backup heading attitude reference unit, a servo actuation unit and a distributed electric propulsion unit, wherein the navigation sensing unit is connected to the data concentration unit, the flight control unit is respectively connected to the data concentration unit and a backup flight control unit, the landing gear sensing unit is respectively connected to the data concentration unit and a backup flight control unit, the backup heading attitude reference unit is connected to the backup flight control unit, the servo actuation unit is respectively connected to the data concentration unit and a backup flight control unit, and the distributed electric propulsion unit is respectively connected to the data concentration unit and a backup flight control unit;

[0012] The navigation sensor unit is used to detect and obtain the spatial position, speed and acceleration during flight;

[0013] The flight control unit is used to receive the control signal and convert the control signal into a flight control instruction;

[0014] The landing gear sensor unit is used to detect the state of the landing gear;

[0015] The backup heading and attitude reference unit is used to push heading information, attitude information and speed information respectively when the main flight control unit fails;

[0016] The servo actuation unit is used to change the flight attitude and flight direction according to the flight control instruction;

[0017] The distributed electric propulsion unit is used to provide flight power distribution.

[0018] Further, the main flight control unit includes a command interface, a monitoring interface and an IO interface, the command interface and the monitoring interface are respectively connected to the time-sensitive network unit, and the IO interface is connected to the backup flight control unit;

[0019] The command interface is used to establish communication with the time sensitive network unit;

[0020] The monitoring interface is used to establish communication with the time-sensitive network unit;

[0021] The IO interface is used to establish communication with the backup flight control unit.

[0022] Further, the backup flight control unit includes a discrete quantity control unit, a data bus conversion unit and an isolation circuit unit, the discrete quantity control unit is connected to the data bus conversion unit, and the data bus conversion unit is connected to the isolation circuit unit;

[0023] The discrete quantity control unit is used to receive the discrete quantity signal of the main flight control unit and transmit it to the output end of the data bus conversion unit;

[0024] The data bus conversion unit is used to output the control instructions of the backup flight;

[0025] The isolation circuit unit is used to communicate with the servo actuation unit and the distributed electric propulsion unit respectively.

[0026] Furthermore, the data concentration unit is connected to the navigation sensor unit via an ARINC429 bus, and / or the data concentration unit is connected to the servo actuator unit and the distributed electric propulsion unit respectively via a controller area network.

[0027] Furthermore, it also includes a flight management system display connected to the time-sensitive network unit, and the flight management system display is used to provide flight control management for operators.

[0028] Furthermore, the landing gear sensor unit is connected to the data concentration unit via a discrete interface.

[0029] Furthermore, the backup flight control unit is used to alleviate the common mode failure of the main flight control unit.

[0030] Furthermore, when the discrete quantity signal of the main flight control unit is OFF, the discrete quantity control unit output signal is ON, and the output backup flight control instruction of the data bus conversion unit is connected; or, when the discrete quantity signal of the main flight control unit is ON, the discrete quantity control unit output signal is OFF, and the output backup flight control instruction of the data bus conversion unit is disconnected.

[0031] The present invention also provides a control method for the eVTOL flight control system based on a time-sensitive network as described above, comprising:

[0032] Utilizing the primary flight control unit to perform calculation processing and redundancy management of primary flight control;

[0033] When the main flight control unit fails, the backup flight control unit takes over the main flight control unit, and uses the time-sensitive network unit to perform communication conversion between the main flight control unit and the backup flight control unit, so as to transmit data of the backup flight control unit to the main flight control unit;

[0034] The data concentration unit is used to convert the external device data and transmit the data to the time sensitive network unit.

[0035] The present invention provides an eVTOL flight control system and control method based on a time-sensitive network, which is used for an eVTOL aircraft model. The system includes a main flight control unit, a backup flight control unit, a time-sensitive network unit and a data concentration unit. The main flight control unit is connected to the backup flight control unit, the data concentration unit is connected to the time-sensitive network unit, and the time-sensitive network unit is connected to the main flight control unit; the main flight control unit is used to perform calculation processing and redundancy management of the main flight control; the backup flight control unit is used to take over the main flight control unit when the main flight control unit fails; the time-sensitive network unit is used to perform communication conversion between the main flight control unit and the backup flight control unit, and transmit the data of the backup flight control unit to the main flight control unit; the data concentration unit is used to convert external device data and transmit it to the time-sensitive network unit. The present invention can achieve miniaturization and lightweight of the equipment under the premise of ensuring performance through the mutual cooperation of the time-sensitive network unit and the data concentration unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without paying any creative work.

