Aircraft control method, device and aircraft

Abstract

The application discloses an aircraft control method and device and an aircraft. The method comprises the following steps: monitoring the working condition of a main drive motor; and performing torque distribution control on the main drive motor and / or a duct motor according to the working condition of the main drive motor and a corresponding torque distribution control strategy in combination with the expected yaw torque output by a controller. In the normal working condition and the motor fault working condition of the aircraft, the yaw control authority is reasonably distributed between the main drive motor and the duct motor, the yaw control capability of the aircraft (for example, a hexacopter) in the normal working condition and the fault tolerance control capability of the aircraft after motor failure are improved, and the smooth completion of a flight task is ensured.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of aircraft, in particular to an aircraft control method and device and an aircraft. BACKGROUND

[0002] In recent years, with the development of aircraft technology, aircrafts now play an important role in the three fields of military, civil and science. Among them, the vertical take-off and landing aircraft has become a research hotspot in the industry because it has relatively low requirements for the site environment of the take-off and landing site. To achieve vertical take-off and landing of an aircraft, a multi-rotor aircraft is generally designed. The safety requirement for a manned aircraft is very high. In order to meet the safety requirement, there are various designs of multi-rotor aircraft in terms of the number and layout of rotors. The six-rotor layout aircraft is one of the multi-rotor aircraft configurations that can meet the single-point failure of the electric aircraft motor.

[0003] However, the current six-rotor layout aircraft has the problems of weak yaw control ability during normal flight on the one hand, and on the other hand, when a motor fails, the natural layout of the six-rotor causes the aircraft to be in a moment imbalance state as soon as one motor fails. At this time, the remaining control ability is even weaker than that of an ordinary four-rotor aircraft, and the control and anti-disturbance ability will be greatly reduced, which may cause a crash accident and pose a great threat to personal and property safety. SUMMARY

[0004] The main purpose of the present application is to provide an aircraft control method, device, aircraft and storage medium, which aims to improve the yaw control ability of the aircraft (especially the six-rotor aircraft) under normal working conditions and the fault-tolerant control ability after the motor fails, and to ensure the safety and reliability of the aircraft.

[0005] To achieve the above purpose, the present application provides an aircraft control method, which comprises:

[0006] monitoring the working condition of the main drive motor;

[0007] According to the working condition of the main drive motor, the main drive motor and / or the duct motor are controlled by the corresponding moment distribution control strategy in combination with the expected yaw moment output by the controller.

[0008] Optionally, the step of monitoring the working condition of the main drive motor comprises:

[0009] monitoring the actual speed of the main drive motor;

[0010] calculating the difference between the actual speed of the main drive motor and the expected speed output by the controller;

[0011] If the difference reaches a preset threshold, it is determined that the main drive motor is faulty.

[0012] Optionally, the step of performing torque distribution control on the main drive motor and / or the ducted motor according to the corresponding torque distribution control strategy and the expected yaw torque output by the controller comprises:

[0013] If the main drive motor is in normal working condition, a torque distribution control strategy in normal working condition is selected, and the torque distribution control on the main drive motor and / or the ducted motor is performed according to the torque distribution control strategy in normal working condition and the expected yaw torque output by the controller.

[0014] If at least one main drive motor is in faulty working condition, a torque distribution control strategy in faulty working condition is selected, and the torque distribution control on the main drive motor and / or the ducted motor is performed according to the torque distribution control strategy in faulty working condition and the expected yaw torque output by the controller.

[0015] Optionally, the step of performing torque distribution control on the main drive motor and / or the ducted motor according to the torque distribution control strategy in normal working condition and the expected yaw torque output by the controller comprises:

[0016] It is determined whether each main drive motor can achieve the expected yaw torque output by the controller.

[0017] If not, the main drive motor is allocated a yaw torque that can be achieved by the main drive motor, and based on the expected yaw torque and the yaw torque achieved by each main drive motor, a remaining yaw torque that is not allocated is calculated, and the remaining yaw torque is allocated to the ducted motor.

[0018] Optionally, the step of determining whether each main drive motor can achieve the expected yaw torque output by the controller comprises:

[0019] According to the expected yaw torque output by the controller and a preset first torque distribution relationship, a rotation speed of the main drive motor after the expected yaw torque is allocated to the main drive motor is calculated.

[0020] If the calculated rotation speed of the main drive motor is greater than or equal to the rotation speed of the main drive motor in a saturated state, it is determined that each main drive motor cannot achieve the expected yaw torque output by the controller.

[0021] Optionally, the step of allocating the main drive motor with a yaw torque that can be achieved by the main drive motor, and based on the expected yaw torque and the yaw torque achieved by each main drive motor, calculating a remaining yaw torque that is not allocated, and allocating the remaining yaw torque to the ducted motor comprises:

[0022] distributing the yaw moment that the main drive motor can realize to the main drive motor based on the rotating speed of the main drive motor in the saturation state and the first torque distribution relationship, and controlling the main drive motor at the corresponding rotating speed;

[0023] subtracting the yaw moment that each main drive motor can realize from the expected yaw moment to obtain a remaining yaw moment that is not distributed;

[0024] distributing the remaining yaw moment to the duct motor, and calculating the corresponding rotating speed for controlling the duct motor based on the remaining yaw moment and a preset second torque distribution relationship.

[0025] Optionally, the step of torque distribution control of the main drive motor and / or the duct motor by the torque distribution control strategy under the fault condition in combination with the expected yaw moment output by the controller comprises:

[0026] distributing, by the torque distribution control strategy under the fault condition, other expected moments except the expected yaw moment to the remaining main drive motor except the main drive motor that fails, and distributing the expected yaw moment to the duct motor.

[0027] Optionally, the expected yaw moment corresponds to yaw channel control, and the other expected moments correspond to pitch channel control, roll channel control, and throttle channel control; and the preset torque distribution relationship comprises a corresponding relationship among torque, motor rotating speed, and control distribution matrix.

[0028] Optionally, the step of distributing the expected yaw moment to the duct motor comprises:

[0029] obtaining a yaw moment generated by the remaining main drive motor;

[0030] subtracting the yaw moment generated by the remaining main drive motor from the expected yaw moment to obtain a target yaw moment;

[0031] distributing the target yaw moment to the duct motor.

[0032] Optionally, the step of obtaining the yaw moment generated by the remaining main drive motor comprises:

[0033] obtaining an actual rotating speed of the remaining main drive motor except the main drive motor that fails;

[0034] estimating the yaw moment generated by the remaining main drive motor by the actual rotating speed of the remaining main drive motor in combination with the corresponding control distribution matrix.

[0035] Optionally, the aircraft is a hexacopter, the main drive motors are six, and the ducted motors are two; the two ducted motors are respectively installed directly below two opposite main drive motors, and the thrust direction of the ducted motors is directly opposite the head direction of the hexacopter.

[0036] In addition, the embodiment of the present application also provides a kind of aircraft, the aircraft includes:

[0037] The aircraft body is provided with a flight cabin;

[0038] The flight power system includes a frame and 2n main drive motors, the frame is arranged on the aircraft body, and 2n main drive motors are arranged on the frame; the main drive motor is used to provide lift, thrust and yaw moment to the aircraft body, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 1; and,

[0039] The auxiliary yaw system is connected to the aircraft body, and the auxiliary yaw system includes at least two ducted motors;

[0040] The controller is connected to the main drive motor and the ducted motor respectively, and is used to monitor the working condition of the main drive motor; according to the working condition of the main drive motor, the corresponding moment distribution control strategy is combined with the expected yaw moment output by the controller to control the moment distribution of the main drive motor and / or the ducted motor.

[0041] Optionally, the aircraft body is symmetrical about a predetermined central axis plane, the central axis plane is a vertical plane defined by the forward direction of the aircraft; the auxiliary yaw system includes two ducted motors, the two ducted motors are respectively located on both sides of the central axis plane, and 2n main drive motors are distributed on both sides of the central axis plane; and / or, in the direction of the main drive motor surrounding distribution, the center points of 2n main drive motors sequentially form a polygon, and two main drive motors located on the same diagonal line of the polygon form a pair of corresponding main drive motors.

[0042] Optionally, the controller is also used to judge whether each main drive motor can realize the expected yaw moment output by the controller when each main drive motor is in normal working condition; if at least one main drive motor cannot realize the expected yaw moment output by the controller, the main drive motor is allocated the yaw moment that can be realized by the main drive motor, and based on the expected yaw moment and the yaw moment that can be realized by the allocated main drive motor, the remaining yaw moment that has not been allocated is calculated, and the remaining yaw moment is allocated to the ducted motor.

[0043] Optionally, the controller is also configured to, in the event that at least one main drive motor is in an abnormal operating condition, control the corresponding main drive motor that is on the same diagonal as the faulty main drive motor to stop working, and control the two ducted motors to operate to provide compensating yaw torque to the aircraft body.

[0044] Optionally, the aircraft is a hexacopter, with six main drive motors. Two ducted motors are respectively installed directly below two opposing main drive motors, and the thrust direction of the ducted motors is directly opposite the nose of the hexacopter.

[0045] Optionally, the six main drive motors include a first main drive motor, a second main drive motor, a third main drive motor, a fourth main drive motor, a fifth main drive motor, and a sixth main drive motor, and the six main drive motors are arranged in ascending order in a counterclockwise direction in the direction in which the main drive motors are distributed around each other;

[0046] Specifically, the first main drive motor and the fourth main drive motor are paired together, the second main drive motor and the fifth main drive motor are paired together, and the third main drive motor and the sixth main drive motor are paired together.

[0047] Optionally, each of the main drive motors is equipped with a rotor, and the rotors of the first, third, and fifth main drive motors are configured to rotate along a first direction, while the rotors of the second, fourth, and sixth main drive motors are configured to rotate along a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction.

[0048] Optionally, the controller is further configured to control the fourth main drive motor corresponding to the first main drive motor to stop working when the first main drive motor is in an abnormal working condition, and to control the two ducted motors to operate in order to provide compensating yaw torque to the aircraft body.

[0049] This application also proposes an aircraft control device, the device comprising:

[0050] The monitoring module is used to monitor the operating condition of the main drive motor;

[0051] The distribution module is used to perform torque distribution control on the main drive motor and / or the ducted motor according to the operating conditions of the main drive motor and with a corresponding torque distribution control strategy, combined with the desired yaw torque output by the controller.

[0052] This application also proposes an aircraft, which includes: a memory, a processor, and an aircraft control program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, the aircraft control program being configured to implement the steps of the aircraft control method described above.

