Aircraft control system, aircraft control method, and aircraft control program

Abstract

To more appropriately suppress noise.SOLUTION: A control system for an aircraft includes a plurality of engines attached to an aircraft, a plurality of power generators connected to a plurality of engine shafts of the engines, an electric motor to be driven by power supplied from the plurality of power generators, a rotor to be driven by driving force outputted from the electric motor, an estimation part for estimating whether to satisfy an excessive noise condition on the basis of information for estimating noise of the engines, and an engine control part for changing either or both of revolving speeds of the engines and the magnitude of torque so as to reduce the noise more than before satisfying the excessive noise condition in the case of estimating that the excessive noise condition is satisfied.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aircraft control system, an aircraft control method, and an aircraft control program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, it has been disclosed that noise can be suppressed by putting at least one of a plurality of gas turbine generators into an idle operating state (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-358725 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above technology may not be able to suppress noise depending on the situation. For example, in the case of the cited document 1, the engine output is significantly reduced by idling, so it may not be possible to respond to a situation where the required power is large.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an aircraft control system, an aircraft control method, and an aircraft control program that can more appropriately suppress noise. Specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide an aircraft control system, an aircraft control method, and an aircraft control program that can more appropriately suppress noise without significantly reducing engine output, for example. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An aircraft control system, an aircraft control method, and an aircraft control program according to the present invention employ the following configuration. (1): An aircraft control system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of engines mounted on an aircraft fuselage, a plurality of generators connected to the engine shafts of the plurality of engines, an electric motor driven by power supplied from the plurality of generators, a rotor driven by driving force output from the electric motor, an estimation unit that estimates whether an excessive noise condition is met based on information for estimating the noise of the engine, and an engine control unit that, when it is estimated that the excessive noise condition is met, changes one or both of the rotation speed and torque magnitude of the engine so as to reduce the noise compared to before the excessive noise condition was met.

[0007] (2): In the above aspect (1), when the excessive noise condition is satisfied, the engine control unit controls one or both of the engine speed and the torque magnitude based on the relationship between the engine speed, the torque magnitude, and the engine noise magnitude so that the engine noise magnitude falls within the noise standard.

[0008] (3): In the above aspect (2), the engine control unit further controls one or both of the engine speed and the torque magnitude based on the relationship between the engine speed, the torque magnitude, and the fuel efficiency of the engine so that the fuel efficiency falls within the fuel efficiency standard.

[0009] (4): In the above aspect (3), the engine control unit refers to a first operating map representing the distribution of fuel efficiency according to the engine speed and the magnitude of the torque, and a second operating map representing the distribution of noise according to the engine speed and the magnitude of the torque, and controls one or both of the engine speed and the magnitude of the torque.

[0010] (5): In the above aspect (3) or (4), the engine control unit controls the engine on an operating line that is a combination of the engine speed and the torque magnitude that results in the optimal fuel economy, and if it is not estimated that the excessive noise condition is satisfied, controls the engine on the operating line, and if it is estimated that the excessive noise condition is satisfied, controls the engine on the operating line, and if it is estimated that the excessive noise condition is satisfied, controls the engine at an operating point that is a combination of the engine speed and the torque magnitude that results in the optimal fuel economy that deviates from the operating line.

[0011] (6): In the above aspect (5), the operating point is a point at which the noise level of the engine falls within a noise standard, the fuel efficiency falls within a fuel efficiency standard, and the first output of the engine controlled based on the operating point satisfies an output standard, and the output standard is that the first output falls within a predetermined range for the output of the engine controlled based on the operating line.

[0012] (7): In any of the above aspects (1) to (6), the engine control unit controls one or both of the engine speed and the magnitude of the torque to reduce the noise, and if the output after the control is smaller than the output before the control by a predetermined degree or more, increases the output of another engine to compensate for the reduced output.

[0013] (8): In any of the above aspects (1) to (7), a storage battery is further provided for storing the electricity generated by the generator, and the electric motor is driven using the electricity output from the storage battery.