[0037] Figure 1 An architecture diagram of an eVTOL flight control system based on a time-sensitive network provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 2 An architectural diagram of a primary flight control unit provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 3 An architectural diagram of a backup flight control unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0041] It should be understood that when used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms "include" and "comprises" indicate the presence of described features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0042] It should also be understood that the terms used in this specification of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used in the specification of the present invention and the appended claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include plural forms.

[0043] It should be further understood that the term "and / or" used in the present description and the appended claims refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0044] Combination Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 This is an architecture diagram of an eVTOL flight control system based on a time-sensitive network. The eVTOL flight control system based on a time-sensitive network is used for eVTOL models and specifically includes:

[0045] A main flight control unit, a backup flight control unit, a time-sensitive network unit and a data concentration unit, wherein the main flight control unit is connected to the backup flight control unit, the data concentration unit is connected to the time-sensitive network unit, and the time-sensitive network unit is connected to the main flight control unit;

[0046] The primary flight control unit is used to perform calculation processing and redundancy management of primary flight control;

[0047] The backup flight control unit is used to take over the main flight control unit when the main flight control unit fails;

[0048] The time-sensitive network unit is used to perform communication conversion between the primary flight control unit and the backup flight control unit, and transmit data of the backup flight control unit to the primary flight control unit;

[0049] The data concentration unit is used to convert the external device data and transmit it to the time sensitive network unit.

[0050] In this embodiment, for ease of understanding, this embodiment provides an abbreviation table as follows:

[0051]

[0052] The present invention provides an eVTOL flight control system based on a time-sensitive network (TSN), which is applicable to various types of eVTOL aircraft. The system includes a primary flight control unit (PFCU), a backup flight control unit (BFCU), a time-sensitive network unit (TSN unit) and a data concentration unit (DCU). Each unit communicates and exchanges data efficiently through a time-sensitive network to ensure that the system can operate reliably in both normal and fault conditions.

[0053] Specifically, the primary flight control unit (PFCU) is responsible for executing the core computing processing of the primary flight control function and performing redundancy management. The primary flight control unit is connected to other units or devices through the time-sensitive network unit to process external control inputs and sensor data to ensure the stability and control accuracy of the aircraft under different flight conditions. The backup flight control unit (BFCU) is used to automatically take over the control task when the primary flight control unit fails or fails. In order to prevent false triggering, the activation condition of the backup flight control unit is set to be based on the failure signal of the primary flight control unit, thereby ensuring the safety and reliability of the system. The time-sensitive network unit (TSN unit) plays a core data exchange role in the entire system. The time-sensitive network unit is responsible for the communication conversion between the primary flight control unit and the backup flight control unit, while ensuring that the data transmission between each module is real-time and reliable. The high-speed network characteristics of the time-sensitive network unit enable the flight control system to operate stably under low-latency conditions, improving the system's response speed and redundancy management capabilities. The data concentration unit (DCU) is used to convert data from external devices (such as data from ARINC429, CAN and other protocols) into TSN protocol data packets, and then pass them to the time-sensitive network unit. The data concentration unit can be connected to multiple different types of aviation equipment, such as sensors, actuators, etc. through interface expansion, ensuring that the system can receive and process a variety of external data and effectively transmit this data to the main flight control unit and the backup flight control unit.

[0054] The architecture design of the flight control system of the present invention ensures that during the flight, it can not only provide efficient primary flight control functions, but also has redundant backup control capabilities. When the primary flight control unit fails, the backup flight control unit can intervene in time to ensure flight safety. At the same time, the application of time-sensitive network units greatly reduces data transmission delays, improves the real-time and reliability of the flight control system, and adapts to the requirements of eVTOL aircraft for lightweight and low power consumption.

