vertical take-off and landing aircraft

Abstract

The present invention discloses a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, relating to the field of aircraft technology. The VTOL aircraft includes an aircraft body, at least two battery modules, at least four tilt-rotor units, and at least two fixed-rotor units. A tilt-rotor unit located near the front of the aircraft body on either side of the aircraft body and a tilt-rotor unit located near the rear of the aircraft body on the other side of the aircraft body are centrally symmetrical and connected to the same battery module. Furthermore, the fixed-rotor units located on either side of the aircraft body are connected to the battery modules located on the same side of the aircraft body. The present invention can balance multiple design objectives, including aircraft weight, economy, and safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of aircraft, in particular to a vertical take-off and landing aircraft. Background Art

[0002] In an eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft, which combines fixed and tilt-rotor units, both require power from battery modules. For flight safety, the different motor windings in each fixed or tilt-rotor unit are connected to different battery modules via a power distribution module. This ensures that if one motor winding fails, the remaining motor winding system can maintain power output.

[0003] In related technologies, the connection relationship between the fixed rotor unit or the tilt rotor unit and the battery module focuses on safety considerations, but fails to balance multiple design goals such as cable weight, economy and safety, thereby failing to achieve the goal of multi-objective optimization of the system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main purpose of the present invention is to propose a vertical take-off and landing aircraft, aiming to solve the technical problem in the related art that the aircraft design gives priority to safety, resulting in heavy cables.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention proposes a vertical take-off and landing aircraft, comprising:

[0006] Aircraft body;

[0007] At least two battery modules, at least two battery modules are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the aircraft body;

[0008] At least four tilt-rotor units, at least two of which are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the aircraft body and near the nose of the fuselage, and at least two of which are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the aircraft body and near the tail of the fuselage, the tilt-rotor units being configured to rotate between a cruise position and a vertical take-off and landing position, and a tilt-rotor unit near the nose of the fuselage and located on either side of the aircraft body and a tilt-rotor unit near the tail of the fuselage and located on the other side of the aircraft body being centrally symmetrical in their horizontal projections and both being connected to the same battery module; and

[0009] At least two fixed rotor units are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the aircraft body. On either side of the left and right sides of the aircraft body, any fixed rotor unit is located on the side of any tilt-rotor unit away from the central axis of the aircraft body. The fixed rotor unit is shut down or enters a low power consumption mode when the tilt-rotor unit is in a cruise position, and the fixed rotor unit located on either side of the aircraft body is connected to the battery module located on the same side of the aircraft body.

[0010] One or more technical solutions proposed in the present invention have at least the following technical effects:

[0011] Because the fixed rotor unit has a relatively simple mechanical structure and lower system complexity than the tilt-rotor unit, its failure probability is lower than that of the tilt-rotor unit. In addition, during the flight mission, the fixed rotor unit operates in the vertical phase and the transition phase, and shuts down or enters a low-power mode in the cruise phase. Its operating time is shorter, and its fault exposure time is shorter than that of the tilt-rotor unit. Therefore, in the present invention, the connection relationship between the tilt-rotor unit located on the inner side and the battery module is an obliquely symmetrical connection relationship, so as to take more safety into consideration. In the event of abnormal power supply of the battery module, the impact of the battery module, that is, the power supply side failure, on the vertical take-off and landing aircraft can be reduced. The fixed rotor unit located on the outer side adopts the method of drawing power from the battery module on the same side for more weight and economic considerations, thereby reducing the weight of the distribution cable and balancing multiple design goals such as the weight, economy and safety of the aircraft. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0013] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the grouping of propulsion components in the vertical take-off and landing aircraft provided by the present invention;

[0014] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the inner and outer grouping of the propulsion assembly in the vertical take-off and landing aircraft provided by the present invention;

[0015] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the power supply of the battery module and propulsion assembly in the vertical take-off and landing aircraft provided by the present invention;

[0016] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the power supply of the battery module and motor windings in the vertical take-off and landing aircraft provided by the present invention;

[0017] Figure 5 A symmetrical schematic diagram of a propulsion assembly of a vertical take-off and landing aircraft provided by the present invention;

[0018] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the arrangement of the power distribution module in the vertical take-off and landing aircraft provided by the present invention;

[0019] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a power distribution module for a vertical take-off and landing aircraft provided by the present invention; wherein independent buses are connected in parallel to each other via a switch unit;

[0020] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a power distribution module for a vertical take-off and landing aircraft provided by the present invention; wherein independent buses are connected end to end in sequence;

[0021] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the vertical take-off and landing aircraft provided by the present invention; wherein, two power distribution modules with a total of four independent buses are connected in parallel through a switch unit;

[0022] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the vertical take-off and landing aircraft provided by the present invention, wherein two power distribution modules with a total of four independent buses are connected end to end in sequence.

[0023] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0024] 1. First power group; 2. Second power group; 10. First propulsion assembly group; 20. Second propulsion assembly group; 30. Third propulsion assembly group; 40. Fourth propulsion assembly group; 100. Power distribution module; 110. Input interface; 120. Output interface; 130. Independent bus; 130a. First independent bus; 130b. Second independent bus; 130c. Third independent bus; 130d. Fourth independent bus; 140. First switch unit; 150. Connection unit; 101. Fuselage; 101a. Central axis; 102. Tail; 103. Left wing; 1031. Left arm; 104. Right wing; 1041. Right arm; 200. Battery module; 201. First battery module; 202. Second battery module Battery module; 203, third battery module; 204, fourth battery module; 300, propulsion assembly; 310, fixed rotor unit; 320, tilt rotor unit; 311, first fixed rotor unit; 312, second fixed rotor unit; 313, third fixed rotor unit; 314, fourth fixed rotor unit; 320, tilt rotor unit; 321, first tilt rotor unit; 322, second tilt rotor unit; 323, third tilt rotor unit; 324, fourth tilt rotor unit; 400, jumper cable; 401, second connecting line; 402, first connecting line; 611, first motor controller; 612, second motor controller; 621, third motor controller; 622, fourth motor controller.

[0025] The purpose, features and advantages of the present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with the embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0028] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features limited to "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, if "and / or" or "and / or" appears in the full text, its meaning includes three parallel solutions. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes solution A, solution B, or solutions that satisfy both A and B. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0029] The propulsion components of the eVTOL include electric motors, propellers, and other accessories, which are used to provide the pull / thrust and / or at least part of the lift required by the eVTOL. They use battery modules to provide high-voltage electricity as energy. In the design of eVTOL, in order to meet flight safety standards, the battery module is generally configured to supply power to at least one set of propulsion components that meet central symmetry. That is, the connection relationship between the propulsion components and the battery module generally adopts an obliquely symmetrical power supply design, so that when the battery module or circuit on one side of the fuselage fails, the eVTOL can still maintain partial thrust output. However, if all propulsion components on the eVTOL fuselage adopt this connection method with safety as the primary consideration, the outer propulsion components away from the fuselage will require a large number of distribution cables, resulting in the weight of the eVTOL's distribution cables accounting for a high proportion of the weight of the entire aircraft, which needs to be optimized.

[0030] To this end, the present application provides a solution in which all propulsion components are divided into a fixed rotor unit group located on the outside, away from the main body of the aircraft, and a tilt-rotor unit group located on the inside, close to the main body of the aircraft. Since the failure probability of the fixed rotor units in the fixed rotor unit group is lower than that of the tilt-rotor units, and the working time is short, the fault exposure time is also shorter than that of the tilt-rotor units. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the connection relationship between the tilt-rotor units located on the inside and the battery modules is an obliquely symmetrical connection relationship, so that safety is taken into consideration more. In the event of abnormal power supply of the battery modules, the impact of failures on the vertical take-off and landing aircraft due to failures in the battery modules, i.e., the power supply side, can be reduced. The fixed rotor units located on the outside are more concerned with weight and economy. They adopt the method of drawing power from the battery modules on the same side, thereby reducing the weight of the distribution cables and achieving a balance between the weight, economy, and safety of the aircraft.

[0031] The technical concept of the present invention is further described below with reference to some specific embodiments.

[0032] See also Figure 1 This embodiment provides a vertical take-off and landing aircraft, including an aircraft body, at least two battery modules 200, at least four tilt-rotor units 320, and at least two fixed-rotor units 310.

[0033] Among them, at least two battery modules 200 are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the aircraft body; at least two tilt-rotor units 320 are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the aircraft body and close to the fuselage head, at least two tilt-rotor units 320 are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the aircraft body and close to the fuselage tail, the tilt-rotor units 320 are constructed to switch between the cruise position and the vertical take-off and landing position, and a tilt-rotor unit 320 close to the fuselage head and located on either side of the aircraft body and a tilt-rotor unit 320 close to the fuselage tail and located on the other side of the aircraft body are in the horizontal plane. The projections are centrally symmetrical and are both connected to the same battery module 200; at least two fixed rotor units 310 are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the aircraft body, and on either side of the left and right sides of the aircraft body, any fixed rotor unit 310 is located on the side of any tilt-rotor unit 320 away from the central axis 101a of the aircraft body, and the fixed rotor unit 310 is shut down or enters a low power consumption mode when the tilt-rotor unit 320 is in a cruise position, and the fixed rotor unit 310 located on either side of the aircraft body is connected to the battery module 200 located on the same side of the aircraft body.

[0034] Specifically, the eVTOL provided in this embodiment includes not only pure electric eVTOL, but also hydrogen-electric hybrid and oil-electric hybrid eVTOL. Figure 1The main body of an eVTOL aircraft refers to the main structure and supporting components used to support and protect the various components of the eVTOL and the entire system, including but not limited to the fuselage 101, empennage 102, left wing 103, and right wing 104. The left wing 103 is connected to the left side of the fuselage 101, and the right wing 104 is connected to the right side of the fuselage 101. It is understood that the left and right wings 103, 104 can be connected to the fuselage 101 or integrally formed with the fuselage 101. Alternatively, the left and right wings 103, 104 can be the left and right halves of a single, integral wing connected to the fuselage 101 and extending across the left and right sides of the fuselage 101, respectively. The empennage 102 includes a left stabilizer and a right stabilizer, which are symmetrically arranged on either side of the fuselage 101. It is understandable that the left stabilizer and the right stabilizer may both be horizontal stabilizers, or when the tail 102 is a V-tail, the left stabilizer and the right stabilizer may also be inclined stabilizers arranged obliquely.