[0053] The aircraft control method, device and aircraft provided by the embodiments of the present application monitor the working condition of the main drive motor, and perform torque distribution control on the main drive motor and / or the duct motor according to the corresponding torque distribution control strategy and the expected yaw torque output by the controller, according to the working condition of the main drive motor. The aircraft involved in the scheme is a hexacopter. The hexacopter improves the yaw control capability of the hexacopter in the normal working condition and the fault tolerance control capability of the hexacopter after the motor fails, by reasonably distributing the yaw control authority between the six main drive motors and the double-duct motor in the normal working condition and the motor failure working condition, so as to ensure the safety and reliability of the aircraft and the smooth completion of the flight task. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0054] Figure 1 Fig. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of an aircraft provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0055] Figure 2 Fig. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a rotor rotation surface formed by the rotors of the aircraft shown in Fig. 1; Figure 1

[0056] Fig. 3 is a functional module schematic diagram of a terminal device to which the aircraft control device of the present application belongs; Figure 3

[0057] Fig. 4 is a flow schematic diagram of a first exemplary embodiment of the aircraft control method of the present application; Figure 4

[0058] Fig. 5 is a configuration diagram of a hexacopter involved in the first exemplary embodiment of the aircraft control method of the present application; Figure 5

[0059] Fig. 6 is a flow schematic diagram of a second exemplary embodiment of the aircraft control method of the present application; Figure 6

[0060] Fig. 7 is a flow schematic diagram of a third exemplary embodiment of the aircraft control method of the present application. Figure 7

[0061] Fig. 8 is a module schematic diagram of a control device to which the aircraft control device of the present application belongs. Figure 8 The implementation, functional features and advantages of the present application will be further described with reference to the embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0062] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely intended to explain the present application, and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0064] ​The main solution of this application embodiment is: based on the operating conditions of the main drive motor, a corresponding torque distribution control strategy is used, combined with the desired yaw torque output by the controller, to perform torque distribution control on the main drive motor and / or the ducted motor. In this solution, the hexarotor can enhance its yaw control capability under normal operating conditions and its fault-tolerant control capability after motor failure by rationally distributing the yaw torque to the six main drive motors and ducted motors, thereby improving the hexarotor's flight performance and safety reliability, and ensuring the successful completion of flight missions.

[0065] This application takes into account that current hexacopter aircraft have the following problems: on the one hand, they cannot avoid the problem of weak yaw control capability during normal flight; on the other hand, when a motor fails, due to the layout of the hexacopter, if one motor fails, the hexacopter aircraft will be in a state of torque imbalance. At this time, the control and anti-interference capabilities will be greatly reduced, and there is a high probability of a crash, which poses a great threat to personal and property safety.

[0066] Based on this, this application proposes an aircraft control solution that can enhance the yaw control capability of a hexarotor under normal operating conditions and its fault-tolerant control capability after motor failure by rationally distributing the yaw torque to six main drive motors and ducted motors, thereby effectively improving the flight performance and safety reliability of the hexarotor.

[0067] Specifically, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the aircraft provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0068] like Figure 1 As shown in the illustration, an aircraft 200 proposed in this application is used for air travel and can be applied to a transport vehicle with both land and air travel capabilities. The transport vehicle may include a vehicle and the aircraft 200, which are detachably coupled. In some other embodiments, the vehicle and the aircraft 200 may not be separated into one unit. As one approach, the aircraft 200's air travel enables the transport vehicle to have air travel capabilities.

[0069] Specifically, the aircraft 200 in this application embodiment includes an aircraft body 210, a flight power system 220 and an auxiliary yaw system 230 disposed on the aircraft body 210, and a control system 240 for controlling the flight of the aircraft 200.

[0070] in:

[0071] The aircraft body 210 is the main structure of the aircraft, and the aircraft body 210 is equipped with a flight cockpit 2110 for the pilot to ride in.

[0072] The flight power system 220 is configured to provide power for the aerial vehicle 200 to fly in the air, and the aerial vehicle 200 is capable of ascending into the air and flying under the drive of the flight power system 220.

[0073] As an embodiment, the flight power system 220 includes a frame 2210 and 2n main drive motors 2220, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The main drive motors 2220 are arranged on the frame 2210, and the main drive motors 2220 are configured to provide lift, thrust and yaw moment to the aerial vehicle body 210, so that the aerial vehicle body 210 can ascend or hover. The number of main drive motors 2220 can be even or odd. In this embodiment, the number of main drive motors 2220 is set to even.

[0074] The frame 2210 is arranged on the aerial vehicle body 210.

[0075] As an embodiment, the frame 2210 is connected between the 2n main drive motors 2220 and the aerial vehicle body 210, and serves as a mounting structure for the main drive motors 2220 connected to the aerial vehicle body 210.

[0076] In order to cope with the situation that the yaw moment formed by the flight power system 220 is unbalanced, for example, the yaw moment is unbalanced or at least one of the 2n main drive motors 2220 fails, the aerial vehicle 200 in this embodiment is provided with an auxiliary yaw system 230. The auxiliary yaw system 230 is connected to the aerial vehicle body 210, and the auxiliary yaw system 230 is capable of operating and providing a compensating yaw moment to the aerial vehicle body 210 in the case that the yaw moment formed by the flight power system 220 is unbalanced, so that the aerial vehicle 200 can overcome the problem that it cannot yaw due to the unbalanced yaw moment.

[0077] As an implementation, the auxiliary yaw system 230 includes at least two ducted motors 2310. The ducted motors 2310 introduced in this embodiment can supplement the yaw moment control capability of the aircraft 200 in the case of weak yaw control capability of the aircraft 200 in normal flight, and in combination with the main drive motors 2220 and the ducted motors 2310, realize smooth control of the flight of the aircraft 200, thereby improving the yaw control capability of the aircraft 200 in normal working conditions. On the other hand, in the case of failure of the aircraft 200, the aircraft 200 can be ensured not to lose control. For example, in the case where at least one of the 2n main drive motors 2220 fails, resulting in an unbalanced yaw moment of the aircraft 200, the ducted motors 2310 provide a compensating yaw moment to the aircraft body 210, thereby improving the fault tolerance control capability of the aircraft 200 in the case of failure of the main drive motors 2220, and ensuring the safety and reliability of the aircraft 200.

[0078] In this embodiment, the control system 240 includes a controller connected to the main drive motors 2220 and the ducted motors 2310, respectively, for monitoring the working conditions of the main drive motors 2220; according to the working conditions of the main drive motors 2220, the corresponding moment distribution control strategy is used to perform moment distribution control on the main drive motors 2220 and / or the ducted motors 2310 in combination with the expected yaw moment output by the controller.

[0079] In this embodiment, the plurality of main drive motors 2220 are selected to have the same output power. The plurality of main drive motors 2220 with the same rated output power have relatively low requirements for the control system 240 of the aircraft and the overall structure of the aircraft 200, which can reduce the complexity of the control system 240 of the aircraft 200 and the overall structure of the aircraft 200, and reduce the development cost of the aircraft 200.

[0080] In other embodiments, the plurality of main drive motors 2220 can be a combination of main drive motors 2220 with different rated output powers. The advantage is that a flight mode with stronger functionality can be developed. For example, in such a flight mode, the aircraft 200 can fly in harsh environments and climates, improve the adaptability of the aircraft 200 to the flight environment, and make the aircraft 200 have better market competitiveness.

[0081] The main drive motor 2220 in the embodiment is of a rotary power structure, for example, a ducted fan or a rotor, and the rotary main drive motor 2220 is kept in a stable state relative to the structure of the aircraft body 210, which can simplify the installation structure of the main drive motor 2220. The fixed position of the main drive motor 2220 is specifically that the main drive motor 2220 of the rotary structure has a rotary axis, and the position of the rotary axis of the main drive motor 2220 relative to the aircraft body 210 is always in a fixed state in the flight state. In other embodiments, the main drive motor 2220 can be a main drive motor 2220 of other operating modes, or the main drive motor 2220 can be movably arranged on the aircraft body 210 to increase the flexibility of the main drive motor 2220 and improve the performance of the flight power system 220. The embodiment specifically expands the introduction of the main drive motor 2220 by taking the main drive motor 2220 of the rotor 2221, and the following will not be emphasized.

[0082] In the level flight state of the aircraft 200, the included angle between the rotary axis of the rotor 2221 of the main drive motor 2220 and the vertical plane in the embodiment is approximately less than or equal to 10°, and the rotors 2221 of the plurality of main drive motors 2220 are arranged differently.

[0083] In order to improve the ability of the aircraft 200 to cope with sudden situations during air travel and improve the safety of the aircraft 200 during flight, the embodiment makes specific settings on the number of main drive motors 2220, the distribution of main drive motors 2220 on the aircraft body 210, the structure of the rotors 2221 of the main drive motors 2220, and the compensation mechanism for abnormal situations of the main drive motors 2220, which will be described in detail below.

[0084] In the embodiment, there is a vertical plane as the central axis plane of the aircraft body 210 in the vertical plane defined by the forward direction of the aircraft body 210, and the aircraft body 210 is symmetrical about the central axis plane. The left and right sides of the aircraft body 210 are defined as the left and right sides of the aircraft body 210 in the forward direction of the aircraft body 210. The weights of the left and right sides of the aircraft body 210 are approximately the same or differ slightly, so that the left and right parts of the aircraft body 210 are basically in a balanced state.

[0085] In the embodiment, the auxiliary yaw system 230 includes two duct motors 2310, and the two duct motors 2310 are located on the two sides of the central axis plane, respectively. The 2n main drive motors 2220 are uniformly distributed on the two sides of the central axis plane. In the direction of the ring distribution, the center points of the 2n main drive motors 2220 sequentially form a polygon, and two main drive motors 2220 located on the same diagonal of the polygon constitute a pair of corresponding main drive motors 2220.

[0086] As described above, in the present embodiment, the number of the main drive motors 2220 is set to an even number, and the plurality of main drive motors 2220 can be evenly distributed on the left and right sides of the aircraft body 210, i.e., the number of the main drive motors 2220 corresponding to the left and right sides of the aircraft body 210 is the same, so that the driving forces received by the left and right sides of the aircraft body 210 are also in a substantially same state. In other embodiments, the number layout of the main drive motors 2220 on the left and right sides of the aircraft body 210 can be determined according to the structural characteristics of the aircraft body 210. For example, the aircraft 200 is a fuel-powered aircraft 200, and the number layout of the main drive motors 2220 on the left and right sides of the aircraft body 210 can be determined according to the specific position of the fuel storage device on the aircraft 200 and the influence of the weight change of the fuel storage device on the center of gravity of the aircraft body 210 when the aircraft 200 is in flight.

[0087] The specific number of the main drive motors 2220 needs to be determined according to the weight of the aircraft body 210 and the output power of the main drive motors 2220 in the actual situation. In addition, it also needs to be considered whether the mechanical mechanism of the plurality of main drive motors 2220 can meet the overall size requirement of the transportation vehicle to adapt to the public road setting and the existing parking system. The flight power system 220 in the present embodiment includes six main drive motors 2220, which can meet the power requirement of the aircraft 200. In other embodiments, the number of the main drive motors 2220 can also be set to 8, 10 or 12 according to the weight of the aircraft body 210.

[0088] As an embodiment, the left and right sides of the aircraft body 210 in the forward direction of the aircraft 200 each correspond to three main drive motors 2220, so that the aircraft 200 is in a substantially balanced state in the left and right directions. In addition, the aircraft body 210 is also in a substantially balanced state in the forward direction of the aircraft. Specifically, the aircraft body 210 in the present embodiment includes a first body portion, a second body portion and a third body portion, which are arranged in sequence and connected side by side along the forward direction of the aircraft 200. The six main drive motors 2220 are divided into three groups, each group having two main drive motors 2220, and the three groups of main drive motors 2220 correspond to the first body portion, the second body portion and the third body portion in sequence, respectively. The three groups of main drive motors 2220 bear the weight of the first body portion, the second body portion and the third body portion, respectively, so that the aircraft body 210 is also in a substantially balanced state in the forward direction of the aircraft 200.