[0055] In one embodiment, the eVTOL flight control system based on a time-sensitive network further includes:

[0056] A navigation sensing unit, a flight control unit, a landing gear sensing unit, a backup heading attitude reference unit, a servo actuation unit and a distributed electric propulsion unit, wherein the navigation sensing unit is connected to the data concentration unit, the flight control unit is respectively connected to the data concentration unit and a backup flight control unit, the landing gear sensing unit is respectively connected to the data concentration unit and a backup flight control unit, the backup heading attitude reference unit is connected to the backup flight control unit, the servo actuation unit is respectively connected to the data concentration unit and a backup flight control unit, and the distributed electric propulsion unit is respectively connected to the data concentration unit and a backup flight control unit;

[0057] The navigation sensor unit is used to detect and obtain the spatial position, speed and acceleration during flight;

[0058] The flight control unit is used to receive the control signal and convert the control signal into a flight control instruction;

[0059] The landing gear sensor unit is used to detect the state of the landing gear;

[0060] The backup heading and attitude reference unit is used to push heading information, attitude information and speed information respectively when the main flight control unit fails;

[0061] The servo actuation unit is used to change the flight attitude and flight direction according to the flight control instruction;

[0062] The distributed electric propulsion unit is used to provide flight power distribution.

[0063] In this embodiment, the eVTOL flight control system further includes: a navigation sensor unit (NavigationSensors), a flight control unit (Pilot Control Interface), a landing gear sensor unit (LandingGearSensor), a backup heading attitude reference unit (BackupAHRS), a servo actuator unit (Actuatuon System) and a distributed electric propulsion unit (DEPS). The navigation sensor unit is used to detect and obtain important flight data such as spatial position, speed and acceleration during flight. The navigation sensor unit converts the detected data information into a signal that complies with the TSN protocol through the data concentration unit, and transmits it to the main flight control unit and the backup flight control unit to ensure that the position and motion state of the flight control system during flight are monitored in real time. The flight control unit is used to receive the pilot's control signal and convert it into a flight control instruction. The flight control unit transmits the signal to the main flight control unit through the data concentration unit, and is directly connected to the backup flight control unit. When the main flight control unit fails, it can seamlessly switch to the backup control to ensure the continuity of control. The landing gear sensor unit is used to detect the status information of the landing gear, including the retraction and extension status of the landing gear and related mechanical parameters. The landing gear sensor unit communicates with other units of the flight control system through the data concentration unit, and is connected to the backup flight control unit to ensure that the landing gear status can still be accurately detected and controlled even if the main flight control unit fails. The backup heading attitude reference unit provides heading information, attitude information and speed information to the backup flight control unit when the main flight control unit fails. The backup heading attitude reference unit ensures that the aircraft can still obtain key navigation information in emergency situations to ensure the safety and stability of flight. The servo actuator unit is used to adjust the attitude and direction of the aircraft according to the flight control instructions generated by the flight control unit. The servo actuator unit is connected to the main flight control unit through the data concentration unit and to the backup flight control unit to ensure that the servo actuator system can still work normally and realize emergency control when the main flight control unit fails. The distributed electric propulsion unit is used to provide flight power distribution. The distributed electric propulsion unit communicates with the main flight control unit through the data concentration unit and is directly connected to the backup flight control unit to ensure that the power output of the aircraft can be maintained when the main flight control unit fails to ensure the safety of flight. When the eVTOL flight control system is operating normally, all key units are controlled by the main flight control unit; when the main flight control unit fails, the backup flight control unit automatically takes over to ensure that the flight control system can continue to provide reliable flight control in emergency situations.

[0064] Combination Figure 2As shown, in one embodiment, the main flight control unit includes a command interface, a monitoring interface and an IO interface, the command interface and the monitoring interface are respectively connected to the time-sensitive network unit, and the IO interface is connected to the backup flight control unit;

[0065] The command interface is used to establish communication with the time sensitive network unit;

[0066] The monitoring interface is used to establish communication with the time-sensitive network unit;

[0067] The IO interface is used to establish communication with the backup flight control unit.