[0035] The battery module 200 can be configured as an eVTOL power battery, providing electrical energy to the eVTOL's propulsion assembly 300. It is also configured to provide electrical energy to onboard systems such as the avionics system, the onboard environmental control system, and the onboard lighting system. It is understood that the battery module 200 can be a rechargeable battery or a hydrogen fuel cell, and this embodiment is not limiting. Multiple battery modules 200 are arranged bilaterally symmetrically on the aircraft body, with some battery modules 200 positioned to the left of the central axis 101a of the fuselage 101 and others symmetrically positioned to the right of the central axis 101a to balance the eVTOL's weight distribution. It is understood that the battery module 200 can be installed on a single side of the aircraft body, either on that side of the fuselage 101 or on a wing on that side, and this embodiment is not limiting.

[0036] It can be understood that in order to achieve the redundant design required for flight and avoid the failure of a single battery module 200 causing all propulsion components 300 to lose power output, the eVTOL is configured with multiple battery modules 200, and each battery module 200 is connected to a part of all propulsion components 300.

[0037] The propulsion assembly 300 includes a fixed rotor unit 310 and a tilt-rotor unit 320. A single propulsion assembly 300 is located on the left wing 103, the right wing 104, or the tail 102, providing the thrust and / or at least partial lift required for eVTOL flight. As will be appreciated, the propulsion assembly 300 includes propellers, electric motors, and other accessories. The electric motors, which drive the propellers, include motors, motor controllers, and other accessories. Furthermore, to provide sufficient thrust and / or lift, and to dynamically coordinate the thrust and / or vector directions with the center of gravity of the vehicle, the eVTOL typically has at least four propulsion assemblies 300, often in an even number, such as six or eight, to achieve a symmetrical layout of the propulsion assemblies 300 on the vehicle body: half of the propulsion assemblies 300 are located on the left side of the fuselage 101, while the other half are located on the right side. As can be appreciated, a symmetrical layout facilitates control of the aircraft and maintains flight stability. Furthermore, a symmetrical layout of the propulsion assemblies 300 also allows for rapid adjustment of the pull / thrust / lift distribution of the remaining propulsion assemblies 300 when power output from some of the assemblies is reduced or lost, maintaining the overall balance of the eVTOL.

[0038] The tilt-rotor unit 320 is configured to switch between a cruise position and a vertical take-off and landing position to adjust the eVTOL's flight attitude. It is understood that during the vertical take-off and landing phase of the eVTOL's flight, the tilt-rotor unit 320 is in the vertical take-off and landing position. The high-speed rotation of the fixed rotor unit 310 and the tilt-rotor unit 320 generates upward lift, enabling the eVTOL to overcome gravity and achieve take-off and landing. During the cruise phase, the tilt-rotor unit 320 tilts to the cruise position. The wings assume the lift role, while the tilt-rotor unit 320 provides forward traction for the eVTOL, enabling the eVTOL to conduct long-range flight at higher speeds. It is worth noting that the tilt-rotor unit 320 in this embodiment can be a fully tilting configuration, meaning that the tilt-rotor unit 320 as a whole can rotate between the cruise position and the vertical take-off and landing position. Alternatively, the tilt-rotor unit 320 can be configured as a partial tilt rotor unit, where the unit is divided into a rotor section and a pod section. The rotor section is rotatable between the cruise and vertical takeoff and landing positions, while the pod section is fixed to the main body of the aircraft. During the cruise phase of the eVTOL, the fixed rotor unit 310 can be shut down, the propellers can be feathered or folded, or the blades can be retracted to reduce drag, or the unit can enter a low-power mode.

[0039] It should be noted that, of the at least four tilt-rotor units 320 of this embodiment, at least two of the tilt-rotor units 320 are located on the nose side of the wing. Specifically, they may be arranged at the leading edge of the wing, or on arms extending forward from the leading edge of the wing, or on arms extending from the fuselage 101 in front of the wing, thereby being located near the nose of the fuselage. Furthermore, the remaining at least two propulsion assemblies 300 of the at least four tilt-rotor units 320 may be located on the tail side of the wing. Specifically, they may be arranged at the trailing edge of the wing, or on arms extending rearward from the trailing edge of the wing, or on arms extending from the fuselage 101 behind the wing, thereby being located near the tail of the fuselage. Alternatively, the remaining at least two propulsion assemblies may be arranged on the empennage 102, thereby also being located near the tail of the fuselage.

[0040] Therefore, please refer to Figure 1 In this embodiment, all propulsion components 300 include the following groups: a first propulsion component group 10, including at least one tilt-rotor unit 320, which is located in the front area of ​​the left wing 103; a second propulsion component group 20, including at least one tilt-rotor unit 320, which is located in the front area of ​​the right wing 104; a third propulsion component group 30, including at least one tilt-rotor unit 320, which is located in the rear area of ​​the left wing 103; and a fourth propulsion component group 40, including at least one tilt-rotor unit 320, which is located in the rear area of ​​the right wing 104.

[0041] The front is the direction of the head of the fuselage, and the rear is the direction of the tail of the fuselage. Figure 1 The horizontal projections of the second propulsion assembly group 20 and the first propulsion assembly group 10 are bilaterally symmetrical about the central axis 101a of the fuselage 101. The horizontal projections of the third propulsion assembly group 30 and the fourth propulsion assembly group 40 are also bilaterally symmetrical about the central axis 101a of the fuselage 101. Furthermore, the horizontal projections of a tilt-rotor unit 320 in the second propulsion assembly group 20 and a tilt-rotor unit 320 in the third propulsion assembly group 30 are centrally symmetrical. The horizontal projections of a tilt-rotor unit 320 in the first propulsion assembly group 10 and a tilt-rotor unit 320 in the fourth propulsion assembly group 40 are also centrally symmetrical. In this embodiment, the first propulsion assembly group 10, the second propulsion assembly group 20, the third propulsion assembly group 30, and the fourth propulsion assembly group 40 of the eVTOL all include a tilt-rotor unit 320. In this way, at least part of the tilt-rotor unit 320 is arranged in front of the center of gravity of the aircraft body, and at least part of the tilt-rotor unit 320 is arranged in the rear of the center of gravity of the aircraft body, which is conducive to achieving the balance of multiple force couples and can make the vertical take-off and landing process of the vertical take-off and landing aircraft more stable.

[0042] It is worth mentioning that at least some of the tilt-rotor units in the third propulsion assembly group 30 and the fourth propulsion assembly group 40 are disposed on the empennage 102 . That is, when the third propulsion assembly group 30 and the fourth propulsion assembly group 40 each include one tilt-rotor unit 320 , both tilt-rotor units 320 are mounted on the empennage 102 .

[0043] In addition, on either side of the left or right side of the fuselage 101, any fixed rotor unit 310 is located on the side of any tilt rotor unit 320 away from the central axis 101a of the aircraft body. Figure 2 All fixed rotor units 310 are located outside, away from the fuselage 101, forming a first power group 1. All tilt-rotor units 320 are located inside, close to the fuselage 101, forming a second power group 2. The first power group 1 and the second power group 2 work together inside and outside to maintain the aerodynamic balance of the entire aircraft. Compared to the arrangement of the tilt-rotor units 320 outside and the fixed rotor units 310 inside, the layout adopted in this embodiment can also reduce the yaw moment generated after the failure of some of the tilt-rotor units 320. Since one of the core functions of the tail 102 during vertical take-off and landing is to balance the yaw moment, the requirement for the tail capacity (vertical tail area × vertical tail lever arm) can naturally be reduced when the yaw moment is greatly reduced, and the safe flight envelope after the failure of some of the tilt-rotor units 320 can be expanded.

[0044] Please note that Figure 3 In this embodiment, the same set of centrally symmetrical tiltrotor units 320 is connected to the same battery module 200, resulting in obliquely symmetrical power supply for the tiltrotor units 320. This allows the tiltrotor units 320 to draw power symmetrically. During the tilt transition and vertical landing phases, if a single battery module 200 fails, the tiltrotor units 320 will lose some of their power output symmetrically, allowing the eVTOL to maintain overall balance and sufficient lift. As will be appreciated, after a battery module 200 fails, the flight control system requires time to redistribute power. During this time, the thrust / lift / thrust provided by the faulty side of the fuselage may still be less than that provided by the intact side, leading to flight instability. However, by providing obliquely symmetrical power supply from the battery modules 200, both centrally symmetrical tiltrotor units 320 lose power simultaneously in the event of a battery module 200 failure. This ensures power balance for the fuselage 101 without requiring a response from the flight control system, and reduces the complexity of the flight control system's fault-tolerant control algorithm.

[0045] Compared with the tilt-rotor unit 320, the fixed rotor unit 310 has a relatively simple mechanical structure and a relatively low system complexity, so the failure probability is lower than that of the tilt-rotor unit 320. In addition, during the flight mission, the fixed rotor unit 310 operates in the vertical phase and the transition phase, and shuts down or enters a low-power mode in the cruise phase. Its operating time is shorter, and its fault exposure time is shorter than that of the tilt-rotor unit 320. Therefore, please refer to Figure 3 In this embodiment, the fixed rotor units 310 utilize a same-side power supply arrangement. Specifically, the fixed rotor unit 310 on the left side of the fuselage is connected to the battery module 200 on the left side of the fuselage 101, while the fixed rotor unit 310 on the right side of the fuselage 101 is connected to the battery module 200 on the right side of the fuselage 101. Compared to the inboard tilt-rotor units 320, which utilize obliquely symmetrical power supply, the same-side power supply arrangement for the fixed rotor units 310 significantly reduces the length of the power distribution cables, resulting in significant weight savings of up to several kilograms. Furthermore, in the eVTOL (everter-to-verter-over-the-air) sector, due to the extreme sensitivity of electrical energy conversion, optimizing overall system weight is a key lever for the commercialization of urban air mobility. Therefore, the value of weight reduction far exceeds that of traditional civil aircraft. As can be readily appreciated, this approach effectively balances multiple design objectives in eVTOL design, such as safety, weight, and economy, thereby achieving a multi-objective design optimization.