[0089] Please refer to Figure 2In the embodiment, in order to reserve sufficient operation space for each main drive motor 2220, the main drive motors 2220 are arranged on the frame 2210 in sequence and at intervals. In order to facilitate understanding, the aircraft 200 is projected to a horizontal plane when the aircraft 200 is in a level flight state, and the projection of the main drive motors 2220 is distributed around the outer periphery of the projection of the aircraft body 210, so that the main drive motors 2220 are divergent relative to the aircraft body 210, avoiding structural collision of adjacent or similar main drive motors 2220 during transportation, and ensuring high safety of the aircraft 200 in a flight state. However, in order to avoid too dispersed positions of the main drive motors 2220, the divergence degree of the main drive motors 2220 is limited in the embodiment. In the embodiment, the rotor 2221 of the main drive motor 2220 forms a rotor rotation plane 2224 when rotating, and the projection of the rotor rotation plane 2224 of at least two adjacent main drive motors 2220 overlaps when the aircraft 200 is projected to a horizontal plane in a level flight state, so that the main drive motors 2220 have certain integrity and relevance, and the aerodynamic efficiency of the rotor of the main drive motor 2220 is improved.

[0090] In the embodiment, the main drive motors 2220 are arranged divergently, the connecting line of the center points of the main drive motors 2220 forms a polygon, the geometric center of the polygon is located on the same vertical line as the gravity center of the aircraft body 210, or the parallel distance between the vertical line on which the geometric center of the polygon is located and the vertical line on which the gravity center of the aircraft body 210 is located is small, so that the aircraft 200 can be in a balanced and stable state during flight. It should be understood that the polygon formed by the connecting line of the center points of the main drive motors 2220 is understood as being formed when the main drive motors 2220 are projected to a horizontal plane.

[0091] Further, the main drive motors 2220 in the embodiment are arranged in a central symmetry, which can be understood as that the polygon formed by the main drive motors 2220 is approximately a central symmetry figure, so that the driving force formed by any three connected main drive motors 2220 and the driving force formed by another three connected main drive motors 2220 are approximately the same, further improving the balance and safety of the aircraft 200 in a flight state.

[0092] In the embodiment, two main drive motors 2220 located on the same diagonal of the polygon form a pair of corresponding main drive motors 2220, and the two corresponding main drive motors 2220 are symmetrically arranged at the center. In the case that the output powers of the two main drive motors 2220 are the same, the two main drive motors 2220 form a balanced external force group relative to the aircraft body 210, and the aircraft body 210 can be balanced under the action of the two main drive motors 2220 in the direction of the connecting line between the two main drive motors 2220. Further, in the embodiment, the rotation directions of the rotors 2221 of the two main drive motors 2220 in the relative group are oppositely arranged to form a yawing moment. Further, in order to realize the divergence of the positions of the plurality of main drive motors 2220 relative to the aircraft body 210, the rack 2210 in the embodiment includes a support and a plurality of arms, the support is arranged on the top of the aircraft body 210, and the plurality of arms are arranged on the support. The arms are used to install the main drive motors 2220, so the number of arms is consistent with the number of main drive motors 2220, for example, in the embodiment, the number of arms is consistent with the number of main drive motors 2220, both are six, and the six main drive motors 2220 are arranged one by one with the six arms, each main drive motor 2220 is installed on a corresponding arm. The plurality of arms are sequentially and spacedly arranged along the circumference of the support. The arms extend away from the center of the support relative to the support, so that the plurality of main drive motors 2220 are connected to the aircraft body 210 in a divergent state.

[0093] Please refer to Figure 2The aircraft of the embodiment is a hexacopter, and the main drive motors 2220 are six in number. For the purpose of illustration and distinction, the six main drive motors 2220 in the embodiment are defined as a first main drive motor 2230, a second main drive motor 2240, a third main drive motor 2250, a fourth main drive motor 2260, a fifth main drive motor 2270 and a sixth main drive motor 2280. The six main drive motors 2220 are arranged in a ring, and in the counterclockwise direction of the ring, the six main drive motors 2220 are arranged in ascending order, i.e., the first main drive motor 2230, the second main drive motor 2240, the third main drive motor 2250, the fourth main drive motor 2260, the fifth main drive motor 2270 and the sixth main drive motor 2280 are arranged in sequence and at intervals in the counterclockwise direction. When the aircraft 200 is projected onto a horizontal plane in a flight state, with the forward direction of the aircraft 200 as the reference direction, the second main drive motor 2240, the third main drive motor 2250 and the fourth main drive motor 2260 are located to the left of the aircraft body 210, and the first main drive motor 2230, the sixth main drive motor 2280 and the fifth main drive motor 2270 are located to the right of the aircraft body 210. Specifically, the third main drive motor 2250 is located to the left of the aircraft body 210, the second main drive motor 2240 is located to the front left of the aircraft body 210, and the fourth main drive motor 2260 is located to the rear left of the aircraft body 210. The sixth main drive motor 2280 is located to the right of the aircraft body 210, the first main drive motor 2230 is located to the front right of the aircraft body 210, and the fifth main drive motor 2270 is located to the rear right of the aircraft body 210.

[0094] The first main drive motor 2230 and the fourth main drive motor 2260 are located on the same diagonal line and form two pairs, the second main drive motor 2240 and the fifth main drive motor 2270 are located on the same diagonal line and form two pairs, and the third main drive motor 2250 and the sixth main drive motor 2280 are located on the same diagonal line and form two pairs. Each main drive motor is configured with a rotor. Assuming that the rotors of the first main drive motor 2230, the third main drive motor 2250 and the fifth main drive motor 2270 are configured to rotate in a first direction (e.g., clockwise), and the rotors of the second main drive motor 2240, the fourth main drive motor 2260 and the sixth main drive motor 2280 are configured to rotate in a second direction (e.g., counterclockwise), then the second direction is arranged opposite to the first direction.

[0095] The first main drive motor 2230, the second main drive motor 2240, the fourth main drive motor 2260 and the fifth main drive motor 2270 are arranged at four corners of the aircraft body 210 in the forward direction of the aircraft 200 in the embodiment, and the structures and generated air flows of the first main drive motor 2230, the second main drive motor 2240, the fourth main drive motor 2260 and the fifth main drive motor 2270 do not interfere with each other, so that the rotation axes of the rotors 2221 of the first main drive motor 2230, the second main drive motor 2240, the fourth main drive motor 2260 and the fifth main drive motor 2270 are arranged along the vertical direction, that is, the blades 2222 of the first main drive motor 2230, the second main drive motor 2240, the fourth main drive motor 2260 and the fifth main drive motor 2270 are arranged horizontally, forming a horizontal rotor rotation plane 2224, so as to provide driving force in the vertical direction to the aircraft body 210.

[0096] Referring to Figure 1 The auxiliary yaw system 230 of the aircraft 200 in the embodiment includes two duct motors 2310 arranged on the aircraft body 210, the aircraft 200 in the embodiment is a hexacopter, and the main drive motors 2220 are six, and the two duct motors 2310 are respectively arranged directly below the opposite two main drive motors 2220, and the thrust direction of the duct motor 2310 is directly opposite the nose direction of the aircraft 200.

[0097] Specifically, as described above, the duct motor 2310 is introduced in the embodiment, on the one hand, the yawing moment control ability of the aircraft 200 can be supplemented by the duct motor 2310 in the case that the yawing moment control ability of the aircraft 200 is weak during normal flight, and the stable control of the flight of the aircraft 200 can be realized by combining the main drive motor 2220 and the duct motor 2310, so as to improve the yawing control ability of the aircraft 200 under normal working conditions. On the other hand, the aircraft 200 can be ensured not to lose control in the case of failure.

[0098] Therefore, in the embodiment, the duct motor 2310 can provide auxiliary yawing force to compensate for the yawing moment deviation caused by the failure of the main drive motor 2220 when the yawing moment of the six main drive motors 2220 is unbalanced and when one of the six main drive motors 2220 fails.

[0099] The ducted motor 2310 in the embodiment is selected to have a rotary power structure, such as a ducted fan or a rotor, and the like. The rotary power structure is kept in a stable state relative to the structure of the aircraft body 210, and can simplify the installation structure of the ducted motor 2310. The fixed position of the ducted motor 2310 is specifically manifested in that the ducted motor 2310 with a rotary structure has a rotary axis, and the position of the rotary axis of the ducted motor 2310 relative to the aircraft body 210 is always in a fixed state in the flight state. In other embodiments, the ducted motor 2310 can be a ducted motor 2310 with other operating modes, or the ducted motor 2310 can be movably arranged on the aircraft body 210 to increase the flexibility of the ducted motor 2310 and improve the performance of the auxiliary yaw system 230. In the embodiment, the ducted fan is used as the ducted motor 2310, and the ducted fan can generate a larger yaw moment. When the aircraft 200 is in the flight state, the resistance of the ducted fan is smaller, and the overall working efficiency is higher. In other embodiments, the ducted motor 2310 can also be a rotor. In the embodiment, the ducted fan is used as the ducted motor 2310 to specifically introduce the ducted motor 2310, and the following text will not be emphasized.

[0100] Additionally, in the level flight state of the aircraft 200, the range of the angle between the rotary axis of the rotor of the ducted motor 2310 and the horizontal plane is substantially less than or equal to 5°. In other embodiments, the range of the angle between the rotary axis of the ducted motor 2310 and the horizontal plane can be adaptively adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0101] Please refer to Figure 1For the convenience of illustrating the specific position of each ducted motor 2310 on the aircraft body 210 and the relative position relationship with other structures, two ducted motors 2310 are defined as a first ducted motor 2311 and a second ducted motor 2312 in the embodiment. Specifically, the first ducted motor 2311 is arranged corresponding to the third main drive motor 2250, and the first ducted motor 2311 is arranged on the first arm corresponding to the third main drive motor 2250. The second ducted motor 2312 is arranged corresponding to the sixth main drive motor 2280, and the second ducted motor 2311 is arranged on the second arm corresponding to the sixth main drive motor 2280. The first arm and the second arm are respectively located on the left and right sides of the aircraft body 210 in the forward direction of the aircraft 200, and when the aircraft body 210 deflects, the first ducted motor 2311 and the second ducted motor 2312 arranged on the first arm and the second arm have a larger deflection torque. In the case where the rated power of the first ducted motor 2311 and the second ducted motor 2312 is unchanged, the compensation adjustment range formed by arranging the first ducted motor 2311 and the second ducted motor 2312 on the first arm and the second arm is larger than the compensation adjustment range formed by arranging the first ducted motor 2311 and the second ducted motor 2312 on the four arms other than the first arm and the second arm.

[0102] In the embodiment, the ducted fan of the first ducted motor 2311 and the rotor 2221 of the third main drive motor 2250 are both arranged on the first arm. Among them, the ducted fan of the first ducted motor 2311 and the rotor 2221 of the third main drive motor 2250 can be located on the magic bullet of the first arm away from the aircraft body 210. Here, the distance relative to the center of gravity of the aircraft body 210 is relatively long, so the lateral force arm is relatively long, and the yawing moment that can be generated is relatively large, which can make the power efficiency of the first ducted motor 2311 higher.