[0068] In this embodiment, the main flight control unit includes a command interface, a monitoring interface and an input / output (IO) interface, and each interface communicates and transmits data with the backup flight control unit through a time-sensitive network. Figure 2 COM-TSN-Eth and MON-TSN-Eth in the figure correspond to the two time-sensitive network units in the main flight control unit. COM-IO and MON-IO are other interfaces output by the main flight control unit, which are used to connect the backup flight control unit and other expansion interfaces. The cross-link interface of the main flight control unit is 1000BASE-T1. The command interface is used to establish a communication connection with the time-sensitive network unit, and is mainly responsible for sending and receiving flight control commands from the time-sensitive network unit. Through the command interface, the main flight control unit can obtain key information from external systems (such as sensors, navigation equipment, etc.) and use it for flight control calculations. At the same time, the main flight control unit can also send control commands to other systems through the command interface to achieve coordinated operation of the system. The monitoring interface is also connected to the time-sensitive network unit and is specifically used to monitor the working status of the main flight control unit in real time. Through the monitoring interface, the system can monitor and evaluate the operation of the main flight control unit, including the status feedback of flight data, equipment health information, and system load status. The monitoring interface ensures the reliability of the flight control system and provides support for rapid response in emergency situations through real-time monitoring data. The IO interface is used to establish a communication connection with the backup flight control unit to ensure that the backup flight control unit can seamlessly take over the control task when the main flight control unit fails. The IO interface not only transmits control data from the main flight control unit, but also receives feedback information from the backup unit when necessary, thereby ensuring the redundancy and safety performance of the flight control system. Through the design of these three interfaces, the main flight control unit can efficiently exchange data with the time-sensitive network unit and the backup flight control unit, ensuring that the flight control system can provide stable and reliable flight control support under both normal and fault conditions.

[0069] In one embodiment, the backup flight control unit includes a discrete quantity control unit, a data bus conversion unit and an isolation circuit unit, the discrete quantity control unit is connected to the data bus conversion unit, and the data bus conversion unit is connected to the isolation circuit unit;

[0070] The discrete quantity control unit is used to receive the discrete quantity signal of the main flight control unit and transmit it to the output end of the data bus conversion unit;

[0071] The data bus conversion unit is used to output the control instructions of the backup flight;

[0072] The isolation circuit unit is used to communicate with the servo actuation unit and the distributed electric propulsion unit respectively.

[0073] In this embodiment, the backup flight control unit includes a discrete quantity control unit, a data bus conversion unit and an isolation circuit unit. These units are interconnected and work together to ensure that when the main flight control unit fails, the backup flight control unit can quickly take over the flight control task and ensure the safe operation of the aircraft. The discrete quantity control unit is used to receive discrete quantity signals from the main flight control unit. The discrete quantity signal usually represents the state instruction or control feedback information of the main flight control unit. When the main flight control unit is working normally, the discrete quantity control unit transmits the discrete quantity signal to the data bus conversion unit for further processing; when the main flight control unit fails, the backup flight control unit directly obtains the necessary flight control signal through the discrete quantity control unit to realize emergency takeover. The data bus conversion unit is responsible for converting the discrete quantity signal received by the discrete quantity control unit into an instruction format that conforms to the backup flight control, and outputs the corresponding control instruction. Specifically, the data bus conversion unit can convert various sensor data, control signals, etc. into standard control instructions, and transmit them to the servo actuator unit and the distributed electric propulsion unit to ensure that the attitude control and power distribution of the aircraft are not affected. The isolation circuit unit is used to communicate with the servo actuator unit and the distributed electric propulsion unit respectively. The function of the isolation circuit unit is to electrically isolate the control signal to avoid signal interference and erroneous operation caused by system failure.

[0074] In one embodiment, the data concentration unit is connected to the navigation sensor unit via an ARINC429 bus, and / or the data concentration unit is connected to the servo actuator unit and the distributed electric propulsion unit respectively via a controller area network.