[0046] For the propulsion assembly 300 that uses electrical energy, the motor controller uses a three-phase full-bridge inverter circuit to convert the high-voltage direct current provided by the battery module 200 into three-phase alternating current. This is generated through pulse-width modulation technology, resulting in variable-frequency and variable-amplitude AC power. A control algorithm is then used to precisely regulate the motor speed and torque. To meet the safety requirements of eVTOLs, the propulsion assembly 300 typically incorporates a redundant design. For example, in one embodiment, both the fixed rotor unit 310 and the tilt-rotor unit 320 include at least two motor controllers. When the propulsion assembly 300 includes at least two motor controllers, the propulsion assembly 300 has at least two power supply channels. This allows the remaining battery modules 200 to provide at least some of the required power if a power supply anomaly occurs in one battery module 200, thereby improving the reliability and fault tolerance of the eVTOL system architecture.

[0047] As an option in this embodiment, both the tilt-rotor unit 320 and the fixed-rotor unit 310 include at least two single-winding motors, each of which is connected to a motor controller. Alternatively, as another option in this embodiment, both the tilt-rotor unit 320 and the fixed-rotor unit 310 include a motor, each of which includes at least two motor windings, each of which is connected to a motor controller. The following description uses a dual-winding motor as an example.

[0048] To improve redundancy, at least two battery modules 200 are provided on the same side of the fuselage 101, so that the entire aircraft includes at least four battery modules 200. In addition, in this embodiment, different motor controllers of each fixed rotor unit 310 are connected to different battery modules 200 located on the same side of the aircraft body as the fixed rotor unit 310; and different motor controllers of each tilt rotor unit 320 are connected to different battery modules 200. For example, see Figure 3and Figure 4 The two motor controllers of the first fixed rotor unit 311 are respectively connected to the first battery module 201 and the second battery module 202. Obviously, the first fixed rotor unit 311, the first battery module 201 and the second battery module 202 are all located on the left side of the fuselage 101.

[0049] For any propulsion assembly 300, a redundant design is achieved through the above-described method. Since it is connected to multiple different battery modules 200, if the battery module 200 connected to any single-winding motor, motor winding, or motor controller experiences a power failure, other battery modules 200 can still supply power to the remaining single-winding motors, motor windings, or motor controllers. Of course, if other battery modules 200 can still supply power to the remaining single-winding motors, motor windings, or motor controllers, the flight control system can redistribute thrust and / or lift accordingly, thereby ensuring the flight safety of the eVTOL.

[0050] See also Figure 4 In one example, assume that each propulsion assembly 300 (tilt-rotor unit 320 or fixed-rotor unit 310) provides 150 kW of power. Each propulsion assembly 300 is powered by two motor controllers, meaning each motor controller must provide 75 kW. Each battery module 200 must provide 300 kW of power, bringing the total propulsion power of the entire vehicle to 1200 kW. If a single battery module 200 (first battery module 201) connected to the second and third motor controllers 612 and 621 fails, both the second and third motor controllers 612 and 621 will fail. However, the first and fourth motor controllers 611 and 622 can maintain a 75 kW output, or even increase it beyond 75 kW. This allows the eVTOL vehicle to maintain power balance for a short period of time, allowing the pilot time to make decisions.

[0051] In addition, to further improve redundancy, for the tilt-rotor unit, different motor controllers are connected to different battery modules 200 located on different sides of the aircraft body. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The two motor controllers of the first tilt-rotor unit 321 are respectively connected to the first battery module 201 and the fourth battery module 204. Obviously, the first battery module 201 and the fourth battery module 204 are located on the left and right sides of the fuselage 101 respectively.

[0052] It should also be noted that in this embodiment, each battery module 200 is not connected to only one type of propulsion assembly 300, either the fixed rotor unit 310 or the tilt-rotor unit 320, but is connected to both a portion of the fixed rotor units 310 and a portion of the tilt-rotor units 320. Thus, for any battery module 200, during the vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and tilt-transition phases of eVTOL flight, the battery module 200 supplies power not only to the tilt-rotor unit 320 connected to it, but also to the fixed rotor unit 310 connected to it. Furthermore, during the cruise phase of eVTOL flight, when the fixed rotor unit 310 is shut down, the battery module 200 supplies power to the tilt-rotor unit 320 connected to it.

[0053] As mentioned above, the fixed rotor unit 310 shuts down or enters a low-power mode during the cruise phase, and during the vertical take-off and landing phase and the tilt transition phase, under normal circumstances, the power between the tilt rotor unit 320 and the fixed rotor unit 310 is not evenly distributed. For example, if the total power of the eVTOL is 1000KW, all the tilt rotor units 320 will bear a total of 600KW, and all the fixed rotor units 310 will bear a total of 400KW. In this way, the power requirements between the fixed rotor unit 310 and the tilt rotor unit 320 are not consistent. If any battery module 200 only supplies power to a part of the fixed rotor unit 310, or only supplies power to a part of the tilt rotor unit 320 under normal conditions. Then, discharge differences will occur between different battery modules 200, resulting in large differences in the remaining power of each battery module 200 after completing the flight mission. Instead of the battery modules 200 on the eVTOL being discharged evenly so that the power is simultaneously reduced to the warning value for charging or replacing the battery together, the maintenance cycles of the battery modules 200 on the eVTOL are inconsistent, thereby increasing the maintenance and operating costs of the eVTOL.

[0054] In this embodiment, since the power of all tilt-rotor units 320 on the same eVTOL is generally close to the same, the power of all fixed-rotor units 310 on the same eVTOL is generally close to the same, and each battery module 200 is connected to not only a portion of the fixed-rotor units 310 to supply power thereto, but also a portion of the tilt-rotor units 320 to supply power thereto, in addition, all battery modules 200 are connected to the same number of tilt-rotor units 320, and all battery modules 200 are connected to the same number of fixed-rotor units 310. In this way, discharge balance can be roughly achieved between all battery modules 200, ensuring that the power levels of different battery modules 200 can be roughly synchronized, or reduced to the same warning value within the allowable error range, so that they can be charged or replaced together during the same maintenance cycle. Of course, in this embodiment, the battery capacity of all battery modules 200 is consistent. For example, in some specific embodiments, the battery modules 200 all adopt the same configuration to achieve the same battery capacity, so that the number of tests and compliance verifications in the research and development stage can be significantly reduced. Of course, in the subsequent operation stage, battery modules of the same configuration are also conducive to maintenance.

[0055] Furthermore, the fixed rotor units 310 can be arranged in various configurations to meet varying eVTOL performance requirements. For example, as an option in this embodiment, the fixed rotor units 310 are symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides of the fuselage 101, and are both located in the tail region of the fuselage. Alternatively, as another option in this embodiment, the fixed rotor units 310 are also symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides of the fuselage 101, but are located only in the nose region of the fuselage.

[0056] Alternatively, as another option of this embodiment, the vertical take-off and landing aircraft includes at least four fixed rotor units 310, among which 2N fixed rotor units 310 are symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides of the fuselage 101 of the aircraft body and arranged close to the head of the fuselage, and 2N fixed rotor units 310 are symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides of the fuselage 101 and arranged close to the tail of the fuselage; N is a natural number greater than or equal to 1.

[0057] That is, the first propulsion assembly group 10 further includes at least one fixed rotor unit 310, the second propulsion assembly group 20 further includes at least one fixed rotor unit 310, the third propulsion assembly group 30 further includes at least one fixed rotor unit 310, and the fourth propulsion assembly group 40 further includes at least one fixed rotor unit 310. Thus, the first propulsion assembly group 10 of the eVTOL may include at least one tilt-rotor unit 320 and at least one fixed rotor unit 310. Accordingly, because the projections of the first propulsion assembly group 10 and the second propulsion assembly group 20 on the horizontal plane are arranged in an axisymmetric arrangement, the second propulsion assembly group 20 may also include at least one tilt-rotor unit 320 and at least one fixed rotor unit 310. The projections of the tilt-rotor units 320 of the first propulsion assembly group 10 and the tilt-rotor units 320 of the second propulsion assembly group 20 on the horizontal plane are arranged axially symmetrically with each other. Simultaneously, the projections of the fixed rotor units 310 of the first propulsion assembly group 10 and the fixed rotor units 310 of the second propulsion assembly group 20 on the horizontal plane are also arranged axially symmetrically with each other. The third propulsion assembly group 30 of the eVTOL may include at least one tilt-rotor unit 320 and at least one fixed rotor unit 310. Accordingly, because the projections of the third propulsion assembly group 30 and the fourth propulsion assembly group 40 on the horizontal plane are arranged axially symmetrically, the fourth propulsion assembly group 40 may also include at least one tilt-rotor unit 320 and at least one fixed rotor unit 310. Furthermore, the projections of the tilt-rotor units 320 of the third propulsion assembly group 30 and the tilt-rotor units 320 of the fourth propulsion assembly group 40 on the horizontal plane are arranged one-to-one axially symmetrically with each other. Simultaneously, the projections of the fixed-rotor units 310 of the third propulsion assembly group 30 and the fixed-rotor units 310 of the fourth propulsion assembly group 40 on the horizontal plane are also arranged one-to-one axially symmetrically with each other. Of course, the projections of each fixed-rotor unit 310 in the first propulsion assembly group 10 and a fixed-rotor unit 310 in the fourth propulsion assembly group 40 on the horizontal plane are centrally symmetrical with each other, and the projections of each fixed-rotor unit 310 in the second propulsion assembly group 20 and a fixed-rotor unit 310 in the third propulsion assembly group 30 on the horizontal plane are centrally symmetrical with each other.