[0103] Specifically, the first arm has a top side and a bottom side away from each other, the top side of the first arm is arranged towards the sky, and the bottom side of the first arm is arranged towards the ground. The rotor 2221 of the third main drive motor 2250 is arranged on the top side of the first arm, and the ducted fan of the first ducted motor 2311 is arranged on the bottom side of the first arm, so that the third main drive motor 2250 and the first ducted motor 2311 are arranged away from each other, which can avoid collision in structure.

[0104] Further, in order to reduce the influence of the airflow of the third main drive motor 2250 on the fan of the first ducted motor 2311, in the embodiment, the fan of the first ducted motor 2311 is arranged away from the blades of the rotor 2221 of the third main drive motor 2250. Specifically, the fan of the first ducted motor 2311 has a rotation center (i.e., a rotation axis). The rotor 2221 of the third main drive motor 2250 includes a hub 2223, and two blades 2222 of the third main drive motor 2250 are connected to opposite sides of the hub 2223 of the third main drive motor 2250. The hub 2223 of the rotor 2221 of the third main drive motor 2250 forms a first maximum rotation surface when rotating. When the aircraft 200 is projected onto a horizontal plane, the projection of the first maximum rotation surface covers the rotation center (i.e., the rotation axis) of the fan of the first ducted motor 2311, so that the rotation center of the fan of the first ducted motor 2311 and the structure near the rotation center correspond to the hub 2223 of the third main drive motor 2250. From a macroscopic structure, the rotation center (i.e., the rotation axis) of the fan of the first ducted motor 2311 is located directly below the hub 2223 of the third main drive motor 2250, so that the airflow at the hub 2223 of the third main drive motor 2250 is small and weak, and the downwash of the rotor has little influence on the fan of the first ducted motor 2311.

[0105] Similarly, the fan of the second ducted motor 2312 has a rotation center (i.e., a rotation axis) in the embodiment. The rotor of the sixth main drive motor 2280 includes a hub, and two blades of the sixth main drive motor 2280 are connected to opposite sides of the hub of the sixth main drive motor 2280. The hub of the rotor of the sixth main drive motor 2280 forms a second maximum rotation surface when rotating. When the aircraft 200 is projected onto a horizontal plane, the projection of the second maximum rotation surface covers the rotation center of the fan of the second ducted motor 2312, so that the rotation center of the fan of the second ducted motor 2312 and the structure near the rotation center correspond to the hub of the sixth main drive motor 2280. From a macroscopic structure, the rotation center (i.e., the rotation axis) of the fan of the second ducted motor 2312 is located directly below the hub of the sixth main drive motor 2280, so that the airflow at the hub of the sixth main drive motor 2280 is small and weak, and has little influence on the fan of the second ducted motor 2312.

[0106] In order to be able to monitor the working state of each main drive motor 2250 and control the working state of the ducted motor 2310 according to the working state of each main drive motor 2250, the aircraft 200 in the embodiment is controlled by the controller of the control system 240.

[0107] The controller is electrically connected with the main drive motors 2220 and the duct motors 2310, so as to exchange information and execute instructions.

[0108] When each main drive motor 2220 is in normal working condition, the controller judges whether each main drive motor 2220 can realize the expected yaw moment output by the controller; if at least one main drive motor 2220 cannot realize the expected yaw moment output by the controller, the main drive motor 2220 is assigned a yaw moment that can be realized by the main drive motor 2220, and based on the expected yaw moment and the yaw moment that can be realized by the assigned main drive motor 2220, the remaining yaw moment is calculated and assigned to the duct motor 2310.

[0109] Further, when at least one main drive motor 2220 is in abnormal working condition, i.e., at least one main drive motor 2220 fails, the controller controls the corresponding main drive motor 2220 on the same diagonal line as the failed main drive motor 2220 to stop working, and controls two duct motors 2310 to operate to provide a compensation yaw moment to the aircraft body 210.

[0110] Specifically, the control mechanism of the controller for the failure of one of the main drive motors 2220 is as follows:

[0111] When any one of the main drive motors 2220 fails, the controller controls the corresponding main drive motor 2220 on the same diagonal line as the failed main drive motor 2220 to stop working, and controls two duct motors 2310 to operate to provide a compensation yaw moment to the aircraft 200, the size of the compensation yaw moment being substantially equal to the difference between the actual yaw moment formed by the remaining four main drive motors 2220 and the target yaw moment (i.e., the expected yaw moment output by the controller). The controller can enable the aircraft 200 to cope with the failure of the main drive motor 2220, and ensure the safety of the pilot and the aircraft 200.

[0112] In addition, the control mechanism of the controller for the normal working of the six main drive motors 2220 but the imbalance of the yaw moment is as follows:

[0113] The controller controls two duct motors 2310 to operate to provide a compensation yaw moment to the aircraft 200, the size of the compensation yaw moment being substantially equal to the difference between the actual yaw moment formed by the six main drive motors 2220 and the target yaw moment (i.e., the expected yaw moment output by the controller).

[0114] As can be seen from the foregoing, the first main drive motor 2230 and the fourth main drive motor 2260 are paired, the second main drive motor 2240 and the fifth main drive motor 2270 are paired, and the third main drive motor 2250 and the sixth main drive motor 2280 are paired. Each group of main drive motors 2220 can balance the aircraft body 210 on the corresponding diagonal line.

[0115] In order to simplify the control of the six power modules 2220 by the controller, the controller in the embodiment is further configured to, when any one of the main drive motors 2220 fails, control the main drive motor 2220 corresponding to the failed main drive motor 2220 to stop working, and control the two duct motors 2310 to operate to provide a compensation yawing moment to the aircraft body 210. The advantage of this setting is that, assuming that the first main drive motor 2230 fails, the controller controls the fourth main drive motor 2260 to stop working, and controls the two duct motors 2230 to work to compensate for the deviation of the yawing moment caused by the failure of the first main drive motor 2230 and the fourth main drive motor 2260. In this process, the controller only needs to make the two vector power modules 2310 group compensate for the yawing moment required for the aircraft body 210 to deflect, which can omit or reduce the consideration of the fourth main drive motor 2260, such as the differences in position, output power, and resistance of the fourth main drive motor 2260 and the two duct motors 2230, which can simplify the calculation steps of the controller, improve the work efficiency, and restore normal driving in a shorter time when the aircraft 200 is flying.

[0116] Moreover, assuming that the first main drive motor 2230 fails, the controller controls the fourth main drive motor 2260 to stop working, and the second main drive motor 2240 and the fifth main drive motor 2270 and the third main drive motor 2250 and the sixth main drive motor 2280 can still balance the aircraft body 210. The controller only needs to control the four normally working main drive motors 2220 to increase the output power to compensate for the traction in the vertical direction, and to reach the target traction, which does not need to comprehensively consider the balance adjustment among the second main drive motor 2240, the third main drive motor 2250, the fourth main drive motor 2260, the fifth main drive motor 2270, and the sixth main drive motor 2280.

[0117] The embodiment achieves torque distribution control on the main drive motors and / or the duct motors according to the working condition of the main drive motors, with the corresponding torque distribution control strategy and the expected yawing moment output by the controller, so as to reasonably distribute the yawing moment to the six main drive motors and the duct motors, thereby enhancing the yawing control ability of the hexacopter in the normal working condition and the fault tolerance control ability after the motor fails, and effectively improving the flight performance and safety and reliability of the hexacopter.

[0118] Referring toFigure 3 , Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a functional module of a terminal device to which the aircraft control device belongs. The aircraft control device can be a device capable of data processing independent of the terminal device, which can be carried on the terminal device in the form of hardware or software. The terminal device can be a fixed-wing aircraft, a multi-rotor aircraft, or other intelligent aircraft with flight effect, and in this embodiment, a hexacopter is taken as an example.

[0119] In this embodiment, the terminal device to which the aircraft control device belongs at least includes a sensor 110, a flight control module 120, a memory 130, and a communication module 140.

[0120] The memory 130 stores an operating system and an aircraft control program, and the aircraft control device can store the working condition of the main drive motor and the expected control torque output by the controller in the memory 130. The sensor 110 can be a gyroscope, an acceleration needle, a magnetometer, etc. The flight control module can receive flight state data from the sensor and calculate corresponding control instructions according to a preset flight control algorithm to control the speed and thrust of the motor. The communication module 140 can be a wireless local area network, Bluetooth, radio frequency, etc., and communicates with an external device server through the communication module 140.

[0121] When the aircraft control program in the memory 130 is executed by the processor, the following steps are implemented:

[0122] monitoring the working condition of the main drive motor;

[0123] According to the working condition of the main drive motor, the corresponding torque distribution control strategy is used to control the torque distribution of the main drive motor and / or the duct motor in combination with the expected yaw torque output by the controller.

[0124] Further, when the aircraft control program in the memory 130 is executed by the processor, the following steps are implemented:

[0125] monitoring the actual speed of the main drive motor;

[0126] calculating the difference between the actual speed of the main drive motor and the expected speed output by the controller;

[0127] If the difference reaches a preset threshold, it is determined that the main drive motor has failed.

[0128] Further, when the aircraft control program in the memory 130 is executed by the processor, the following steps are implemented:

[0129] If the main drive motor is in normal working condition, a torque distribution control strategy in normal working condition is selected, and the main drive motor and / or the duct motor are controlled by the torque distribution control strategy in normal working condition in combination with the expected yaw torque output by the controller.

[0130] If at least one main drive motor is in fault working condition, a torque distribution control strategy in fault working condition is selected, and the main drive motor and / or the duct motor are controlled by the torque distribution control strategy in fault working condition in combination with the expected yaw torque output by the controller.

[0131] Further, the aircraft control program in the memory 130, when executed by the processor, also implements the following steps:

[0132] It is judged whether each main drive motor can realize the expected yaw torque output by the controller.

[0133] If not, the main drive motor is allocated the yaw torque that can be realized by the main drive motor, and based on the expected yaw torque and the yaw torque realized by each main drive motor, a remaining yaw torque that is not allocated is calculated, and the remaining yaw torque is allocated to the duct motor.

[0134] Further, the aircraft control program in the memory 130, when executed by the processor, also implements the following steps:

[0135] According to the expected yaw torque output by the controller and a preset first torque distribution relationship, the rotation speed of the main drive motor after the expected yaw torque is allocated to the main drive motor is calculated.

[0136] If the calculated rotation speed of the main drive motor is greater than or equal to the rotation speed of the main drive motor in the saturation state, it is judged that each main drive motor cannot realize the expected yaw torque output by the controller.

[0137] Further, the aircraft control program in the memory 130, when executed by the processor, also implements the following steps:

[0138] The expected yaw torque is used to control the yaw channel, and other expected torques are used to control the pitch channel, the roll channel and the throttle channel.

[0139] Further, the aircraft control program in the memory 130, when executed by the processor, also implements the following steps:

[0140] Based on the rotation speed of the main drive motor in the saturation state and the first torque distribution relationship, the main drive motor is allocated the yaw torque that can be realized by the main drive motor, and the main drive motor is controlled at the corresponding rotation speed.

[0141] The expected yaw moment is subtracted from the yaw moment that can be realized by each main drive motor to obtain a remaining yaw moment that is not allocated;

[0142] The remaining yaw moment is allocated to the ducted motor, and a corresponding rotating speed of the ducted motor is calculated based on the remaining yaw moment and a preset second moment allocation relationship.