[0075] In this embodiment, the data concentration unit is connected to the navigation sensor unit via the ARINC429 bus. ARINC429 is a unidirectional data transmission bus protocol widely used in avionics equipment, with high reliability and anti-interference ability. In this embodiment, the navigation sensor unit transmits navigation information such as position, speed, acceleration, etc. in flight to the data concentration unit via the ARINC429 bus. The data concentration unit then converts these navigation data into signals that comply with the time-sensitive network (TSN) protocol and transmits them to the main flight control unit and the backup flight control unit for real-time flight status monitoring and control. In addition, the data concentration unit is connected to the servo actuator unit and the distributed electric propulsion unit respectively via the controller area network (CAN). CAN is a communication protocol with a multi-host architecture, which is widely used in environments with high real-time and high reliability requirements. In this embodiment, the servo actuator unit and the distributed electric propulsion unit establish a two-way communication connection with the data concentration unit via CAN. The servo actuator unit is used to receive flight control instructions and adjust the flight attitude, and the distributed electric propulsion unit is responsible for the distribution and adjustment of power according to the control instructions. Through this design, the data concentration unit is compatible with different types of communication protocols (such as ARINC429 and CAN), and can effectively integrate data from different sensors and control devices. This not only ensures efficient coordination between navigation, flight control and power distribution, but also improves the real-time data transmission and the overall stability of the system. Whether it is one-way ARINC429 bus communication or two-way CAN bus communication, it can ensure smooth data interaction between systems during flight, thereby improving the safety and reliability of the eVTOL flight control system.

[0076] In one embodiment, it further includes a flight management system display connected to the time sensitive network unit, wherein the flight management system display is used to provide flight control management for operators.

[0077] In this embodiment, the flight control system also includes a flight management system display connected to the time-sensitive network unit. As part of the flight management system (FMS), the flight management system display specifically provides real-time flight control information and management interface for operators. The flight management system display receives key information from the main flight control unit, the backup flight control unit, the navigation sensor unit, etc. through the time-sensitive network unit, and displays the flight status, flight path, navigation data, system health status and other flight control related information to the operator in an intuitive way. The operator can monitor the operation of the aircraft in real time through the flight management system display, and obtain the execution status of the flight control instructions and system feedback information in a timely manner. The flight management system display not only provides flight control management functions, but also can warn of abnormal conditions. When the flight control system detects a failure of the main flight control unit or other units, the flight management system display will immediately send a warning message to the operator and indicate the activation status of the backup flight control unit to ensure that the operator can make corresponding decisions in time.

[0078] In one embodiment, the landing gear sensor unit is connected to the data concentration unit via a discrete interface.

[0079] In this embodiment, the landing gear sensing unit is connected to the data concentration unit through a discrete interface. The discrete interface is a communication method for transmitting switch signals, which is suitable for simple signal transmission requirements such as state detection. The landing gear sensing unit is used to monitor the state information of the landing gear, such as the retracted and extended position of the landing gear, whether it is locked, etc. Through the discrete interface, the landing gear sensing unit can transmit these key information to the data concentration unit. After receiving the landing gear status information, the data concentration unit will convert it into a signal that complies with the time-sensitive network (TSN) protocol and transmit it to the main flight control unit and the backup flight control unit to ensure that the flight control system can grasp the state of the landing gear in real time and make corresponding control adjustments. This ensures the simplicity and reliability of the flight control system. Transmitting the key state information of the landing gear through the discrete interface can effectively reduce the demand for complex signal processing and improve the real-time transmission of the sensor signal.

[0080] In one embodiment, the backup flight control unit is used to mitigate common mode failure of the primary flight control unit.

[0081] In this embodiment, the backup flight control unit is used to alleviate the common mode failure problem of the main flight control unit. Common mode failure refers to the situation where multiple redundant control channels fail at the same time due to common factors or the same failure mechanism inside the main flight control unit. In order to ensure that the aircraft can still maintain safe flight when the main flight control unit fails, the backup flight control unit is designed as an independent redundant control system to take over the flight control task when a common mode failure occurs. When a common mode failure occurs in the main flight control unit, the backup flight control unit will control through its independent sensors and control loops to maintain the basic operating functions of the aircraft. The backup flight control unit does not rely on the hardware and software of the main flight control unit, has independent control logic and fault detection mechanism, and can avoid overall system failure caused by common mode failure. When a common mode failure occurs, the backup flight control unit can automatically identify the failure signal of the main flight control unit and quickly take over the key control tasks of the aircraft, such as attitude control, power distribution and flight state adjustment, to ensure that the aircraft can safely respond to emergencies.

[0082] In one embodiment, when the discrete quantity signal of the main flight control unit is OFF, the discrete quantity control unit output signal is ON, and the output backup flight control instruction of the data bus conversion unit is connected; or, when the discrete quantity signal of the main flight control unit is ON, the discrete quantity control unit output signal is OFF, and the output backup flight control instruction of the data bus conversion unit is disconnected.