[0058] In this embodiment, the fixed rotor units 310 in the first, second, third, and fourth propulsion assembly groups 10, 20, 30, and 40 of the eVTOL can assume the primary lift generation role in their respective azimuths during vertical ascent and descent. Alternatively, when the lift provided by the tilt-rotor units 320 is insufficient, the fixed rotor units 310 can supplement the lift. This layout ensures that the eVTOL has sufficient lift reserves in each of the four aforementioned azimuths, thereby improving the eVTOL's flight stability and safety during vertical ascent and descent.

[0059] In addition, the point of central symmetry between the first propulsion assembly group 10 and the third propulsion assembly group 30, or the second propulsion assembly group 20 and the fourth propulsion assembly group 40 can be the center of gravity G of the eVTOL, or in one embodiment, all the tilt-rotor units 320 are grouped in pairs, and when the eVTOL is in the vertical take-off and landing stage, the projections of the propellers of the tilt-rotor units 320 in the same group on the horizontal plane are centrally symmetric about point B, and point B and the center of gravity G of the vertical take-off and landing aircraft are both located in the symmetry plane of the fuselage, and point B is located on the side of point G close to the tail wing. During the modal change of the eVTOL, point G and point B both move along the symmetry plane, and point B is always located on the side of point G close to the tail wing.

[0060] See also Figure 5 With this layout, the eVTOL's center of gravity (G) and the tiltrotor unit's 320 center of symmetry (B) do not coincide. Specifically, during the eVTOL's transition from vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) to cruise, both points G and B move along the plane of symmetry toward the nose of the fuselage. Consequently, the traction force exerted by the tiltrotor unit 320 forward of the center of gravity exerts a smaller torque on the center of gravity (G), while the traction force exerted by the tiltrotor unit 320 aft of the center of gravity exerts a larger torque on the center of gravity (G). This torque difference between the front and rear tiltrotor units 320 can offset some of the pitching torque generated by the tiltrotor unit's 320 wash area on the empennage 102, thereby reducing the difficulty of pitch control. Therefore, when the tilt-rotor units 320 on the front and rear sides of the center of gravity G have the same throttle speed, a nose-down moment will be generated due to the difference in the length of the lever arm of the center of gravity G. The nose-down moment can be used to offset or partially offset the nose-up moment generated by the action of the wash area of ​​the tilt-rotor unit 320 on the tail wing on the tail wing 102. Therefore, the eVTOL can better balance the pitch moment when the throttle of the front and rear propulsion components are consistent.

[0061] Of course, for the fixed rotor units 310, in one embodiment, all fixed rotor units 310 are grouped in pairs. When the eVTOL is in the vertical take-off and landing stage, the projections of the propellers of the fixed rotor units 310 in the same group on the horizontal plane are all centrally symmetrical about point A. Point A is located in the symmetry plane of the fuselage. During the modal change of the eVTOL, point G is located on the side of point A close to the head of the fuselage or coincides with point A, and point B is always located on the side of point A close to the tail.

[0062] See also Figure 5Specifically, with the nose of the eVTOL facing forward, the center point B of the 2M tilt-rotor units 320 is located behind the center point A of the 2N fixed rotor units 310, and the distance from point A to point B is L2, L2>0. As the 2M tilt-rotor units 320 tilt forward, the center of gravity of the 2M tilt-rotor units 320, the center of gravity G of the eVTOL, and the symmetry center point B will move toward the nose of the fuselage. The 2M tilt-rotor units 320 move from a preset vertical take-off and landing position (for example, During the entire tilting process from the tilting position (for example, a tilt angle of 90°) to the preset cruising position (for example, a tilt angle of 0°), L2 is always greater than 0. At the same time, the center of gravity G of the eVTOL is located in front of the symmetry center B of the 2M tilt-rotor units 320, and is also located in front of the symmetry center A of the 2N fixed rotor units 310. The distance from point A to point G is L1, and L1 ≥ 0. As the 2M tilt-rotor units 320 tilt forward, the center of gravity G gradually moves forward, and the absolute value of L1 becomes larger and larger. Under this layout, the center of gravity of the eVTOL and the center of symmetry of the fixed rotor unit 310 or the center of symmetry of the tilt rotor unit 320 do not coincide with each other, and during the transition of the eVTOL from the vertical take-off and landing phase to the cruise phase, both points G and B move along the symmetry plane toward the side close to the head of the fuselage, and point G is located on the side of point A close to the head of the fuselage or coincides with point A, and point B is always located on the side of point A close to the tail 102. Therefore, the pulling force generated by the tilt rotor unit 320 and the fixed rotor unit 310 in front of the center of gravity has a smaller torque on the center of gravity point G, and the pulling force generated by the tilt rotor unit 320 and the fixed rotor unit 310 behind the center of gravity has a larger torque on the center of gravity point G. The torque difference between the front and rear rotors can resist part of the nose-up torque generated by the tilt rotor wash area on the tail wing, thereby reducing the difficulty of pitch control. Therefore, when the fixed rotor units 310 or tilt-rotor units 320 on either side of the center of gravity (G) have the same throttle speed, a nose-down moment is generated due to the difference in moment arm lengths relative to the center of gravity (G). This nose-down moment can offset or partially offset the nose-down moment generated by the tailwash area of ​​the tilt-rotor units 320 acting on the tail. This allows the eVTOL to effectively balance the pitching moment when the throttle speeds of the front and rear propulsion assemblies are consistent. Where M is a natural number greater than or equal to 1. M can be the same as or different from N.

[0063] It is understood that for the two propulsion assemblies 300 (two fixed rotor units 310 or two tilt rotor units 320) arranged symmetrically about the center, when one of the propulsion assemblies 300 is abnormal, the eVTOL flight control system redistributes power including but not limited to:

[0064] Shut down both the abnormal propulsion assembly and the symmetrical propulsion assembly of the abnormal propulsion assembly; at this time, the two symmetrical propulsion assemblies 300 in the eVTOL lose their pull / lift / thrust, thereby preventing the eVTOL from pitching / yaw / flipping toward the side where any propulsion assembly is abnormal.

[0065] Alternatively, the abnormal propulsion assembly and its counterparts can be shut down, and the output power of the remaining propulsion assemblies adjusted to achieve the desired thrust, lift, or thrust. Specifically, if the remaining thrust assemblies are unable to provide the required thrust, lift, or thrust, the eVTOL's flight control system can control the remaining propulsion assemblies to increase their power, thereby achieving a higher power output and achieving the desired thrust, lift, or thrust.

[0066] Alternatively, the output power of the symmetrical propulsion assembly of the abnormal propulsion assembly can be adjusted to match the thrust, lift, and thrust provided by the abnormal propulsion assembly. That is, if one propulsion assembly is abnormal but not completely powerless, or if it is needed to provide the corresponding thrust, lift, and thrust, the output power of the other symmetrical propulsion assembly can be reduced to ensure aerodynamic balance of the eVTOL during flight.

[0067] Alternatively, the output power of the symmetrical propulsion assembly and the remaining propulsion assemblies of the abnormal propulsion assembly can be adjusted to achieve the desired pull / lift / thrust. Since eVTOLs are used in complex urban environments, in order to achieve a more ideal aerodynamic balance across the entire flight profile, the eVTOL's flight control system will proactively reduce the power of the propulsion assembly symmetrical to the failed propulsion assembly when it detects that the output power of a propulsion assembly has decreased or even failed due to a battery module failure or other reasons, thereby ensuring the aerodynamic balance of the symmetrical side of the eVTOL. In addition, the eVTOL's flight control system will also control the remaining propulsion assemblies to increase their power, thereby achieving higher power output to achieve the desired pull / lift / thrust.

[0068] For easier understanding, see Figure 6 , a specific example of a propulsion component layout is shown below:

[0069] The eVTOL includes a first tilt-rotor unit 321, a second tilt-rotor unit 322, a third tilt-rotor unit 323, and a fourth tilt-rotor unit 324. The first tilt-rotor unit 321 is provided on the left wing 103 and is located on the fuselage head side of the left wing 103. The second tilt-rotor unit 322 is provided on the right wing 104 and is located on the fuselage head side of the right wing 104. The third tilt-rotor unit 323 is provided at the wingtip of the left stabilizer of the tail wing. The fourth tilt-rotor unit 324 is provided at the right stabilizer. At the wingtip of the surface; the eVTOL also includes a first fixed rotor unit 311, a second fixed rotor unit 312, a third fixed rotor unit 313 and a fourth fixed rotor unit 314. The first fixed rotor unit 311 is arranged on the fuselage head side of the left wing 103, the second fixed rotor unit 312 is arranged on the fuselage head side of the right wing 104, the third fixed rotor unit 313 is arranged on the fuselage tail side of the left wing 103, and the fourth fixed rotor unit 314 is arranged on the fuselage tail side of the right wing 104.

[0070] As can be seen, in this example, the eVTOL includes a total of four tilt-rotor units 320, two of which are located at the wingtips of the left and right stabilizers of the tail 102, respectively. The other two tilt-rotor units 320 are located on the nose side of the left wing 103 and the nose side of the right wing, respectively. They are approximately aligned with the tilt-rotor units 320 on the corresponding sides of the tail 102, so that the other two tilt-rotor units 320 are arranged close to the fuselage 101. The eVTOL also includes four fixed rotor units 310, two of which are located on the nose side and the tail side of the left wing 103, respectively, and are both arranged close to the wingtip of the left wing 103. The other two fixed rotor units 310 are located on the nose side and the tail side of the right wing 104, respectively, and are both arranged close to the wingtip of the right wing 104. Specifically, the first fixed rotor unit 311 is located on the nose side of the left wing 103, and the third fixed rotor unit 313 is located on the tail side of the left wing 103. The first and third fixed rotor units 311, 313 are arranged on a line parallel to the central axis 101a of the fuselage 101. The second and fourth fixed rotor units 312, 314 are both located on the right side of the fuselage 101, with the second fixed rotor unit 312 symmetrical with respect to the first fixed rotor unit 311 about the plane of symmetry of the fuselage 101, and the fourth fixed rotor unit 314 symmetrical with respect to the third fixed rotor unit 313 about the plane of symmetry of the fuselage 101.