[0143] Further, the aircraft control program in the memory 130, when executed by the processor, also implements the following steps:

[0144] In the moment allocation control strategy under the fault condition, other expected moments except the expected yaw moment are allocated to the remaining main drive motors except the failed main drive motor, and the expected yaw moment is allocated to the ducted motor.

[0145] Further, the aircraft control program in the memory 130, when executed by the processor, also implements the following scheme:

[0146] The expected yaw moment corresponds to control of a yaw channel, and the other expected moments correspond to control of a pitch channel, a roll channel and a throttle channel; and the preset moment allocation relationship includes a corresponding relationship among a moment, a motor rotating speed and a control allocation matrix.

[0147] Further, the aircraft control program in the memory 130, when executed by the processor, also implements the following steps:

[0148] The yaw moment generated by the remaining main drive motor is obtained;

[0149] The expected yaw moment is subtracted from the yaw moment generated by the remaining main drive motor to obtain a target yaw moment;

[0150] The target yaw moment is allocated to the ducted motor.

[0151] Further, the aircraft control program in the memory 130, when executed by the processor, also implements the following steps:

[0152] Actual rotating speeds of the remaining main drive motors except the failed main drive motor are obtained;

[0153] The yaw moment generated by the remaining main drive motor is estimated by combining the actual rotating speeds of the remaining main drive motors with a corresponding control allocation matrix.

[0154] Further, the aircraft control program in the memory 130, when executed by the processor, also implements the following scheme:

[0155] The aircraft is a hexacopter, with six main drive motors and two ducted motors. The two ducted motors are respectively installed directly below the two opposing main drive motors, and the thrust direction of the ducted motors is directly in the direction of the nose of the hexacopter.

[0156] This embodiment, through the above-described scheme, specifically monitors the operating condition of the main drive motor; based on the operating condition of the main drive motor, a corresponding torque distribution control strategy is applied, combined with the desired yaw torque output by the controller, to perform torque distribution control on the main drive motor and / or the ducted motor. This scheme can enhance the yaw control capability of the aircraft (especially a hexacopter) under normal operating conditions and its fault-tolerant control capability after the main drive motor fails, thereby effectively improving the flight performance and safety reliability of the aircraft by rationally distributing the yaw torque to the main drive motor and the ducted motor.

[0157] Based on, but not limited to, the above-described terminal device architecture and aircraft structure, this application proposes method embodiments.

[0158] Reference Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a first exemplary embodiment of the aircraft control method of this application. The aircraft control method includes:

[0159] Step S101: Monitor the operating status of the main drive motor;

[0160] The execution subject of this embodiment can be an aircraft equipped with a controller, a main drive motor, and a ducted motor. This embodiment takes a hexacopter as an example.

[0161] Aircraft typically have four channels: yaw, pitch, roll, and throttle.

[0162] The yaw channel is a channel used to control the rotation of an aircraft around its vertical axis. Its main function is to control the aircraft's heading, that is, the aircraft's orientation or heading angle.

[0163] The pitch channel is used to control the rotation of an aircraft around its horizontal axis. Its main function is to control the pitch angle of the aircraft, that is, the forward and backward tilt angle of the aircraft.

[0164] The roll channel is a channel used to control the rotation of an aircraft around its longitudinal axis. Its main function is to control the roll angle of the aircraft, that is, the roll angle of the aircraft.

[0165] The throttle channel is used to control the thrust or speed of an aircraft. The main function of the throttle is to regulate the power output of the aircraft and control its ascent, descent, and forward speed.

[0166] Due to the current six-rotor layout aircraft, on the one hand, it is impossible to avoid the problem of weak yaw control ability in normal flight, and on the other hand, when a motor fails, the natural layout of the six-rotor causes the aircraft to be in a moment of imbalance as soon as one motor fails, and the control and anti-interference ability will be greatly reduced, and the probability of a crash accident will occur, which poses a great threat to personal and property safety.

[0167] Therefore, the present embodiment introduces a ducted motor to supplement the yaw moment control ability of the aircraft, and combines the main drive motor and the ducted motor to achieve smooth control of the aircraft during flight. Among them, the introduction of the ducted motor has two effects: under normal circumstances, the controllable yaw moment of the aircraft is increased, and under the failure condition of the aircraft, the aircraft can be ensured not to lose control. In the prior art, as soon as one motor fails, the yaw moment is unbalanced, and the aircraft will fall down. The present application uses the ducted motor to supplement the unbalanced yaw moment, so that the aircraft remains balanced.

[0168] In the present embodiment, the controller is used to control the flight of the aircraft, and can output the desired yaw moment of the aircraft, and can also output other desired moments. The desired yaw moment of the aircraft is the control moment corresponding to the control of the heading channel of the aircraft, and the other desired moments are the control moments corresponding to the control of the remaining three channels of the aircraft. The other desired moments include: pitch moment, roll moment, throttle moment; The yaw channel of the aircraft is controlled by the main drive motor and / or the ducted motor, while the remaining pitch channel, roll channel and throttle channel are mainly controlled by the main drive motor.

[0169] Among them, the main drive motor is an electric motor used to provide the main thrust and power of the aircraft, and is usually installed in the main power system of the aircraft, such as the main rotor of a multi-rotor aircraft or the main engine of a fixed-wing aircraft. Its working principle is: to generate enough thrust to enable the aircraft to take off, maintain flight and perform various flight maneuvers. By rotating the propeller, propeller or other propulsion device, the electrical energy is converted into mechanical energy to generate thrust to push the aircraft.

[0170] The ducted motor is used to control the attitude and stability of the aircraft, and is usually installed on the control surface of the aircraft, such as the rudder, aileron, elevator, etc. Its working principle is: by changing the position and angle of the control surface, the airflow or water flow changes, thereby changing the attitude and stability of the aircraft. The ducted motor changes the direction and intensity of the airflow or water flow by rotating the control surface, thereby generating a control moment to enable the aircraft to perform attitude adjustment, turning, lifting and other actions. Compared with ordinary motors, the ducted motor is generally provided with a protective shell outside, which can not only play a protective role, but also provide additional lift.

[0171] In this embodiment, the ducted motors are arranged in pairs, such as two ducted motors. These two ducted motors are respectively mounted directly below two opposing main drive motors, and the thrust direction of the ducted motors is directly opposite to the nose of the aircraft, ensuring that the yaw torque provided by the two motors is opposite. The structural layout of the main drive motors and ducted motors can be referred to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The corresponding aircraft implementation examples are explained, but will not be detailed here.

[0172] To ensure stable flight of the aircraft under all operating conditions, such as yaw control under normal conditions and fault-tolerant control after motor failure, thus guaranteeing the safety and reliability of the aircraft, this embodiment first monitors the operating condition of the main drive motor to distribute and control the torque of the aircraft according to different operating conditions. The operating condition of the main drive motor includes normal operating conditions and fault operating conditions. For fault operating conditions, the difference between the actual speed of the main drive motor and the desired speed of the flight controller can be used to determine whether the main drive motor has failed.

[0173] To enhance the aircraft's yaw control capability under normal operating conditions and its fault tolerance capability under motor failure conditions, this embodiment uses at least two ducted motors and several main drive motors to rationally distribute the yaw torque, thereby achieving stable flight of the aircraft under different operating conditions.

[0174] Taking a six-rotor aircraft as an example, the configuration diagram of this aircraft is as follows: Figure 1 , 2 and Figure 5 As shown, six main drive motors are installed around the fuselage of the aircraft, along with two ducted motors. CCW on each main drive motor indicates that the main drive motor provides thrust or power in the forward rotation direction, while CW indicates that the main drive motor provides thrust or power in the reverse rotation direction.

[0175] Two ducted motors are installed directly below the main drive motor on opposite sides of the diagonal. For example, the two ducted motors can be installed separately... Figure 5 Directly below main engines 3 and 6, and directly below main engines 2 and 5, or directly below main engines 1 and 4. Each ducted motor is housed in a protective casing, which not only provides protection but also delivers additional lift. The thrust direction of each ducted motor is directly opposite to the nose of the aircraft; this is to ensure that the yaw torque distributed to each ducted motor is opposite.

[0176] In the embodiment, the main drive motor and the ducted motor are connected with the controller of the aircraft, wherein the main drive motor is used to provide the thrust and power of the aircraft, such as a brushless DC motor or a brushed DC motor. The main drive motor is usually controlled by an electronic speed controller. The electronic speed controller is an electronic device used to control the speed of the motor and the driving of the motor. In the aircraft, the main drive motor is usually controlled by the electronic speed controller, which receives the control signal and adjusts the speed and power output of the motor to realize the control and manipulation of the aircraft.

[0177] The controller sends a control signal to the electronic speed controller through a signal line connected to the electronic speed controller to control the speed and thrust of the main drive motor. The electronic speed controller is usually connected to the power system of the aircraft to provide the required power for the motor.

[0178] The ducted motor is usually used to control the attitude and stability of the aircraft, such as a rudder or a brushless DC motor. The ducted motor is usually controlled by the flight controller. The controller sends a control signal to the ducted motor through a signal line connected to the ducted motor to control the rotation angle and speed of the ducted motor. The ducted motor is usually connected to the power system of the aircraft to provide the required power for the motor.

[0179] In the embodiment, the working conditions of the main drive motor include but are not limited to two cases: the main drive motor is in normal working condition and the main drive motor is in motor failure working condition.

[0180] As an implementation, the principle of monitoring the working conditions of the main drive motor can be as follows:

[0181] First, the actual speed of each main drive motor needs to be monitored, then the difference between the actual speed of each main drive motor and the expected speed output by the controller is calculated; if the difference between the actual speed of a certain main drive motor and the expected speed output by the controller reaches a preset threshold value through calculation, it is judged that the main drive motor has failed, thereby judging that the main drive motor is in failure working condition. The expected speed output by the controller can be calculated by combining the torque output by the controller with the preset torque distribution relationship.

[0182] As an implementation, by connecting the controller with the main drive motor, the working conditions of the main drive motor can be monitored, the controller can obtain the running state and performance parameters of the motor in real time, and according to the working conditions of the main drive motor, the corresponding torque distribution strategy can be carried out. Taking a hexacopter as an example, by monitoring the working conditions of the main drive motor, the distribution of torque can be adjusted according to the actual demand, which can improve the dynamic balance of the hexacopter, save energy and enhance safety. This has important significance for the stable flight and safe operation of the hexacopter.

[0183] Step S102, according to the working condition of the main drive motor, the torque distribution control strategy corresponding to the expected yaw moment is used to control the torque distribution of the main drive motor and / or the duct motor in combination with the expected yaw moment output by the controller.

[0184] Wherein, the expected yaw moment refers to the moment in the yaw direction that is expected to be generated in order to achieve a specific yaw motion or control target in the control system of the aircraft or motion device. The expected yaw moment is to keep the aircraft balanced and prevent the aircraft from losing control in the yaw motion. By controlling the size and direction of the yaw moment, the aircraft can achieve the required yaw motion and remain stable.

[0185] In this embodiment, when the controller monitors the working condition of the main drive motor, the main drive motor and the duct motor are torque-distributed in combination with the expected yaw moment output by the corresponding torque distribution control strategy.

[0186] Wherein, in this embodiment, corresponding torque distribution control strategies are configured according to different working conditions.

[0187] For normal working conditions, a torque distribution control strategy under normal working conditions is configured.

[0188] For fault conditions, a torque distribution control strategy under fault conditions is configured.