[0014] (9): In one embodiment of the present invention, a control method for an aircraft includes a control device for an aircraft having a plurality of engines attached to the aircraft fuselage, a plurality of generators connected to the engine shafts of the plurality of engines, an electric motor driven by power supplied from the plurality of generators, and a rotor driven by driving force output from the electric motor, the control device estimates whether an excessive noise condition is met based on information for estimating the noise of the engine, and if it is estimated that the excessive noise condition is met, changes one or both of the rotation speed and torque magnitude of the engine so as to reduce the noise compared to before the excessive noise condition was met.

[0015] (10): A control program for an aircraft according to one embodiment of the present invention causes a control device for an aircraft equipped with a plurality of engines mounted on the aircraft fuselage, a plurality of generators connected to the engine shafts of the plurality of engines, an electric motor driven by power supplied from the plurality of generators, and a rotor driven by driving force output from the electric motor to estimate whether an excessive noise condition is met based on information for estimating the noise of the engine, and if it is estimated that the excessive noise condition is met, to change one or both of the rotation speed and torque magnitude of the engine so as to reduce the noise compared to before the excessive noise condition was met. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to aspects (1) to (10), when it is estimated that the excessive noise condition is met, the aircraft control system can more appropriately suppress noise by changing one or both of the rotation speed and torque magnitude of the GT60 so as to reduce noise to a level lower than before the excessive noise condition was met.

[0017] According to the aspect (3), the aircraft control system can suppress the impact on fuel efficiency when noise is reduced by controlling one or both of the engine speed and the magnitude of the torque so that fuel efficiency falls within the fuel efficiency standard.

[0018] According to the aspect (6), the aircraft control system can further suppress the impact on engine output when noise is reduced by controlling the engine so that the engine output falls within a preset range.

[0019] According to the aspect (7), when the output of an engine is reduced due to the control for reducing the noise, the aircraft control system increases the output of another engine to compensate for the reduced output, thereby suppressing the impact on the power required for the entire aircraft when the noise is reduced.

[0020] According to the aspect (8), the electricity generated by the generator when the engine is running is stored in the storage battery, and the aircraft is propelled by the electricity from the storage battery. This makes it possible to control the engine so that the noise is reduced compared to before the excessive noise condition was met, thereby realizing control of the aircraft with reduced noise. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic view of an aircraft 1 equipped with an aircraft control system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the aircraft 1. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram for explaining the flight state of the flying object 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow executed by the control device 100. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a first map 132. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a second map 134. [Figure 7] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the processing of FIG. 4 etc. over time. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the flow of processing performed by GT60-2 to compensate for output. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of an aircraft control system, an aircraft control method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an aircraft 1 equipped with an aircraft control system. The aircraft 1 includes, for example, an airframe 10, multiple rotors 12A-12D, multiple electric motors 14A-14D, and arms 16A-16D. Hereinafter, when the multiple rotors 12A-12D are not distinguished from one another, they will be referred to as rotors 12, and when the multiple electric motors 14A-14D are not distinguished from one another, they will be referred to as electric motors 14. The aircraft 1 may be a manned aircraft or an unmanned aircraft. The aircraft 1 is not limited to the illustrated multicopter, but may also be a helicopter or a compound-type aircraft equipped with both rotary and fixed wings.

[0024] Rotor 12A is attached to airframe 10 via arm 16A. Electric motor 14A is attached to the base (rotation shaft) of rotor 12A. Electric motor 14A drives rotor 12A. Electric motor 14A is, for example, a brushless DC motor. Rotor 12A is a fixed wing with blades that rotates around an axis parallel to the direction of gravity when aircraft 1 is in a horizontal attitude. Rotors 12B to 12D, arms 16B to 16D, and electric motors 14B to 14D have the same functional configurations as those described above, and therefore will not be described here.

[0025] Rotor 12 rotates in response to the control signal, causing aircraft 1 to fly in a desired flight state. The control signal is a signal for controlling aircraft 1 based on an operator's operation or an instruction in automatic piloting. For example, rotors 12A and 12D rotate in a first direction (e.g., clockwise), and rotors 12B and 12C rotate in a second direction (e.g., counterclockwise), causing aircraft 1 to fly. In addition to rotor 12 described above, auxiliary rotors (not shown) for maintaining attitude or for horizontal propulsion may also be provided.