[0071] In some embodiments, the first tilt-rotor unit 321 is connected to the fuselage 101 via an arm and is located on the head side of the left wing; the second tilt-rotor unit 322 is connected to the fuselage 101 via an arm and is located on the head side of the right wing. Alternatively, it is understood that when the fuselage size is sufficient, the tilt-rotor unit 320 or the fixed rotor unit 310 can be directly mounted on the wing. Alternatively, since eVTOL is often used in urban environments and its fuselage size is limited, please refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 In some embodiments, the first tilt-rotor unit 321 is connected to the left wing 103 via the left arm 1031 ; the second tilt-rotor unit 322 is connected to the right wing 104 via the right arm 1041 .

[0072] Specifically, two arms are spaced apart on the left wing 103 along the left-right direction. One of them is located near the fuselage 101, forming the left arm 1031. Left arm 1031 extends forward to accommodate the first tilt-rotor unit 321. The other is located near the wingtip of the left wing 103, with one end extending forward to accommodate the first fixed rotor unit 311 and the other end extending rearward to accommodate the third fixed rotor unit 313. Similarly, two arms are spaced apart on the right wing 104 along the left-right direction. One of them is located near the fuselage 101, forming the right arm 1041. Right arm 1041 extends forward to accommodate the second tilt-rotor unit 322. The other is located near the wingtip of the right wing 104, with one end extending forward to accommodate the second fixed rotor unit 312 and the other end extending rearward to accommodate the fourth fixed rotor unit 314.

[0073] In this example, see Figure 6 The eVTOL includes a first battery module 201, a second battery module 202, a third battery module 203, and a fourth battery module 204. To improve the reliability and fault tolerance of the electrical system and meet the requirements for aircraft weight distribution, the first battery module 201, the second battery module 202, the third battery module 203, and the fourth battery module 204 are symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides of the fuselage 101. Specifically, the first battery module 201 and the third battery module 203 are located on the left side of the aircraft body, while the second battery module 202 and the fourth battery module 204 are located on the right side of the aircraft body. In one specific embodiment, the first battery module 201 is mounted on a left arm 1031 connected to the first tilt-rotor unit 321, the second battery module 202 is mounted on a right arm 1041 connected to the second tilt-rotor unit 322, the third battery module 203 is mounted on the left wing 103, and the fourth battery module 204 is mounted on the right wing 104.

[0074] It is worth mentioning that the battery module 200 can be fixedly installed in the aircraft body or movably installed in the aircraft body, so that the aircraft weight balance can be adjusted according to the actual cabin or cargo hold weight of the pilot / flight mission.

[0075] In this embodiment, the first battery module 201 is connected to the first fixed rotor unit 311, the first tilt rotor unit 321, the third fixed rotor unit 313 and the fourth tilt rotor unit 324, thereby supplying power to a motor winding of each of the four propulsion assemblies 300, and the second battery module 202 is connected to the second fixed rotor unit 312, the second tilt rotor unit 322, the fourth fixed rotor unit 314 and the third tilt rotor unit 323, thereby supplying power to a motor winding of each of the four propulsion assemblies 300. The third battery module 203 is connected to the first fixed rotor unit 311, the second tilt-rotor unit 322, the third fixed rotor unit 313 and the third tilt-rotor unit 323, thereby supplying power to a motor winding of each propulsion assembly 300 in the four propulsion assemblies 300, and the fourth battery module 204 is connected to the second fixed rotor unit 312, the first tilt-rotor unit 321, the fourth fixed rotor unit 314 and the fourth tilt-rotor unit 324, thereby supplying power to a motor winding of each propulsion assembly 300 in the four propulsion assemblies 300.

[0076] In this specific embodiment, the purpose of adopting this connection method is to:

[0077] (1) Discharge balance between battery modules 200:

[0078] As previously mentioned, the fixed rotor unit 310 shuts down or enters a low-power mode during the cruise phase. Furthermore, during the vertical takeoff and landing phase and the tilt transition phase, the power between the tilt rotor unit 320 and the fixed rotor unit 310 is not evenly distributed under normal circumstances. For example, if the total power of the eVTOL is 1000 kW, all the tilt rotor units 320 will bear a total of 600 kW, and all the fixed rotor units 310 will bear a total of 400 kW. Thus, the power requirements between the first power group 1 and the second power group 2 are inconsistent. If any of the first battery module 201, the second battery module 202, the third battery module 203, and the fourth battery module 204 only supply power to several propulsion assemblies 300 in the first power group 1, or only supply power to several propulsion assemblies 300 in the second power group 2, under normal conditions. Then, discharge differences will occur between the first battery module 201, the second battery module 202, the third battery module 203 and the fourth battery module 204, resulting in large differences in the remaining power of each battery module 200 after the flight. Instead of the battery modules 200 on the eVTOL being discharged evenly, the power will be simultaneously reduced to the warning value for simultaneous charging / replacement, resulting in inconsistent maintenance cycles of the battery modules 200 on the eVTOL, thereby increasing the maintenance cost of the eVTOL or affecting the operational economy of the eVTOL.

[0079] In this embodiment, the first battery module 201, the second battery module 202, the third battery module 203 and the fourth battery module 204 all supply power to the two fixed rotor units 310, and all supply power to the two tilt-rotor units 320. In this way, the four battery modules 200 can achieve discharge balance with each other, ensuring that the power of the four battery modules 200 is simultaneously reduced to the warning value so that they can be charged or replaced simultaneously.

[0080] (2) The tilt-rotor unit 320 has symmetrical power supply to improve flight stability

[0081] Understandably, although propulsion assembly 300 utilizes a backup design, such as a dual-winding motor, activating the backup or redistributing power to the flight control system requires response time. During this response time, the thrust / lift / thrust provided by the faulty side of the fuselage is still less than that of the healthy side, resulting in flight instability. However, by symmetrically powering the tiltrotor units 320 through battery module 200, both propulsion assemblies 300 lose power in the event of a battery module 200 failure. This ensures dynamic balance without requiring a response from the flight control system, and reduces the complexity of the flight control system's fault-tolerant control algorithm.

[0082] To meet eVTOL safety requirements, the motor in the electric engine of the propulsion assembly 300, as described above, is a dual-winding motor. Each motor winding utilizes a separate motor controller to provide the required power. Each motor controller connected to the two motor windings is powered by a different battery module 200. This allows the remaining motor winding to provide power even if a single motor winding fails. However, this approach presents two problems. Firstly, due to limitations on the aircraft's motor installation volume, device efficiency, and heat dissipation, if the motor backup design is not fully redundant, if one motor winding fails or loses power, the remaining motor winding will not be able to provide the rated power required to maintain the entire propulsion assembly 300. The remaining motor winding can only provide the required power by degrading the performance of the entire propulsion assembly 300. Under these conditions, the motor winding can only operate for a short time, making it difficult to support the aircraft's continued safe flight. To meet the flight performance requirements of the eVTOL and ensure flight safety, it is necessary to restore power to the motor winding that failed due to a power outage, allowing the propulsion assembly 300 to maintain normal operation. On the other hand, if the motor can meet the requirements of maintaining safe flight by increasing output power without performance degradation when operating in a single motor winding state, the battery module 200 is limited by factors such as energy density, grouping rate, installation space for the battery module 200 on the aircraft, and weight restrictions. The power capacity of a single battery module 200 is limited, which will cause the discharge rate of the battery module 200 connected to the single motor winding to increase, and the voltage of the battery module 200 to drop rapidly. Under the condition of long-term high-rate discharge, the safety of the battery module 200 becomes a challenge that needs to be solved urgently. At the eVTOL machine level, it is not desirable for a single battery module 200 to enter an unsafe state when there are multiple normally operating battery modules 200.

[0083] To this end, in one embodiment, the vertical take-off and landing aircraft further includes a power distribution module 100, through which at least some of the battery modules 200 are connected to corresponding tilt-rotor units 320 or fixed-rotor units 310, i.e., propulsion assembly 300. The power distribution module 100 is configured to have multiple independent bus states and a common bus state.

[0084] In which, when the power distribution module 100 is in a multi-independent bus state, the power distribution module 100 has multiple independent buses 130, and the number of independent buses 130 is consistent with the number of battery modules 200 connected to the power distribution module 100 and corresponds one-to-one to each other; wherein, each battery module 200 is connected to the corresponding tilt-rotor unit 320 and / or fixed rotor unit 310 through the corresponding independent bus 130; when the power distribution module 100 is in a common bus state, the power distribution module 100 has a common bus, and at least part of all battery modules 200 connected to the power distribution module 100 are connected in parallel to the input side of the common bus, and all fixed rotor units 310 and / or tilt-rotor units 320 connected to the power distribution module 100 are connected to the output side of the common bus.

[0085] Specifically, in aircraft such as eVTOL, the battery module 200 and the propulsion assembly 300 are not directly connected, but are connected through the distribution module 100, so that the distribution module 100 can distribute the electrical energy provided by the battery module 200, transmit the electrical energy to different propulsion assemblies 300, and also facilitate the distribution of electrical energy to other onboard loads.

[0086] The power distribution module 100 is a power transmission system from each battery module 200 to each propulsion assembly 300. Figure 7 and Figure 8 The power distribution module 100 has an input interface 110 connected to each battery module 200, thereby receiving power from the connected battery module 200. Each independent bus 130 of the power distribution module 100 corresponds to an output interface 120 connected to the motor winding. The output interface 120 transmits distributed power to the connected motor winding. It is worth noting that each output interface 120 can include multiple sub-interfaces, each of which is connected to a motor winding. Of course, some sub-interfaces can also be connected to other onboard loads.