[0189] Wherein, the torque distribution control strategy under normal working conditions is: first, the expected torque output by the controller is distributed to the original main drive motor, and it is monitored whether the main drive motor can achieve the required control torque, if the main drive motor cannot achieve the required control torque, the remaining yaw moment is distributed to the duct motor.

[0190] Wherein, the torque distribution control strategy under the motor fault condition is: when the controller monitors the main drive motor fault, the torque distribution control of the main drive motor and the duct motor is performed in combination with the expected torque output by the controller. Specifically, once the main drive motor fault is detected, the control of the yaw angle will be completely handed over to the duct motor, and the remaining main drive motor only needs to control the remaining three channels, so that the problem of unbalanced yaw moment after the motor fault is solved, and the control ability of the six-rotor aircraft after the motor fault is improved.

[0191] Specifically, if the main drive motor is in normal working condition, a torque distribution control strategy in normal working condition is selected to distribute torque in the torque distribution control strategy in normal working condition. First, the desired torque output by the controller needs to be distributed to the original main drive motor, and it is necessary to monitor whether the main drive motor can achieve the desired yaw torque. If the main drive motor cannot achieve the desired yaw torque, that is, the main drive motor is in a saturated state, the remaining yaw torque that cannot be distributed will be distributed to the ducted motor to achieve it, that is, the remaining yaw torque will be distributed to the ducted motor. Since the yaw control capability of the six-rotor layout itself is relatively weak, through the above yaw torque distribution strategy, the problem that the yaw motion becomes the bottleneck of the performance of the aircraft when encountering a larger yaw disturbance or expecting a larger yaw motion in practice can be solved. Therefore, the distribution control strategy can greatly improve the flight performance of the six-rotor aircraft.

[0192] If at least one main drive motor is in a fault working condition, a torque distribution control strategy in a fault working condition is selected to distribute torque in the torque distribution control strategy in the fault working condition. Specifically, when the controller monitors the motor failure, the main drive motor and / or the ducted motor will be controlled by torque distribution control in combination with the desired yaw torque output by the controller. By reasonably distributing the yaw torque between the main drive motor and the ducted motor, the problem that the yaw control of the aircraft may fail when the aircraft is in a motor failure, the aircraft cannot maintain a stable heading, and the attitude of the aircraft is unbalanced, and the aircraft cannot maintain a balanced flight attitude can be solved. In the prior art, as long as one main drive motor fails, the yaw torque is unbalanced, and the aircraft will fall down. In the present embodiment, the ducted motor is used to supplement the unbalanced yaw torque, so that the aircraft maintains balance.

[0193] As can be seen from the above scheme, the method of torque distribution control of the main drive motor and / or the ducted motor in combination with the desired yaw torque output by the controller according to the working condition of the main drive motor in the present embodiment mainly considers two working conditions: when the main drive motor is in normal working condition and when the main drive motor is in motor failure working condition.

[0194] It should be noted that the control strategy proposed in the present application can achieve the same effect when applied to other power devices in the present embodiment.

[0195] Taking a six-rotor aircraft as an example, the working condition of the main drive motor is monitored, and the torque distribution control of the main drive motor and / or the ducted motor in combination with the desired yaw torque output by the controller according to the working condition of the main drive motor is performed. The yaw control capability of the six-rotor aircraft in normal working condition and the fault tolerance control capability of the six-rotor aircraft in motor failure working condition are strengthened, thereby ensuring the stability and safety of the aircraft.

[0196] Referring to Figure 6 , Figure 6 is a flowchart of a second exemplary embodiment of the aircraft control method of the present application. Based on the above-mentioned Figure 4 embodiment, based on the above-mentioned step S101, the torque distribution control strategy is performed on the main drive motor and / or the duct motor according to the working condition of the main drive motor and the corresponding torque distribution control strategy in combination with the expected yaw torque output by the controller. The torque distribution control strategy under normal working conditions is described in detail, and specifically includes:

[0197] determining whether each main drive motor can achieve the expected yaw torque output by the controller;

[0198] If not, the main drive motor is assigned the yaw torque that the main drive motor can achieve, and based on the expected yaw torque and the yaw torque achieved by each main drive motor, the remaining unassigned yaw torque is calculated and assigned to the duct motor.

[0199] Compared with the above-mentioned Figure 4 embodiment, the present embodiment further includes a torque distribution strategy when the main drive motor is under normal working conditions.

[0200] Specifically, in the present embodiment, after monitoring that the main drive motor is under normal working conditions, the expected yaw torque output by the controller is first assigned to the original main drive motor, and then it is detected whether each main drive motor can achieve all the expected yaw torque.

[0201] If it is detected that the main drive motor can completely achieve the required expected yaw torque, the controller assigns all the expected yaw torque to the main drive motor, and the main drive motor controls the yaw channel.

[0202] If it is monitored that the main drive motor is in a saturated state and cannot achieve the required expected yaw torque, the unassigned yaw torque is calculated, and the calculated remaining yaw torque is assigned to the duct motor to achieve it. The duct motor provides additional thrust through the assigned yaw torque, and finally the required yaw torque achieved by the main drive motor and the remaining yaw torque achieved by the duct motor are combined to meet the demand of the aircraft for yaw control.

[0203] Specifically, whether each main drive motor can achieve the expected yaw torque output by the controller can be determined by calculating the speed of the main drive motor in combination with the torque distribution strategy, wherein the torque distribution strategy is embodied by a pre-set torque distribution relationship, and the specific implementation scheme is as follows:

[0204] First, according to the expected yaw moment output by the controller and the preset first moment distribution relationship, the rotation speed of the main drive motor after the expected yaw moment is distributed to the main drive motor is calculated;

[0205] If the calculated rotation speed of the main drive motor is greater than or equal to the highest rotation speed of the main drive motor in the saturated state, or the rotation speed of the main drive motor is less than or equal to the lowest rotation speed of the main drive motor in the saturated state, it is judged that each main drive motor cannot realize the expected yaw moment output by the controller.

[0206] If each main drive motor cannot realize the expected yaw moment output by the controller, the main drive motor is distributed with the yaw moment that can be realized by the main drive motor, and based on the expected yaw moment and the yaw moment realized by each main drive motor, the remaining yaw moment that is not distributed is calculated, and the remaining yaw moment is distributed to the duct motor.

[0207] Specifically, as an embodiment, the implementation scheme is as follows:

[0208] First, based on the rotation speed of the main drive motor in the saturated state and the first moment distribution relationship, the main drive motor is distributed with the yaw moment that can be realized by the main drive motor, and the main drive motor is controlled at the corresponding rotation speed.

[0209] Then, the expected yaw moment is subtracted from the yaw moment that can be realized by each main drive motor, and the remaining yaw moment that is not distributed is calculated.

[0210] Finally, the remaining yaw moment is distributed to the duct motor, and the corresponding rotation speed of the duct motor is calculated based on the remaining yaw moment and the preset second moment distribution relationship to control the duct motor.

[0211] The following takes a six-rotor aircraft as an example to elaborate the embodiment in detail:

[0212] Taking a six-rotor aircraft as an example, the six-rotor aircraft includes six main drive motors and two duct motors. When the controller monitors that the main drive motor is in a normal working condition, the controller first distributes all the expected yaw moment to the original six main drive motors. If it is monitored that the main drive motor cannot completely realize the required yaw moment, the remaining yaw moment is calculated and distributed to the two duct motors. The two duct motors provide additional thrust through the distributed yaw moment. Finally, the required yaw moment realized by the six main drive motors and the remaining yaw moment realized by the two duct motors are combined to meet the demand of the six-rotor aircraft for yaw control.

[0213] Wherein, the expected control quantity output by the controller can be expressed as u = [T, τ x , τ y , τz ], the output of the controller is to be realized by actuators, and the distribution relationship of the moment distribution strategy can be expressed by the following formula:

[0214] u = BW;

[0215] Wherein, B is a control distribution matrix, which can be expressed as:

[0216]

[0217] Wherein, c T is the lift coefficient of the rotor, c L is the torque coefficient, l is the force arm of each shaft, I xx , I yy and I zz are the moments of inertia, and W is the square of the motor speed.

[0218]

[0219] Since two duct motors are added, the control distribution strategy of the application separates the six main drive motors and the two duct motors for calculation, which takes into account that if both are put into a B matrix at the same time, there will be a problem of precision loss in calculation since the duct motor only controls the yaw channel in the application. Therefore, the above distribution relationship can be changed to

[0220] u1 = B1W1

[0221] u2 = B2W2;

[0222] Wherein, the subscript 1 represents the control distribution of the six main drive motors, and the subscript 2 represents the control distribution of the duct motor. It should be noted that the above expressions are after normalization.

[0223] The control distribution strategy proposed in the application is divided into two parts, namely the strategy under normal working condition and the strategy under motor failure working condition, wherein the control strategy under normal working condition is as shown in Figure 4 When the controller outputs the expected control moment, it is first distributed to the original six main drive motors, that is, first calculate However, in practice, if the expected force or moment is too large, the motor will be saturated, that is, the motor speed reaches the highest speed w max Or the lowest speed w min Since the duct motor can provide yaw moment, if the excessive expected moment at this time is the yaw moment, then the yaw moment that the six main drive motors cannot realize can be completed by the duct motor, that is, the total yaw moment required is τ z , and the maximum yaw moment that the six main drive motors can realize is τ z1maxThen the input of the ducted motor is u2=τ z2 =τ z -τ z1 .

[0224] Specifically, based on the above distribution formula, the expected yaw moment of the controller output can be obtained, and the above preset first moment distribution relationship is obtained, and the yaw moment allocated to the main drive motor is u1, that is, u1=B1W1, based on u1=B1W1, the speed W1 of the main drive motor after the expected yaw moment is allocated to the main drive motor is obtained, that is, The speed W1 can be used to determine whether the main drive motor reaches the saturation state.

[0225] Suppose the highest speed of the main drive motor in the saturation state is w max , and the lowest speed in the saturation state is w min , if W1 is greater than or equal to w max , or W1 is less than or equal to w min , it is judged that each main drive motor cannot realize the expected yaw moment of the controller output.

[0226] Based on the speed of the main drive motor in the saturation state, and the first moment distribution relationship, that is, u1=B1W1, the main drive motor is allocated the yaw moment that the six main drive motors can realize.

[0227] Among them, suppose the maximum yaw moment that the six main drive motors can realize is τ z1max , the maximum yaw moment that the ducted motor can provide is τ z2max , the total yaw moment required is τ z , and the remaining yaw moment that has not been allocated is τ z2 , then the remaining yaw moment that has not been allocated is calculated by subtracting the yaw moment that each main drive motor can realize from the expected yaw moment, that is, u2=τ z2 =τ z -τ z1 .

[0228] Based on the preset second moment distribution relationship, the yaw moment allocated to the ducted motor is u2, that is, u2=B2W2, based on u2=B2W2, the speed W2 of the ducted motor after the expected yaw moment is allocated to the ducted motor is obtained, that is,

[0229] The remaining yaw moment u2 is allocated to the ducted motor, and the speed of the ducted motor is obtained based on the remaining yaw moment u2 and the preset second moment distribution relationship, that is, The corresponding speed W2 is obtained, and the ducted motor is controlled at this speed.