[0026] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the aircraft 1. In addition to the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the aircraft 1 includes, for example, first control circuits 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D, a storage battery unit 30, second control circuits 40-1 and 40-2, generators 50-1 and 50-2, gas turbine engines (hereinafter referred to as "GTs") 60-1 and 60-2, various sensors 80, and a control device 100. Configurations indicated with a symbol and a hyphen followed by the number "1" are first configurations corresponding to the rotor 12A, the rotor 12D, the electric motor 14A, the electric motor 14D, the first control circuit 20A, and the first control circuit 20D, and configurations indicated with a symbol and a hyphen followed by the number "2" are second configurations corresponding to the rotor 12B, the rotor 12C, the electric motor 14B, the electric motor 14C, the first control circuit 20B, and the first control circuit 20C. The first configuration will be described below as a representative example, and the second configuration will not be described because it is similar to the first configuration.

[0027] The first control circuit 20A is a PDU (Power Drive Unit) including a drive circuit such as an inverter. The first control circuit 20A converts the power supplied by the storage battery unit 30 by switching or the like, and supplies the converted power to the electric motor 14A. The first control circuit 20D is also a PDU like the first control circuit 20A, and supplies the power supplied by the storage battery unit 30 to the electric motor 14D. The electric motor 14A drives the rotor 12A, and the electric motor 14D drives the rotor 12D.

[0028] The storage battery unit 30 includes, for example, a storage battery 32, a BMU (Battery Management Unit) 34, and a detection unit 36. The storage battery 32 is, for example, a battery pack in which multiple battery cells are connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel. The battery cells that make up the storage battery 32 are, for example, secondary batteries that can be repeatedly charged and discharged, such as lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) or nickel-metal hydride batteries.

[0029] The BMU 34 performs cell balancing, abnormality detection of the storage battery 32, deriving the cell temperature of the storage battery 32, deriving the charge / discharge current of the storage battery 32, estimating the SOC of the storage battery 32, etc. The BMU 34 acquires the state of the storage battery 32 as described above based on the detection result of the detection unit 36. The detection unit 36 ​​is a voltage sensor, a current sensor, a temperature sensor, etc. for measuring the state of charge of the storage battery 32. The detection unit 36 ​​outputs the measurement results of the measured voltage, current, temperature, etc. to the BMU 34.

[0030] The aircraft 1 may include multiple storage battery units 30. For example, a storage battery unit 30 may be provided corresponding to each of the first and second configurations. In this embodiment, the power generated by the generator 50 is supplied to the storage battery 32, but it may also be supplied to the first control circuit 20 and the electric motor 14 without going through the storage battery 32 (or selectively through the storage battery 32).

[0031] The second control circuit 40-1 is a PCU (Power Conditioning Unit) that includes a converter, etc. The second control circuit 40-1 converts AC power generated by the generator 50-1 into DC power and supplies the converted power to the storage battery 32 and / or the first control circuit 20.

[0032] The generator 50-1 is connected to the output shaft of the GT 60-1. The generator 50-1 is driven by the operation of the GT 60-1, and generates AC power through this drive. The generator 50-1 may be connected to the output shaft of the GT 60-1 via a reduction gear mechanism. The generator 50-1 functions as a motor, and when the supply of fuel to the GT 60-1 is stopped, it rotates (idles) the GT 60-1 to make it operable. At that time, the second control circuit 40-1 draws power from the storage battery 32 side to motor the generator 50-1. As an alternative to the above functional configuration, a starter motor may be connected to the output shaft of the GT 60-1, and the starter motor may make the GT 60-1 operable.

[0033] The GT60-1 is, for example, a turboshaft engine. The GT60-1 includes, for example, an intake port, a compressor, a combustion chamber, a turbine, and the like, all of which are not shown. The compressor compresses the intake air drawn in through the intake port. The combustion chamber is located downstream of the compressor and burns a mixture of compressed air and fuel to generate combustion gas. The turbine is connected to the compressor and rotates integrally with the compressor due to the force of the combustion gas. The turbine's output shaft rotates as described above, operating a generator 50 connected to the turbine's output shaft.