[0087] In this embodiment, the power distribution module 100 is configured to have multiple independent bus states and a common bus state. It will be appreciated that when in the multiple independent bus state, the power distribution module 100 includes multiple independent buses 130. That is, the power distribution module 100 establishes a normal power supply channel between a battery module 200 and a corresponding propulsion assembly 300 (a portion of the fixed rotor unit 310 and a portion of the tilt-rotor unit 320 connected to the battery module 200) via an independent bus 130 (a first independent bus 130a, a second independent bus 130b, a third independent bus 130c, and a fourth independent bus 130d), thereby transmitting the electrical energy provided by the battery module 200 to the corresponding propulsion assembly 300 via the independent bus.

[0088] When the power distribution module 100 is in the common bus state, it has a common bus. At this time, the power distribution module 100 reconstructs at least part of the independent bus 130 inside into a common bus, so that the input interfaces 110 corresponding to the reconstructed independent buses are all connected to the input side of the common bus, and the output interfaces 120 corresponding to the reconstructed independent buses 130 are all connected to the output side of the common bus, so that at least part of the battery modules 200 are powered by the corresponding multiple output interfaces 120, that is, the propulsion components 300 corresponding to at least part of the battery modules 200 are powered.

[0089] Therefore, if any battery module 200 connected to the power distribution module 100 experiences a power supply anomaly, the power distribution module 100 can, through state switching, distribute the power provided by other battery modules 200 to the propulsion assembly 300 corresponding to the abnormally powered battery module 200, thereby ensuring a continuous power supply to the corresponding propulsion assembly 300 and ensuring stable power supply to the propulsion assembly 300. For eVTOLs, this ensures a continuous power supply to the onboard loads of the eVTOL, further improving the safety margin of the eVTOL.

[0090] Furthermore, it is not difficult to see that the parallel connection of the remaining battery modules 200 can force the voltages of the remaining battery modules to converge. Prior to the actual parallel connection, the voltages of the remaining battery modules 200 were always inconsistent, and the loads did not stop working during the parallel connection process. After the parallel connection, the output current of the battery module 200 with a higher voltage was greater, and soon the voltages of the remaining multiple battery modules 200 converged. This can maintain voltage stability for the onboard electrical system, reduce voltage fluctuations, and provide higher fault tolerance, thereby improving the stability of the entire system. That is, in this embodiment, since the multiple battery modules 200 have a larger capacity after being connected in parallel, they are more tolerant to transient responses, thereby ensuring the overall safety of the aircraft.

[0091] Of course, in one embodiment, when the power distribution module 100 is in the common bus state, there is only one common bus. That is, all independent buses 130 are reconfigured into a common bus. Thus, all battery modules 200 are connected to the input side of the common bus, and all motor windings of the propulsion assembly 300 are connected to the output side of the common bus. In this case, all battery modules 200 in the normal state jointly provide power to all motor windings. The following will further illustrate the example of all independent buses 130 being reconfigured into a common bus.

[0092] It should be noted that the abnormal power supply of the battery module 200 may be a failure, such as a malfunction of the battery module 200, damage by external objects, high temperature failure, overcooling failure, or other situations where the battery module 200 cannot normally provide power to the outside, or the power supply is unstable.

[0093] It is not difficult to see that in this embodiment, the power distribution module 100 can be switched to a common bus state to power all motor windings together, thereby restoring power to the motor windings that have lost power, and further enabling all motor windings of the propulsion assembly to operate normally without performance degradation.

[0094] It should be noted that, under normal operating conditions, the power distribution module 100 operates in a multi-independent bus state. As will be appreciated, since the normal power supply channels of each independent bus are independent of one another, a redundant design exists in the multi-independent bus state, preventing a single point of failure from causing a crash of the entire onboard electrical system.

[0095] The power distribution module 100 is configured to switch to the common bus state when it detects that the state switching condition is met.

[0096] (1) At least one battery module has abnormal power supply;

[0097] Specifically, if the battery module 200 fails, the corresponding multiple motor windings may face the risk of failure, that is, one or more propulsion assemblies 300 may also face the risk of performance degradation or loss of power, and the aircraft may fall into a dangerous state. Of course, to ensure the accuracy of state switching, in one embodiment, the power distribution module 100 is configured to switch to the common bus state if it detects that the circuit parameters of at least one independent bus are less than the warning value and are not a short circuit fault.

[0098] If the short-circuit fault is not eliminated, connecting the independent bus 130 with other independent buses 130 to reconstruct a common bus will cause the common bus to remain in the short-circuit state, which may lead to catastrophic consequences for the eVTOL. Therefore, when the independent bus 130 is short-circuited, the power distribution module 100 is not allowed to switch states.

[0099] When a short circuit fault is eliminated, circuit parameters include but are not limited to current, voltage, or insulation resistance. Taking voltage as an example, specifically, a voltage sampling circuit or other structure can be configured within the power distribution module 100 to monitor the real-time voltage value of each independent bus 130. If the voltage value of at least one independent bus 130 is less than the warning value, it indicates that the battery module 200 of at least one independent bus 130 may have a power supply abnormality, and the power supply can be switched to a common bus state.

[0100] Since the power distribution module 100 may be involved in the normal power-off of an aircraft such as an eVTOL after landing, resulting in a decrease in voltage, in order to further ensure the accuracy of state switching, in one embodiment, the power distribution module 100 is configured to switch to the common bus state when the aircraft is in flight and detects that the voltage value of at least one independent bus is less than the warning value and is not a short-circuit fault.

[0101] (2) Propulsion component failure;

[0102] The power distribution module 100 is configured to switch from the multiple independent bus state to the common bus state if it detects that all motor windings of a propulsion assembly 300 are faulty and cannot operate normally, or if a propeller portion of the power assembly has failed. Alternatively, the power distribution module 100 is configured to switch from the multiple independent bus state to the common bus state if it detects that a propeller of a propulsion assembly 300 is faulty and cannot operate normally.

[0103] It is easy to understand that when all motor windings of a propulsion assembly 300 fail or a propeller fails, the flight control system of the eVTOL needs to reduce the power of the symmetrical propulsion assembly of the thrust assembly or even shut down the symmetrical propulsion assembly in order to redistribute the pull / thrust / lift. Figure 3 After a failure in the first fixed rotor unit 311 of an eVTOL, the required power of the entire eVTOL remains unchanged to maintain flight. Consequently, the flight control system controls the first tiltrotor unit 321, the third fixed rotor unit 313, the second fixed rotor unit 312, and the fourth tiltrotor unit 324 to increase their output power. This inevitably causes all battery modules 200 connected to the propulsion assembly 300 that has experienced a power boost to discharge at a high rate, causing some battery modules 200 to lose charge faster than others, making it difficult to maintain all battery modules 200 within the same maintenance cycle. In this embodiment, when a propulsion assembly fails, the power distribution module 100 switches to a common bus state to reorganize the power grid. This allows all battery modules 200 to be connected in parallel and supply power simultaneously, achieving balanced discharge between the battery modules 200 and improving maintenance efficiency.

[0104] Furthermore, high-rate discharge of the battery modules 200 can also lead to thermal runaway of the battery modules 200, posing a safety hazard. In this embodiment, the power distribution module 100 switches to a common bus state to reorganize the power grid, allowing all battery modules 200 to be connected in parallel and supply power evenly, thereby improving overall system safety.

[0105] It is worth mentioning that in the related art, when a single motor winding of the propulsion assembly 300 fails, the flight control system needs to shut down the symmetrical propulsion assembly or control the performance degradation of the symmetrical propulsion assembly. In this embodiment, not only the power output of the symmetrical propulsion assembly is adjusted, but the power grid is also reorganized through the state switching of the distribution module 100.

[0106] (3) Receive state switching instruction

[0107] That is, upon receiving the state switching command, the power distribution module 100 switches state, thereby switching from the multiple independent bus state to the common bus state. It should be noted that the state switching command can be issued by the pilot based on actual flight conditions or flight missions. Alternatively, the state switching command can be issued to the aircraft by an external device or a control center (such as a ground control center), and this embodiment is not limited to this.

[0108] It is also worth mentioning that the power distribution module 100 switches to the common bus state in order to solve the failure problem of the motor winding or battery module 200 faced by the eVTOL. After switching to the common bus state, it will not switch back to the multiple independent bus state during the flight mission.

[0109] It should be noted that, in addition to the aforementioned need to restore the failed motor winding to operation to enable the propulsion assembly 300 to function properly, the operation of the remaining single motor winding will significantly increase the power consumption of the battery module 200 connected to the motor winding, and also require a higher discharge rate. In particular, transient responses may cause the voltage of the battery module 200 to drop, thereby affecting the safety of the entire machine. In this embodiment, the remaining battery modules 200 are connected in parallel to the input side of the common bus, with a larger capacity and greater tolerance to transient responses, thereby ensuring the safety of the entire machine.

[0110] In addition, the power distribution module 100 switches from the multiple independent bus state to the common bus state through the first switch units 140 , and the number of the first switch units 140 is consistent with the number of independent buses.

[0111] As an option of this embodiment, the first switch units 140 correspond one-to-one to the independent buses 130, all the first switch units 140 are connected in parallel to each other, and each first switch unit is connected in series with the corresponding independent bus 130 so that when all the first switch units 140 are disconnected, the distribution module 100 is in a multi-independent bus state, and when all the first switch units 140 are turned on, all the independent buses 130 are connected and reconstructed into a common bus, so that the distribution module 100 switches to the common bus state.

[0112] See also Figure 7 Specifically, the power distribution module 100 is additionally provided with a plurality of first switch units 140 connected in parallel with each other. The number of the first switch units 140 is consistent with the number of the independent buses 130 and they correspond one-to-one to each other. One end of each first switch unit 140 is connected in series with the corresponding independent bus 130, and the other end of each first switch unit 140 is connected to the same line to achieve parallel connection with each other.