[0083] In this embodiment, the backup flight control unit determines the state of the main flight control unit through a discrete signal, and decides whether to connect the backup flight control command based on the state. Specifically, when the discrete signal of the main flight control unit is OFF, it means that the main flight control unit has failed or has a fault. At this time, the discrete control unit of the backup flight control unit detects the signal, and the output signal is ON, indicating that the backup control state has been entered. Subsequently, the data bus conversion unit connects the control command of the backup flight to ensure that the backup flight control unit can smoothly take over the flight control task and continue to control the attitude and power distribution of the aircraft. Conversely, when the discrete signal of the main flight control unit is ON, it means that the main flight control unit is operating normally. At this time, the discrete control unit output signal of the backup flight control unit is OFF, and the backup system is in standby mode. Correspondingly, the data bus conversion unit will disconnect the backup flight control command to ensure that the main flight control unit fully controls the flight control of the aircraft under normal conditions. The flight control system in this embodiment adopts three main flight control units. When the channel discrete quantity signals of the three main flight control units are all OFF, the output signal is ON, and the control instruction output signal of the backup flight control unit is connected; otherwise, the output signal is OFF, and the backup flight control unit output will be disconnected.

[0084] The embodiment of the present invention further provides a control method of the eVTOL flight control system based on the time-sensitive network as described above, comprising:

[0085] Utilizing the primary flight control unit to perform calculation processing and redundancy management of primary flight control;

[0086] When the main flight control unit fails, the backup flight control unit takes over the main flight control unit, and uses the time-sensitive network unit to perform communication conversion between the main flight control unit and the backup flight control unit, so as to transmit data of the backup flight control unit to the main flight control unit;

[0087] The data concentration unit is used to convert the external device data and transmit the data to the time sensitive network unit.

[0088] In this embodiment, the main flight control unit performs the calculation processing and redundancy management of the main flight control. Under normal operating conditions, the main flight control unit interacts with various external devices and performs data through the time-sensitive network unit to ensure the smooth completion of tasks such as attitude control, navigation and power distribution of the aircraft. The main flight control unit not only processes sensor input and control instructions in real time, but also continuously monitors the health status of the system through the redundancy management function to ensure flight safety. When the main flight control unit fails, the system will automatically switch to the backup flight control unit, and the backup flight control unit will take over the functions of the main flight control unit. At this time, the time-sensitive network unit is responsible for coordinating the communication conversion between the main flight control unit and the backup flight control unit, and transmitting the data of the backup flight control unit to the main flight control unit to ensure that the aircraft can still maintain safe operation when the main flight control unit fails. The backup flight control unit has an independent control loop and control logic, which can quickly respond to and take over the key control tasks of the aircraft, such as attitude adjustment and power management.

[0089] At the same time, the data concentration unit plays a key interface role in the entire system. The data concentration unit is responsible for converting the data of external devices (such as navigation sensors, servo actuator systems, distributed electric propulsion units, etc.) into data that complies with the TSN protocol and transmits this data to the time-sensitive network unit. Through the unified interface management of the data concentration unit, various devices can perform efficient data exchange and control command transmission through the time-sensitive network unit, ensuring the real-time performance of the system and the reliability of data processing.

[0090] In view of the characteristics of eVTOL aircraft, the present invention proposes a new flight control system architecture, which adopts a time-sensitive network unit as the communication core, supports the expansion interface of the data concentration unit, and adopts a backup flight control unit to alleviate the common mode of the main flight control unit. The interface of the main flight control unit of the present invention is simple and highly adaptable, and it can be designed in a balanced manner according to different systems, models and safety requirements. The present invention can not only reduce weight, but also has cost advantages, which is very suitable for eVTOL models.

[0091] The various embodiments in the specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments, and the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

[0092] It should also be noted that, in this specification, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or article including a series of elements may include not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or may also include elements inherent to such process, method, article or article. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the statement "comprises a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or article including the element.