[0034] The various sensors 80 include, for example, a rotation speed sensor, multiple temperature sensors, multiple pressure sensors, a lubricant sensor, an altitude sensor, and a gyro sensor. The rotation speed sensor detects the rotation speed of the turbine. The temperature sensor detects the temperature near the air intake of the GT60 and the temperature near the downstream of the combustion chamber. The lubricant sensor detects the temperature of the lubricant supplied to the bearings of the GT60. The pressure sensor detects the pressure inside the casing of the GT60 and the pressure near the air intake of the GT60. The altitude sensor detects the altitude of the aircraft 1. The gyro sensor detects the attitude of the aircraft 10. The various sensors 80 are provided for, for example, each of the GT60-1 and the GT60-2. The various sensors 80 may also include a sound sensor that detects sound outside the aircraft 1, sound inside the aircraft 1, or sound emitted by the GT60.

[0035] The control device 100 includes, for example, an estimation unit 110, an engine control unit 120, and a storage unit 130. The estimation unit 110 and the engine control unit 120 are realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these functional units may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory of the control device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory of the control device 100 by inserting the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) into a drive device.

[0036] The storage unit 130 is realized by, for example, a HDD, a flash memory, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage unit 130 stores, for example, a first map 132 and a second map 134 (details will be described later).

[0037] The estimation unit 110 includes, for example, a first estimation unit 112 and a second estimation unit 114. The first estimation unit 112 estimates (or acquires) the loudness of the sound emitted by the GT 60-1 based on the detection results of one or more of the various sensors 80 (an example of information for estimating engine noise). The first estimation unit 112 estimates the loudness of the sound based on, for example, the detection results of a temperature sensor, a lubricant sensor, or a pressure sensor, or an index obtained based on the calculation results of a predetermined function using these as parameters. For example, a correlation between the loudness of the sound and the detection results of the various sensors 80 is determined in advance. The first estimation unit 112 estimates the loudness of the sound based on the determined correlation. For example, the first estimation unit 112 estimates that the higher the temperature of the GT 60-1 or the lubricant temperature, the louder the sound, and that the higher the pressure, the louder the sound. For example, the first estimation unit 112 may estimate that a sound above a certain level is being generated (the excessive noise condition is satisfied) when each of the above parameters exceeds a corresponding threshold. Furthermore, the first estimation unit 112 may estimate noise (noise caused by the compressor, turbine blade noise, turbine shaft vibration, etc.) using the detection result of the rotation speed sensor, or may estimate noise caused by the intake and exhaust flow rate (estimated value) (for example, airflow noise generated in the intake and exhaust duct). The noise estimated by the first estimation unit 112 is some or all of the above noises. The second estimation unit 114, like the first estimation unit 112, estimates (or acquires) the volume of the sound emitted by the GT60-2.

[0038] The engine control unit 120 controls the above-mentioned electric motor 14, first control circuit 20, storage battery unit 30, second control circuit 40, generator 50, GT 60, etc. based on their operating states, the estimation results of the estimation unit 110, or information acquired from the various sensors 80. For example, the control device 100 controls each of the above-mentioned functional components to cause the aircraft 1 to take off or land, or to fly the aircraft 1 in a predetermined flight state. The engine control unit 120 controls the aircraft 1 based on flight information. The flight information includes, for example, information obtained from the detection results of the various sensors 80 and the flight state of the aircraft 1 according to the control signal. The first engine control unit 122 of the engine control unit 120 controls the first component, and the second engine control unit 124 of the engine control unit 120 controls the second component. As shown in FIG. 3 , the engine control unit 120 controls the GT 60 based on the required power and / or the amount of power stored in the storage battery 32 according to the flight state of the aircraft 1.

[0039] [Flight status explanation] Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining the flight states of the aircraft 1. As shown in Figure 3, the aircraft 1 (1) taxis, (2) takes off and hovers, (3) ascends and accelerates, and (4) cruises. Then, the aircraft 1 (5) descends and decelerates, (6) hovers and lands, and (7) taxis, refuels, and parks.