[0113] In this way, when all first switch units 140 are turned off, a single battery module 200 corresponds to a single independent bus 130. Under normal operating conditions, the independent buses 130 corresponding to different battery modules 200 are electrically isolated from each other, placing the power distribution module 100 in a multi-independent bus state. In this multi-independent bus state, a failure in any battery module 200 or load circuit will not affect the other independent buses 130 within the power distribution module 100, thereby improving the safety margin. When all first switch units 140 are turned on, all independent buses 130 are connected to each other, thereby reconstructing a common bus.

[0114] Alternatively, as another option of this embodiment, all independent buses 130 of the distribution module 100 are connected end to end in sequence, and a first switch unit 140 is set between adjacent independent buses 130, so that when all first switch units 140 are disconnected, the distribution module 100 is in a state of at most independent buses, and when all first switch units 140 are turned on, all independent buses 130 are connected and reconstructed into a common bus, so that the distribution module 100 switches to the common bus state.

[0115] Specifically, see Figure 8 , the first switch units 140 shown are all connected between two independent buses 130. In this way, all independent buses 130 of the power distribution module 100 are sequentially connected end to end in series through the first switch units 140. When all the first switch units 140 are switched to the on state, all the independent buses 130 form a loop, thereby also being reconstructed into a common bus.

[0116] It is understandable that the independent bus 130 can be constructed as a structure such as a busbar. The busbar can be a metal bar or a group of metal bars connected in parallel. Therefore, all the busbars are connected in parallel or in series to form a loop, which will reconstruct all the busbars into a busbar, that is, all the independent buses are reconstructed into a common bus, so that the distribution module 100 is switched to the common bus state. Of course, the independent bus 130 can also be configured as other busbars such as busbars. The first switch unit 140 is configured as a busbar connection contactor. Of course, the first switch unit 140 can also be configured as a controllable switch, etc., and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0117] Furthermore, since at least two battery modules 200 are located on either side of the fuselage 101, they can each belong to two power distribution modules 100 to facilitate the layout of the power distribution system. Therefore, in one embodiment, the at least two battery modules 200 comprise multiple battery packs. For example, the battery modules 200 in the left area of ​​the aircraft body belong to one battery pack, while the battery modules in the right area belong to another battery pack. Of course, if there are a large number of propulsion assemblies 300 on a single side of the fuselage, the multiple battery modules 200 on a single side of the fuselage can also belong to multiple battery packs.

[0118] The vertical take-off and landing aircraft also includes at least two power distribution modules 100 and at least two second switch units. The number of power distribution modules 100 is consistent with the number of battery packs and corresponds to each other one-to-one, and the battery modules 200 in the same battery pack are connected to the corresponding tilt rotor unit 320 and the fixed rotor unit 310 through the corresponding power distribution module 100. Each power distribution module 100 is configured to have multiple independent bus states and a common bus state for the entire machine. When the power distribution module 100 is in the multiple independent bus state, the power distribution module 100 has multiple independent buses 130. The number of independent buses 130 is consistent with the number of battery modules 200 connected to the power distribution module 100 and corresponds to each other one-to-one, and each battery module 200 is respectively connected to the corresponding independent bus 130. The corresponding fixed rotor units 310 and / or tilt rotor units 320 are connected; the number of second switch units is consistent with the number of independent buses 130, and the independent buses 130 of all power distribution modules 100 can be connected on and off through the second switch units, so that when all second switch units are disconnected, each power distribution module 100 is in a multi-independent bus state, and when all second switch units are turned on, each power distribution module 100 is in a whole-machine common bus state, so that the independent buses 130 of all power distribution modules 100 are connected to each other to reconstruct a whole-machine common bus, at least part of all battery modules 200 are connected in parallel to the input side of the whole-machine common bus, and all tilt rotor units 320 and all fixed rotor units 310 are connected to the output side of the whole-machine common bus.

[0119] Specifically, see Figure 6 The eVTOL includes a left power distribution module 100a, which is disposed on the left wing 103, and a right power distribution module 100b, which is disposed on the right wing 104. The left power distribution module 100a and the right power distribution module 100b are connected via a jumper cable 400.

[0120] See also Figure 9 and Figure 10 Each independent bus 130 in each power distribution module 100 is adapted to be connected to either the negative or positive pole of the corresponding motor winding. Each power distribution module 100 further includes a connection unit 150, which is connected to the connection units 150 of other power distribution modules 100 and adapted to be connected to either the negative or positive pole of each motor winding corresponding to that power distribution module 100. The following description uses the connection of an independent bus 130 to the positive pole of a load (motor winding) as an example. Of course, the independent bus 130 can also be connected to the negative pole of the load, but this is not discussed here.

[0121] The independent buses 130 of all the power distribution modules 100 are connected in an on-off manner through the second switch unit, so that connection reconstruction of all the independent buses 130 is achieved by turning on the second switch unit.

[0122] As an option of this embodiment, the independent bus 130 of each power distribution module 100 is connected in series with a second switch unit, and all the second switch units are connected in series with each other.

[0123] See also Figure 9 The left power distribution module 100a includes a first independent bus 130a and a third independent bus 130c, while the right power distribution module 100b includes a second independent bus 130b and a fourth independent bus 130d. The positive terminal of each input interface 110 is connected to the corresponding independent bus 130. Each independent bus 130 is in turn connected to the positive terminal of the corresponding output interface 120. The first independent bus 130a is connected to the second connection line 401 of the jumper cable 400 via switch unit BTC1, the third independent bus is connected to the switch unit BTC3, the second independent bus 130b is connected to the switch unit BTC2, and the fourth independent bus 130d is connected to the switch unit BTC4.

[0124] The left power distribution module 100a also includes a connection unit 150, which is connected to the negative terminals of each input interface 110 and the negative terminals of each output interface 120. Furthermore, the connection unit 150 includes an external connection interface adapted to connect to the external connection interface of the connection unit of the right power distribution module 100b via the first connection line 402 of the jumper cable 400. Of course, in some embodiments, the connection unit 150 of the left power distribution module 100a and the connection unit of the right power distribution module 100b are different parts of the same connection unit, thereby reducing the number of components and weight.

[0125] When all second switch units of all power distribution modules 100 are connected in parallel, all independent buses 130 of the multiple power distribution modules 100 are reconstructed into a common bus for the entire machine. It is understandable that after being reconstructed into a common bus for the entire machine, the input interface 110 of each battery module 200 of each power distribution module 100 is respectively connected to the input side of the common bus for the entire machine, that is, the battery modules 200 with normal power supply are connected to the common bus for the entire machine, while the battery modules 200 with abnormal power supply are not connected. At the same time, all motor windings connected to the multiple power distribution modules 100 are connected to the output side of the common bus for the entire machine. Similarly, the motor windings here are motor windings that can operate normally, and the faulty motor windings cannot be connected to the common bus for the entire machine.

[0126] As another option of this embodiment, two adjacent independent buses 130 within the same distribution module 100 can be connected to each other in an on-off manner through a second switch unit. Among the two adjacent distribution modules 100, the last independent bus 130 of one distribution module 100 can be connected to the first independent bus 130 of the other distribution module 100 in an on-off manner through a second switch unit, and the first independent bus 130 of the first distribution module 100 can be connected to the last independent bus 130 of the last distribution module 100 in an on-off manner through a second switch unit.

[0127] See also Figure 10 The first independent bus 130a is connected to the third independent bus 130c via switch unit BTC1, the second independent bus 130b is connected to the fourth independent bus 130d via switch unit BTC2, the third independent bus 130c is connected to the second independent bus 130b via switch unit BTC4, and the first independent bus 130a is connected to the fourth independent bus 130d via switch unit BTC3, thereby forming a loop with the four independent buses 130 connected end to end. Therefore, if any battery module 200 in the fuselage 101 experiences a power supply anomaly, the power grid can be reorganized by synchronously switching the left and right power distribution modules 100a, 100b, so that the remaining three battery modules 200 in the fuselage 101 can provide power to all loads, such as the motor windings, on the eVTOL.

[0128] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the second switch units of all power distribution modules 100 on the eVTOL are turned on, all independent buses 130 on the eVTOL can be connected to each other to reconstruct into a common bus for the entire machine. After reconstructing into a common bus for the entire machine, all normally functioning battery modules 200 on the eVTOL are connected to the input side of the common bus for the entire machine via their respective input interfaces 110, and all normally functioning onboard loads such as the propulsion assembly 300 are connected to the output side of the common bus for the entire machine via the output interface 120.

[0129] It is not difficult to see that this embodiment is not limited to power grid reorganization within a single power distribution module 100, but also includes power grid reorganization between multiple power distribution modules 100 on an eVTOL. It is understandable that for an eVTOL, multiple battery modules 200 can be distributed in different locations on the fuselage 101, such as symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the fuselage 101, and coordinated with different power distribution modules 100. In the event of power supply anomalies in the battery modules 200 on any side, such as a single-sided impact or other accident that causes the battery module 200 on that side to fail, multiple or all power distribution modules 100 on the fuselage can be reconfigured into a common bus for the entire fuselage, and power can be supplied by power distribution modules 100 located elsewhere on the fuselage, thereby further improving safety redundancy.

[0130] As is easy to understand, if any battery module 200 fails while the eVTOL is in the vertical takeoff and landing phase, all eight propulsion assemblies 300 are operating, and the four motor windings connected to that battery module 200 are shut down. The remaining motor windings must increase power to maintain the required lift of the eVTOL, resulting in uneven discharge among the remaining three battery modules. If operation continues in this state, the charge in one of the battery modules 200 will rapidly decrease, causing the voltage to continue to drop. In the worst case, the battery may discharge to the cutoff voltage, or even thermal runaway due to prolonged high-rate discharge.