[0230] At this time, the maximum yaw moment of the six-rotor aircraft becomes τz1max +τ z2max Since the yaw control ability of the hexacopter layout itself is relatively weak, when a larger yaw disturbance is encountered or a larger yaw motion is expected in practice, the yaw motion will become the bottleneck that limits the performance of the aircraft, and therefore this control strategy of the embodiment can greatly improve the flight performance of the hexacopter aircraft.

[0231] According to the working condition of the main drive motor, the expected yaw moment is distributed to the main drive motor and / or the duct motor, so that the aircraft can perform better in yaw control and improve the control performance. When the main drive motor is in a saturated state, the remaining yaw moment is distributed to the duct motor, which can reduce the load of the main drive motor and prolong its service life. The thrust of the motor can be utilized to the maximum extent, and the efficiency and endurance of the aircraft can be improved. At the same time, reasonable distribution of the moment can balance the load of the duct motor and improve the performance and service life of the main drive motor and the duct motor.

[0232] Referring to Figure 7 , Figure 7 The flowchart of the third exemplary embodiment of the aircraft control method of the present application is shown. Based on the above Figure 4 The embodiment shown in the above

[0233] Compared with the embodiment shown in the above Figure 4 The embodiment further includes a control strategy for distributing the yaw moment when the main drive motor is in a motor failure condition.

[0234] Specifically, in the torque distribution control strategy under the failure condition, the other expected torques except the expected yaw moment are distributed to the remaining main drive motors except the main drive motor that fails, and the expected yaw moment is distributed to the duct motor. Taking the hexacopter aircraft with two duct motors as an example, when at least one main drive motor fails, the corresponding main drive motor on the same diagonal line as the main drive motor that fails can be controlled to stop working by the controller, and the two duct motors can be controlled to operate to provide a compensating yaw moment to the aircraft.

[0235] The other expected torques correspond to control of the pitch channel, the roll channel, and the throttle channel; and the preset torque distribution relationship includes a corresponding relationship between the torque, the motor speed, and the control distribution matrix.

[0236] Wherein, the motor failure in the embodiment generally refers to any failure that can cause the motor to stop and fail to provide thrust. When a single motor failure occurs, as shown in FIG. 1, if a main drive motor (e.g., motor No. 1) fails, in order to balance the torque, the controller first controls the corresponding main drive motor (e.g., motor No. 4) on the same diagonal line as the failed main drive motor (e.g., motor No. 1) to stop working. The rotational speed of the main drive motor (motor No. 4) on the diagonal line will rapidly decrease. The remaining main drive motors (motors No. 2, 3, 5 and 6) will cause an imbalance of the yaw torque and lead to the crash of the aircraft even if a very small pitch or roll maneuver is performed because the rotational directions of the diagonal motors are opposite. Figure 5

[0237] Therefore, in the embodiment, a control strategy for distributing the yaw torque when the main drive motors are in the motor failure condition is proposed. The controller controls two duct motors to operate to provide a compensation yaw torque to the aircraft. The size of the compensation yaw torque is substantially equal to the difference between the actual yaw torque generated by the remaining four main drive motors (motors No. 2, 3, 5 and 6) and the target yaw torque (i.e., the expected yaw torque output by the controller). The controller can enable the aircraft to cope with the failure of the main drive motors and ensure the safety of the pilot and the aircraft.

[0238] Wherein, the motor failure can be determined by calculating the difference between the expected rotational speed output by the flight control and the actual rotational speed. Once a motor failure is detected, the strategy is to distribute the yaw torque to the duct motors and distribute the remaining expected force and torque T, τ x ,τ y to the remaining main drive motors, thereby avoiding the imbalance of the yaw torque caused by the maneuver.

[0239] Wherein, as an implementation, the step of distributing the expected yaw torque to the duct motors comprises:

[0240] obtaining the yaw torque generated by the remaining main drive motors except the failed main drive motor; subtracting the yaw torque generated by the remaining main drive motors from the expected yaw torque to obtain a target yaw torque; and distributing the target yaw torque to the duct motors.

[0241] Wherein, as an implementation, the step of obtaining the yaw torque generated by the main drive motors comprises:

[0242] obtaining the actual rotational speeds of the remaining main drive motors except the failed main drive motor;

[0243] estimating the yaw torque generated by the remaining main drive motors by combining the actual rotational speeds of the remaining main drive motors with the corresponding control distribution matrix. ​

[0244] Specifically, taking a six-rotor aircraft as an example, let's assume T, τ x ,τ y The remaining desired force and torque, the total required yaw torque is τ. z The remaining yaw torque generated by the main drive motor is τ' z1 The yaw torque to be achieved by the ducted motor is τ. z2 :

[0245] First, the difference between the expected speed output by the flight controller and the actual speed can be used to determine whether the motor is malfunctioning.

[0246] If the No. 1 motor of a hexacopter malfunctions, to balance the torque, the corresponding No. 4 motor, which is on the same diagonal as the malfunctioning No. 1 motor, is first stopped. The speed of the diagonally opposite No. 4 motor will then rapidly decrease. The strategy at this point is to distribute all the yaw torque to the ducted motor, while the remaining desired force and torque T,τ... x ,τ y This is achieved by the remaining motors 2, 3, 5, and 6.

[0247] In addition, since the yaw torque generated by the remaining main drive motor at this time is equivalent to a "disturbance" for the ducted motor, this part of the torque needs to be subtracted when calculating the expected yaw torque of the ducted motor.

[0248] Therefore, in calculating the desired yaw torque of the ducted motor, i.e., the yaw torque τ to be achieved... z2 Time is not simply about making τ z2 =τ z In addition, it is necessary to counteract the unbalanced yaw torque generated by the remaining main drive motors, and this yaw torque needs to be estimated based on the actual speed of the remaining motors.

[0249] Specifically, first, obtain the actual speed of the remaining main drive motors excluding the main drive motor that malfunctioned;

[0250] Then, the actual speed of the remaining main drive motor is estimated by combining it with the corresponding control allocation matrix, i.e., τ' z1 =B1'(4)*W1', based on τ' z1 =B1'(4)*W1', which gives the remaining yaw torque generated by the main drive motor;

[0251] Finally, subtract the yaw torque generated by the remaining main drive motor from the desired yaw torque, i.e., τ. z2 =τ z -τ' z1 The target yaw torque is obtained and then distributed to the ducted motor.

[0252] Wherein, B1'(4) represents controlling the fourth row of the distribution matrix B and setting the column of the failed motor to 0, and W1' is the rotating speed of the remaining motors.

[0253] Thus, in the motor failure working condition, the yaw channel is completely controlled by the ducted motor, and the main drive motor only needs to control the remaining three channels, including the pitch channel, the roll channel and the throttle channel. The ducted motor controls the yaw motion of the aircraft by the yaw moment obtained by distribution.

[0254] Taking a six-rotor aircraft as an example, the six-rotor aircraft includes six main drive motors and two ducted motors. When the controller monitors that the main drive motor is in the motor failure working condition, the controller distributes other expected moments except the expected yaw moment to the six main drive motors, obtains the yaw moment generated by the remaining main drive motors, subtracts the yaw moment generated by the remaining main drive motors from the output expected yaw moment, obtains the target yaw moment, and finally distributes the target yaw moment to the two ducted motors. The ducted motor controls the yaw motion of the six-rotor aircraft by the yaw moment obtained by distribution.

[0255] Through the above technical solution, in the case that at least one motor fails and the yaw moment is unbalanced, the fault tolerance control ability after motor failure is enhanced, and the flexibility and maneuverability of the six-rotor aircraft can be increased by concentrating the control of the yaw channel on the ducted motor. In the method of the embodiment, the yaw control instruction can be more sensitively responded by using the ducted motor to supplement the unbalanced yaw moment, so that the six-rotor aircraft can adjust the heading more quickly and maintain the balance in flight.

[0256] The embodiment solution is described in detail in combination with specific scenarios as follows:

[0257] For example, taking a six-rotor aircraft as an example, the six-rotor aircraft is configured with a controller, six main drive motors and two ducted motors, and the six main drive motors and the two ducted motors are connected with the controller of the aircraft.

[0258] Wherein, the six main drive motors are installed around the fuselage of the six-rotor aircraft, and the CCW on each main drive motor indicates that the main drive motor provides thrust or power in the positive rotation direction, and the CW indicates that the drive motor provides thrust or power in the reverse rotation direction. Two ducted motors are installed directly below the diagonal main drive motors, and the thrust direction of the two ducted motors is directly opposite to the nose of the six-rotor aircraft.

[0259] When the six-rotor aircraft is used to perform a flight task, the controller monitors the working condition of the main drive motor of the six-rotor aircraft in real time.

[0260] If the controller monitors that the main drive motors of the hexacopter are in normal working condition, the main drive motors and / or the ducted motors are controlled by the corresponding moment distribution control strategy according to the normal working condition of the main drive motors and the expected yaw moment output by the controller.

[0261] Specifically, if the controller monitors that the main drive motors are in normal working condition and the hexacopter needs to yaw right at this time, the controller will first output the expected right yaw moment and distribute the expected right yaw moment to the six main drive motors. If the main drive motors are in the saturation state at this time and cannot achieve the required right yaw moment, the unallocated right yaw moment will be calculated based on the expected right yaw moment and the yaw moment achieved by each main drive motor, and the remaining unallocated right yaw moment will be allocated to the ducted motors to achieve it. In this way, the thrust of the right main drive motor and the ducted motor can be increased, and the thrust of the left main drive motor and the ducted motor can be reduced to generate a right yaw moment and achieve the yaw motion of the hexacopter.

[0262] If the controller detects that a main drive motor on the left side of the hexacopter fails to provide thrust, the moment of the main drive motor and the ducted motor will be redistributed according to the position and type of the failed motor.

[0263] First, the controller controls the corresponding main drive motor on the same diagonal line as the failed main drive motor to stop working, allocates the yaw moment to the ducted motor, and controls the yaw angle by the ducted motor. Then, the other expected moments are allocated to the remaining main drive motors, and the remaining main drive motors only need to control the remaining three channels.

[0264] Specifically, the controller allocates other expected moments such as pitch moment, roll moment, and throttle moment to the remaining main drive motors, subtracts the yaw moment generated by the remaining main drive motors from the expected yaw moment to obtain the target yaw moment, and allocates the target yaw moment to the ducted motor to provide the hexacopter with a compensatory yaw moment and achieve balanced yaw motion of the hexacopter.

[0265] Therefore, by selecting appropriate moment distribution control strategies under different working conditions and combining the expected yaw moment output by the controller, the moment distribution control of the main drive motors and the ducted motors is achieved, which not only improves the yaw control ability of the hexacopter in normal working condition and the fault tolerance control ability after the motor fails, but also ensures that the hexacopter can safely and reliably complete the flight task.

[0266] In addition, as shown in Figure 8 the embodiment of the present application also provides an aircraft control device, which comprises:

[0267] A monitoring module is configured to monitor the working condition of the main drive motor.

[0268] A distribution module is configured to, according to the working condition of the main drive motor, perform torque distribution control on the main drive motor and / or the duct motor in combination with the expected yaw torque output by the controller, by using a corresponding torque distribution control strategy.

[0269] The present embodiment realizes the aircraft control principle and implementation process. Please refer to the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0270] In addition, the present embodiment further provides an aircraft, which comprises a memory, a processor, and an aircraft control program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, and the aircraft control program is configured to implement the steps of the aircraft control method as described above.