[0040] Among the above flight states, for example, the required power for the flight state when the aircraft 1 is in (2) takeoff, hover, or (6) hover and landing tends to be greater than the required power for other flight states. The required power for a flight state is the power (the total power that needs to be supplied to each electric motor 14) required for the aircraft 1 to transition to a flight state corresponding to a control signal or to maintain the flight state. The control device 100 provides the required power to the electric motor 14, and the electric motor 14 drives the rotor 12 based on the required power, thereby controlling the aircraft 1 to enter a flight state corresponding to the control signal.

[0041] For example, the engine control unit 120 operates the GT60-1 and / or the GT60-2 when a predetermined condition is satisfied. The predetermined condition is, for example, that the flight state is (2) or (6) or that the SOC of the storage battery has fallen below a predetermined value (or is predicted to fall below the predetermined value within a predetermined time). The predetermined condition may be any condition.

[0042] [flowchart] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow executed by the control device 100. This flowchart is an example, and some of the processing may be omitted, or other processing may be added. The order of the processing may also be changed. As explained in this flowchart, when the GT60 satisfies an excessive noise condition, the engine control unit 120 changes one or both of the rotation speed and torque magnitude of the GT60 that satisfies the excessive noise condition so as to reduce noise compared to before the excessive noise condition was satisfied. At this time, fuel economy and output are also taken into consideration.

[0043] First, the engine control unit 120 of the control device 100 acquires a power generation request from the entire system of the aircraft 1 (step S100). The power generation request from the entire system includes the amount of power required for flight, as well as the amount of power used by auxiliary equipment included in the aircraft 1.

[0044] Next, the engine control unit 120 determines the outputs of GT60-1 and GT60-2 (step S101). For example, the engine control unit 120 may determine to operate GT60-1 and GT60-2, or may determine to operate a less frequently used GT60. Furthermore, the engine control unit 120 may determine to operate GT60-1 and GT60-2 when the power generation request from the entire system is equal to or greater than a predetermined level, and may determine to operate either GT60-1 or GT60-2 when the power generation request from the entire system is less than the predetermined level. In the following description, it is assumed that GT60-1 and GT60-2 are operating.

[0045] Next, engine control unit 120 refers to first map 132 and determines the operating point at which fuel economy is minimized (or an operating point close to the minimum) (step S102). GT 60 operates based on the determined operating point. First map 132 will be described later.

[0046] Next, engine control unit 120 determines whether GT60-1 or GT60-2 satisfies the excessive noise condition (step S103) based on the estimation result of estimation unit 110. If the excessive noise condition is not satisfied, engine control unit 120 operates GT60-1 and GT60-2 based on the operating point at which fuel efficiency is minimized.

[0047] If the excessive noise condition is satisfied (for example, if GT60-1 satisfies the excessive noise condition), engine control unit 120 searches for an operating point that will no longer satisfy the excessive noise condition while taking fuel economy into consideration (step S105), and determines an operating point that minimizes the difference between the power generation output required by the entire system (the output expected from GT60-1) and the output that GT60-1 can generate when controlled so as not to satisfy the excessive noise condition (step S106). In the processing of step S106, instead of the operating point that minimizes the difference, an operating point that causes the difference to fall within a predetermined range may be determined.

[0048] Next, engine control unit 120 uses GT 60-2 to make up for the shortfall in output of GT 60-1 (step S108). Engine control unit 120 determines the operating point by, for example, referring to first map 132 and second map 134. Details of the processing in steps S105 and S106 will be described later.

[0049] The processing in steps S105 and S106 using the first map 132 and the second map 134 will be described below.

[0050] [Map 1] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the first map 132. The vertical axis of FIG. 5 represents the magnitude of the engine torque (the torque of the GT60) [Nm], and the horizontal axis of FIG. 5 represents the engine speed (the speed of the GT60) [npm]. In the first map 132, a label indicating a first region or a label indicating a second region is associated with each combination of engine torque and engine speed. The first region is a region where fuel efficiency is equal to or greater than the fuel efficiency standard (a region where fuel efficiency is good), and the second region is a region where fuel efficiency is less than the fuel efficiency standard (a region where fuel efficiency is not good). In the first map 132, an operating line L1 is defined. The operating line L1 is a combination of engine torque and engine speed that provides optimal fuel efficiency.