[0131] After the grid is reorganized, the remaining three battery modules 200 are connected in parallel to the input side of the common bus of the entire system to provide power together, which has the following advantages:

[0132] 1. Balance the current burden of the remaining battery modules 200 and extend the power supply time: If the weight of the entire aircraft remains unchanged, the required electrical power for the entire aircraft to achieve flight is certain. Assuming the total current required at this time is I, and ignoring the slight differences due to the previous oblique symmetry, the output current of each battery module is now I / 4. If the first battery module 201 fails, the current required to be output by the fourth battery module 204 will increase from I / 4 to I / 2. If the rated current limit of each battery module 200 is Imax, it may exceed its safe range and cause overheating or damage. If the remaining second battery module 202, third battery module 203, and fourth battery module 204 are connected in parallel, the current required to be output by each battery module 200 is I / 3, which can reduce the current burden of the fourth battery module 204 and avoid the risk of overload.

[0133] 2. Maintain voltage stability: Before parallel connection, the remaining three battery modules 200 independently output different currents. When the original power levels are the same, the voltage of one of the battery modules 200 will drop faster than the other two battery modules 200. After the remaining battery modules 200 are connected in parallel, the voltages of the remaining three battery modules 200 can be forced to converge. Before the actual parallel connection, the voltages of the remaining three battery modules 200 are always inconsistent. During the parallel connection process, the rear-end load does not stop working. After the parallel connection, the battery module 200 with a higher voltage will output a larger current (the batteries here will not balance each other because the power required by the rear-end load is much greater than the power difference between the battery modules 200, so the general trend is to output outward). Soon, the voltages between the three battery modules 200 will converge. For the entire system, voltage stability can be maintained, voltage fluctuations are smaller, and fault tolerance is higher, thereby improving the stability of the entire system.

[0134] 3. Improve system stability, system redundancy and fault tolerance: For the entire system, voltage stability can be maintained, voltage fluctuations are smaller, and fault tolerance is higher, thereby improving the stability of the entire system. In addition, after the grid reorganization allows the remaining battery modules 200 to be connected in parallel, if one of the remaining three battery modules 200 continues to fail due to a fault, the remaining two battery modules 200 can still continue to supply power by sharing the load. Compared to the possibility that a single propulsion component 300 will completely lose power and stop working when powered independently, the control difficulty is reduced at the overall control level, and the design parameter requirements for the battery module 200 and the propulsion component 300 are also reduced. In addition, during the grid reorganization, that is, the switching process of the distribution module 100, the battery modules 200 will be energized and connected in parallel one by one. When the consistency of the multiple battery modules 200 is good, the voltage difference between the multiple battery modules 200 is relatively low. During the connection process of the parallel contactor, the voltage difference across the main contacts of the contactor is low (an arc will be generated when the voltage difference is high and the voltage is high), which can effectively reduce the secondary safety risks brought about by the grid reorganization after a fault.

[0135] 4. Optimize energy utilization: After the battery modules 200 are connected in parallel, the equivalent total internal resistance of the system is reduced, the power loss is reduced, and more energy is used to propel the components 300 rather than generate heat. The battery modules 200 can work in a more relaxed state, avoiding shortening of life due to high current.

[0136] The above are merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention's description and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields within the technical concept of the present invention are included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vertical take-off and landing aircraft, characterized in that: include: An aircraft body, the aircraft body comprising a fuselage and a tail; At least four battery modules, wherein the at least four battery modules are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the aircraft body; At least four tilt-rotor units, at least two of which are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the aircraft body and near the head of the fuselage, and at least two of which are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the aircraft body and near the tail of the fuselage, the tilt-rotor units being configured to rotate between a cruise position and a vertical take-off and landing position, and a tilt-rotor unit near the head of the fuselage and located on either side of the aircraft body and a tilt-rotor unit near the tail of the fuselage and located on the other side of the aircraft body being centrally symmetrical in their horizontal projections, and both are connected to the same battery module, with the center of symmetry located within the symmetry plane of the fuselage; and At least two fixed rotor units, at least two of the fixed rotor units are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the aircraft body, and on either side of the left or right side of the aircraft body, any one of the fixed rotor units is located on a side of any one of the tilt-rotor units away from the central axis of the aircraft body, the fixed rotor unit is shut down or enters a low-power mode when the tilt-rotor unit is in a cruise position, and the fixed rotor unit located on either side of the left or right side of the aircraft body is connected to the battery module located on the same side of the aircraft body; Each of the fixed rotor unit and the tilt rotor unit includes at least two motor controllers, wherein the different motor controllers of each fixed rotor unit are respectively connected to the different battery modules located on the same side of the aircraft body as the fixed rotor unit; and the different motor controllers of each tilt rotor unit are respectively connected to the different battery modules.

2. The vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the battery modules is respectively connected to a portion of the fixed rotor units and a portion of the tilt-rotor units, and the number of the fixed rotor units connected to all the battery modules is the same, and the number of the tilt-rotor units connected to all the battery modules is the same.

3. The vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vertical take-off and landing aircraft includes at least four fixed rotor units; among the at least four fixed rotor units, 2N fixed rotor units are symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides of the aircraft body and close to the fuselage head, and 2N fixed rotor units are symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides of the aircraft body and close to the fuselage tail, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 1; The fixed rotor units are grouped in pairs, and when the vertical take-off and landing aircraft is in the vertical take-off and landing stage, the projections of the propellers of the fixed rotor units in the same group on the horizontal plane are centrally symmetrical; and / or the tilt-rotor units are grouped in pairs, and when the vertical take-off and landing aircraft is in the vertical take-off and landing stage, the projections of the propellers of the tilt-rotor units in the same group on the horizontal plane are centrally symmetrical.

4. The vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 1, wherein: The at least four tilt-rotor units include a first tilt-rotor unit, a second tilt-rotor unit, a third tilt-rotor unit, and a fourth tilt-rotor unit, wherein the first tilt-rotor unit is provided on the left wing of the aircraft body and is located on the fuselage head side of the left wing, the second tilt-rotor unit is provided on the right wing of the aircraft body and is located on the fuselage head side of the right wing, the third tilt-rotor unit is provided at the wingtip of the left stabilizer of the tail wing of the aircraft body, and the fourth tilt-rotor unit is provided at the wingtip of the right and left stabilizers of the tail wing; The at least two fixed rotor units include a first fixed rotor unit, a second fixed rotor unit, a third fixed rotor unit and a fourth fixed rotor unit. The first fixed rotor unit is arranged on the head side of the fuselage of the left wing, the second fixed rotor unit is arranged on the head side of the fuselage of the right wing, the third fixed rotor unit is arranged on the tail side of the fuselage of the left wing, and the fourth fixed rotor unit is arranged on the tail side of the fuselage of the right wing.

5. The vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 4, characterized in that: The at least four battery modules include: a first battery module connected to the first fixed rotor unit, the first tilt-rotor unit, the third fixed rotor unit, and the fourth tilt-rotor unit; a second battery module connected to the second fixed rotor unit, the second tilt-rotor unit, the fourth fixed rotor unit, and the third tilt-rotor unit; a third battery module connected to the first fixed rotor unit, the second tilt-rotor unit, the third fixed rotor unit, and the third tilt-rotor unit; A fourth battery module is connected to the first tilt-rotor unit, the second fixed rotor unit, the fourth fixed rotor unit, and the fourth tilt-rotor unit.

6. The vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 5, characterized in that: The left wing is provided with a left arm, and the first tilt-rotor unit is connected to the left wing via the left arm; the right wing is provided with a right arm, and the second tilt-rotor unit is connected to the right wing via the right arm; Among them, the first battery module is arranged on the left arm, and the second battery module is symmetrically arranged on the right arm; the third battery module is arranged on the left wing, and the fourth battery module is symmetrically arranged on the right wing.

7. The vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The vertical take-off and landing aircraft further includes a power distribution module, at least some of the battery modules are connected to the corresponding tilt-rotor unit or the fixed-rotor unit through the power distribution module, and the power distribution module is configured to have multiple independent bus states and a common bus state; When the power distribution module is in a multi-independent bus state, the power distribution module has multiple independent buses, the number of which is consistent with the number of battery modules connected to the power distribution module and corresponds one-to-one to each other; wherein each battery module is connected to the corresponding fixed rotor unit and / or the tilt rotor unit through the corresponding independent bus; When the power distribution module is in a common bus state, the power distribution module has a common bus, at least part of all the battery modules connected to the power distribution module are connected in parallel to the input side of the common bus, and all the fixed rotor units and / or the tilt rotor units connected to the power distribution module are connected to the output side of the common bus.

8. The vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to claim 7, characterized in that: The power distribution module is configured to switch from the multiple independent bus states to the common bus state when it is detected that a circuit parameter of at least one of the independent buses is less than a warning value and is not a short circuit fault.

9. The vertical take-off and landing aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: at least four of the battery modules include a plurality of battery packs; The vertical take-off and landing aircraft further comprises: at least two power distribution modules, the number of the power distribution modules being consistent with the number of the battery packs and corresponding one-to-one to each other, and the battery modules within the same battery pack being connected to the corresponding tilt-rotor unit and the fixed rotor unit through the corresponding power distribution modules, each of the power distribution modules being configured to have a multiple independent bus state and a whole-machine common bus state. When the power distribution module is in the multiple independent bus state, the power distribution module has multiple independent buses, the number of the independent buses being consistent with the number of the battery modules connected to the power distribution module and corresponding one-to-one to each other, and each of the battery modules being connected to the corresponding fixed rotor unit and / or the tilt-rotor unit through the corresponding independent bus; at least two second switch units, the number of the second switch units being consistent with the number of the independent buses, and the independent buses of all the power distribution modules being connectable and disconnectable through the second switch units, so that when all the second switch units are disconnected, each of the power distribution modules is in the multiple independent bus state, and when all the second switch units are turned on, each of the power distribution modules is in the whole machine common bus state, so that the independent buses of all the power distribution modules are connected to each other to reconstruct a whole machine common bus, at least part of all the battery modules are connected in parallel to the input side of the whole machine common bus, and all the tilt rotor units and all the fixed rotor units are connected to the output side of the whole machine common bus.

Images