Claims

1. An eVTOL flight control system based on a time-sensitive network, used for an eVTOL aircraft, characterized in that: include: A main flight control unit, a backup flight control unit, a time-sensitive network unit and a data concentration unit, wherein the main flight control unit is connected to the backup flight control unit, the data concentration unit is connected to the time-sensitive network unit, and the time-sensitive network unit is connected to the main flight control unit; The primary flight control unit is used to perform calculation processing and redundancy management of primary flight control; The backup flight control unit is used to take over the main flight control unit when the main flight control unit fails; The time-sensitive network unit is used to perform communication conversion between the primary flight control unit and the backup flight control unit, and transmit data of the backup flight control unit to the primary flight control unit; The data concentration unit is used to convert the external device data and transmit it to the time sensitive network unit.

2. The time-sensitive network-based eVTOL flight control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A navigation sensing unit, a flight control unit, a landing gear sensing unit, a backup heading attitude reference unit, a servo actuation unit and a distributed electric propulsion unit, wherein the navigation sensing unit is connected to the data concentration unit, the flight control unit is respectively connected to the data concentration unit and a backup flight control unit, the landing gear sensing unit is respectively connected to the data concentration unit and a backup flight control unit, the backup heading attitude reference unit is connected to the backup flight control unit, the servo actuation unit is respectively connected to the data concentration unit and a backup flight control unit, and the distributed electric propulsion unit is respectively connected to the data concentration unit and a backup flight control unit; The navigation sensor unit is used to detect and obtain the spatial position, speed and acceleration during flight; The flight control unit is used to receive the control signal and convert the control signal into a flight control instruction; The landing gear sensor unit is used to detect the state of the landing gear; The backup heading and attitude reference unit is used to push heading information, attitude information and speed information respectively when the main flight control unit fails; The servo actuation unit is used to change the flight attitude and flight direction according to the flight control instruction; The distributed electric propulsion unit is used to provide flight power distribution.

3. The time-sensitive network-based eVTOL flight control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main flight control unit includes a command interface, a monitoring interface and an IO interface, the command interface and the monitoring interface are respectively connected to the time-sensitive network unit, and the IO interface is connected to the backup flight control unit; The command interface is used to establish communication with the time sensitive network unit; The monitoring interface is used to establish communication with the time-sensitive network unit; The IO interface is used to establish communication with the backup flight control unit.

4. The time-sensitive network-based eVTOL flight control system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The backup flight control unit includes a discrete quantity control unit, a data bus conversion unit and an isolation circuit unit, the discrete quantity control unit is connected to the data bus conversion unit, and the data bus conversion unit is connected to the isolation circuit unit; The discrete quantity control unit is used to receive the discrete quantity signal of the main flight control unit and transmit it to the output end of the data bus conversion unit; The data bus conversion unit is used to output the control instructions of the backup flight; The isolation circuit unit is used to communicate with the servo actuation unit and the distributed electric propulsion unit respectively.

5. The time-sensitive network-based eVTOL flight control system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The data concentration unit is connected to the navigation sensor unit via an ARINC429 bus, and / or the data concentration unit is connected to the servo actuation unit and the distributed electric propulsion unit respectively via a controller area network.

6. The time-sensitive network-based eVTOL flight control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The invention also comprises a flight management system display connected to the time sensitive network unit, wherein the flight management system display is used to provide flight control management for operators.

7. The time-sensitive network-based eVTOL flight control system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The landing gear sensor unit is connected to the data concentration unit via a discrete interface.

8. The time-sensitive network-based eVTOL flight control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The backup flight control unit is used to mitigate common mode failure of the main flight control unit.

9. The time-sensitive network-based eVTOL flight control system according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the discrete quantity signal of the main flight control unit is OFF, the discrete quantity control unit output signal is ON, and the output backup flight control instruction of the data bus conversion unit is connected; or, when the discrete quantity signal of the main flight control unit is ON, the discrete quantity control unit output signal is OFF, and the output backup flight control instruction of the data bus conversion unit is disconnected.

10. A control method for an eVTOL flight control system based on a time-sensitive network according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: include: Utilizing the primary flight control unit to perform calculation processing and redundancy management of primary flight control; When the main flight control unit fails, the backup flight control unit takes over the main flight control unit, and uses the time-sensitive network unit to perform communication conversion between the main flight control unit and the backup flight control unit, so as to transmit data of the backup flight control unit to the main flight control unit; The data concentration unit is used to convert the external device data and transmit the data to the time sensitive network unit.

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