[0271] Since the aircraft control program is executed by the processor, all the technical solutions of the above-mentioned embodiments are adopted, and at least all the beneficial effects brought by all the technical solutions of the above-mentioned embodiments are achieved, which will not be repeated here.

[0272] In addition, the present embodiment further provides a storage medium, which stores an aircraft control program, and the aircraft control program is executed by the processor to implement the steps of the aircraft control method as described above.

[0273] Since the present aircraft control program is executed by the processor, all the technical solutions of the above-mentioned embodiments are adopted, and at least all the beneficial effects brought by all the technical solutions of the above-mentioned embodiments are achieved, which will not be repeated here.

[0274] It should be noted that the function of the data storage operation in the present embodiment can be integrated into a single functional unit, or can be integrated into multiple functional unit modules. The storage device for storing data is not limited to an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, and other storage media such as random access memory, read-only memory, flash memory, U disk, mobile hard disk, magnetic disk, and optical disk can be replaced as storage media.

[0275] Compared with the prior art, the aircraft control method, device and aircraft provided by the embodiments of the present application monitor the working conditions of the main drive motors; and according to the working conditions of the main drive motors, torque distribution control is performed on the main drive motors and / or the ducted motors in combination with the expected yaw torque output by the controller, by using a corresponding torque distribution control strategy. The scheme proposes a control strategy based on double ducts, and by reasonably distributing the yaw torque among the six main drive motors and the ducted motors, the yaw control capability of the hexacopter in a normal working condition and the fault tolerance control capability after a motor failure are enhanced, the performance and safety and reliability of the hexacopter are effectively improved, and the smooth completion of a flight task is ensured.

[0276] It should be noted that in this document, the terms "comprise", "comprising", or any other variant thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, such that processes, methods, articles, or systems that comprise a list of elements do not only include those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or other elements inherent to such processes, methods, articles, or systems. Without more limitations, the element defined by the phrase "comprising a" does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or system that includes the element.

[0277] The above-mentioned serial numbers of the embodiments of the present application are only for description, and do not represent the advantages and disadvantages of the embodiments.

[0278] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the above-mentioned embodiment methods can be realized by means of software and a necessary general hardware platform, and of course, they can also be realized by hardware, but in many cases, the former is a better embodiment. Based on such understanding, the technical solutions of the present application can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium (such as a ROM / RAM, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk) as described above, and includes a plurality of instructions for causing a terminal device (which can be a mobile phone, a computer, a server, or a network device) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of the present application.

[0279] The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present application, and does not limit the patent scope of the present application, and any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made by using the content of the specification and drawings of the present application, or direct or indirect application in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An aircraft control method, characterized in that, The aircraft includes several main drive motors and at least two ducted motors, both of which are connected to the aircraft's controller. The method includes: Monitor the operating status of the main drive motor; Based on the operating conditions of the main drive motor, a corresponding torque distribution control strategy is used, combined with the desired yaw torque output by the controller, to perform torque distribution control on the main drive motor and / or the duct motor. The step of performing torque distribution control on the main drive motor and / or the ducted motor according to the operating conditions of the main drive motor, using a corresponding torque distribution control strategy and in conjunction with the desired yaw torque output by the controller, includes: If the main drive motor is in normal operating condition, then the torque distribution control strategy under normal operating condition is selected, and the torque distribution control strategy under normal operating condition is combined with the expected yaw torque output by the controller to perform torque distribution control on the main drive motor and / or the duct motor. The step of using a torque distribution control strategy under normal operating conditions, combined with the desired yaw torque output by the controller, to perform torque distribution control on the main drive motor and / or the ducted motor includes: Determine whether each main drive motor can achieve the desired yaw torque output by the controller; If not, the yaw torque that the main drive motor can achieve is allocated to the main drive motor, and based on the expected yaw torque and the yaw torque achieved by each main drive motor, the unallocated remaining yaw torque is calculated and allocated to the ducted motor.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The steps for monitoring the operating condition of the main drive motor include: Monitor the actual speed of the main drive motor; Calculate the difference between the actual speed of the main drive motor and the desired speed output by the controller; If the difference reaches a preset threshold, it is determined that the main drive motor has malfunctioned.

3. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The step of performing torque distribution control on the main drive motor and / or the ducted motor according to the operating conditions of the main drive motor and using a corresponding torque distribution control strategy, combined with the desired yaw torque output by the controller, further includes: If at least one main drive motor is in a fault condition, then the torque distribution control strategy under the fault condition is selected, and the torque distribution control strategy under the fault condition is combined with the desired yaw torque output by the controller to perform torque distribution control on the main drive motor and / or the duct motor.

4. The method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The step of determining whether each main drive motor can achieve the desired yaw torque output by the controller includes: Based on the desired yaw torque output by the controller and the preset first torque distribution relationship, the rotational speed of the main drive motor after the desired yaw torque is distributed to the main drive motor is calculated. If the calculated speed of the main drive motor is greater than or equal to the speed of the main drive motor in saturation, then it is determined that each main drive motor cannot achieve the expected yaw torque output by the controller.

5. The method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The steps of allocating the yaw torque achievable by the main drive motor to the main drive motor, calculating the unallocated remaining yaw torque based on the desired yaw torque and the yaw torque achieved by each main drive motor, and allocating the remaining yaw torque to the ducted motor include: Based on the main drive motor's speed in saturation and the first torque distribution relationship, the yaw torque that the main drive motor can achieve is allocated to the main drive motor, and the main drive motor is controlled with the corresponding speed. The unallocated remaining yaw torque is calculated by subtracting the yaw torque achievable by each main drive motor from the desired yaw torque. The remaining yaw torque is allocated to the ducted motor, and the corresponding speed is calculated based on the remaining yaw torque and the preset second torque allocation relationship to control the ducted motor.

6. The method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The step of using a torque distribution control strategy under fault conditions, combined with the desired yaw torque output by the controller, to perform torque distribution control on the main drive motor and / or the ducted motor includes: Using a torque distribution control strategy under fault conditions, the desired torques other than the desired yaw torque are distributed to the remaining main drive motors that are not experiencing a fault, and the desired yaw torque is distributed to the ducted motor.

7. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The desired yaw moment corresponds to the control yaw channel, and the other desired moments correspond to the control pitch channel, roll channel, and throttle channel. And / or, the preset torque distribution relationship includes: the correspondence between torque, motor speed and control distribution matrix.

8. The method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The step of distributing the desired yaw torque to the ducted motor includes: Obtain the yaw torque generated by the remaining main drive motor; The target yawing torque is obtained by subtracting the remaining yawing torque generated by the main drive motor from the desired yawing torque. The target yaw torque is distributed to the ducted motor.

9. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The step of obtaining the remaining yaw torque generated by the main drive motor includes: Obtain the actual speed of the remaining main drive motors excluding the one that failed; The yaw torque generated by the remaining main drive motor is estimated by combining the actual speed of the remaining main drive motor with the corresponding control allocation matrix.

10. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The aircraft is a hexacopter, with six main drive motors and two ducted motors. The two ducted motors are respectively installed directly below the two opposing main drive motors, and the thrust direction of the ducted motors is directly in the direction of the nose of the hexacopter.

11. An aircraft, characterized in that, The aircraft includes: The aircraft body, which is equipped with a flight cockpit; A flight propulsion system, comprising a frame and 2n main drive motors, wherein the frame is mounted on the aircraft body, and the 2n main drive motors are mounted on the frame, the main drive motors providing lift, thrust, and yaw torque to the aircraft body, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 1; and, An auxiliary yaw system is connected to the aircraft body, and the auxiliary yaw system includes at least two ducted motors; A controller, connected to both the main drive motor and the ducted motor, is used to monitor the operating condition of the main drive motor. Based on the operating condition of the main drive motor, a corresponding torque distribution control strategy is used, combined with the desired yaw torque output by the controller, to perform torque distribution control on the main drive motor and / or the ducted motor. The controller is also used to determine whether each main drive motor can achieve the desired yaw torque output by the controller when each of the main drive motors is in normal operating condition. If at least one main drive motor cannot achieve the desired yaw torque output by the controller, the controller allocates the yaw torque that the at least one main drive motor can achieve to the at least one main drive motor, and calculates the unallocated remaining yaw torque based on the desired yaw torque and the allocated yaw torque that the main drive motor can achieve, and allocates the remaining yaw torque to the ducted motor.

12. The aircraft as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that, The aircraft body is symmetrical about a predetermined central axis plane, which is a vertical plane defined by the forward direction of the aircraft; the auxiliary yaw system includes two ducted motors, which are respectively located on both sides of the central axis plane, and 2n main drive motors are distributed on both sides of the central axis plane; and / or, in the direction in which the main drive motors are distributed, the center points of the 2n main drive motors are sequentially connected to form a polygon, and two main drive motors located on the same diagonal of the polygon constitute a pair of corresponding main drive motors.

13. The aircraft as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to, in the event that at least one main drive motor is in an abnormal operating condition, control the corresponding main drive motor that is on the same diagonal as the main drive motor that caused the failure to stop working, and control the two ducted motors to operate to provide compensating yaw torque to the aircraft body.

14. The aircraft as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that, The aircraft is a hexacopter, with six main drive motors. Two ducted motors are respectively installed directly below the two opposite main drive motors, and the thrust direction of the ducted motors is directly in the direction of the nose of the hexacopter.

15. The aircraft as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that, The six main drive motors include a first main drive motor, a second main drive motor, a third main drive motor, a fourth main drive motor, a fifth main drive motor, and a sixth main drive motor. The six main drive motors are arranged in ascending order in a counterclockwise direction in the direction in which they are distributed around each other. Specifically, the first main drive motor and the fourth main drive motor are paired together, the second main drive motor and the fifth main drive motor are paired together, and the third main drive motor and the sixth main drive motor are paired together.

16. The aircraft as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that, Each of the main drive motors is equipped with a rotor. The rotors of the first, third, and fifth main drive motors are configured to rotate in a first direction, and the rotors of the second, fourth, and sixth main drive motors are configured to rotate in a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction.

17. The aircraft as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that, The controller is also used to control the fourth main drive motor corresponding to the first main drive motor to stop working when the first main drive motor is in an abnormal working condition, and to control the two ducted motors to operate in order to provide compensating yaw torque to the aircraft body.

18. An aircraft control device, characterized in that, The aircraft includes several main drive motors and at least two ducted motors, and the device includes: The monitoring module is used to monitor the operating condition of the main drive motor; The allocation module is used to perform torque allocation control on the main drive motor and / or the ducted motor according to the operating conditions of the main drive motor and the corresponding torque allocation control strategy, combined with the expected yaw torque output by the controller. The allocation module is also used to determine whether each main drive motor can achieve the expected yaw torque output by the controller when each main drive motor is in normal operating condition; if at least one main drive motor cannot achieve the expected yaw torque output by the controller, then the yaw torque that the at least one main drive motor can achieve is allocated to the at least one main drive motor, and based on the expected yaw torque and the yaw torque that the allocated main drive motor can achieve, the unallocated remaining yaw torque is calculated, and the remaining yaw torque is allocated to the ducted motor.

19. An aircraft, characterized in that, The aircraft includes: a memory, a processor, and an aircraft control program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, the aircraft control program being configured to implement the steps of the aircraft control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

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