[0051] [Map 2] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the second map 134. The vertical axis of FIG. 6 represents the magnitude of the engine torque (torque of the GT60) [Nm], and the horizontal axis of FIG. 6 represents the engine speed (rotation speed of the GT60) [npm]. In the second map 134, a label indicating the third region or a label indicating the fourth region is associated with each combination of engine torque and engine speed. The third region is a region where noise is equal to or greater than the noise standard (high noise region), and the fourth region is a region where noise is less than the noise standard (low noise region). In the second map 134, for example, an operating line L1 is also defined.

[0052] 4 to 6, a case where GT 60-1 is controlled will be described as an example. First engine control unit 122 refers to first map 132 and controls GT 60-1 so that it operates at an engine torque and engine speed corresponding to operating point P1 (operating point along operating line L1) where fuel economy is minimized (or optimal, appropriate).

[0053] For example, when the excessive noise condition is satisfied, the engine control unit 120 controls one or both of the engine speed and torque magnitude based on the relationship between the GT60 speed, torque magnitude, and noise magnitude of the GT60 (for example, by reference to the second map 134) so ​​that the noise magnitude of the GT60 falls within the noise standard. The engine control unit 120 further controls one or both of the GT60 speed and torque magnitude based on the relationship between the GT60 speed, torque magnitude, and fuel efficiency of the GT60 (for example, by reference to the first map 132) so that the fuel efficiency falls within the fuel efficiency standard. The noise standard is a standard that specifies that noise obtained in advance through experiments must be equal to or below a threshold value. The fuel efficiency standard is a standard that specifies that the degree of deterioration in fuel efficiency must be within X percent of the fuel efficiency in control based on the operating line. "X" is, for example, an arbitrary value that is set in advance.

[0054] Specifically, when GT60-1 satisfies the excessive noise condition, the first engine control unit 122 refers to the first map 132 and the second map 134 to search for an operating point included in a region where fuel efficiency is equal to or greater than the fuel efficiency standard and a region where noise is less than the noise standard. Then, the first engine control unit 122 determines, from among the multiple operating points searched for, an operating point P2 that has the smallest difference between the power generation required output and the power generation possible output corresponding to the searched operating point. For example, the engine control unit 120 determines the power generation possible output for each of the searched operating points, and compares the determined output with the power generation required output to determine the operating point P2.

[0055] Operating point P2 is an example of "a driving point that is a combination of the engine speed and torque magnitude at which the fuel economy deviates from the driving line." Operating point P2 is an example of "a point at which the engine noise level falls within a noise standard, the fuel economy falls within a fuel economy standard, and a first output of the engine controlled based on the driving point satisfies an output standard." The output standard is that the first output falls within a preset range for the engine output controlled based on the driving line. Furthermore, engine control unit 120 causes GT60-2 to compensate for any output shortage when operating at driving point P2, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 8.

[0056] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the processing of Fig. 4 etc. over time. The horizontal axis in the upper, middle, and lower diagrams of Fig. 7 represents time. The vertical axis in the upper diagram of Fig. 7 represents the noise level estimated by estimation unit 110, the vertical axis in the middle diagram of Fig. 7 represents the fuel consumption rate [g / kWh] (fuel efficiency) of GT60-1, and the vertical axis in the lower diagram of Fig. 7 represents the output of GT60-1.

[0057] At time T, when the estimated noise exceeds a threshold value (when the excessive noise condition is satisfied), GT60-1 is controlled based on operating point P2 that takes fuel economy into consideration and no longer satisfies the excessive noise condition. As shown in the middle diagram of FIG. 7, the fuel economy when GT60-1 operates at operating point P2 (fuel economy after search) is within a predetermined range based on the fuel economy when GT60-1 operates at operating point P1 (standard fuel economy). As shown in FIG. 7, the degree of deterioration in fuel economy after search relative to the standard fuel economy is within X%. Furthermore, as shown in the middle diagram of FIG. 7, the fuel economy after search is within the standard fuel economy range.

[0058] As shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 7, the output of GT60-1 drops from output OP1 to OP2. The operating point of GT60-1 is determined so that the drop in output is minimized. In this case, engine control unit 120 increases the output of GT60-2 to compensate for the drop (OP1-OP2). The drop in output is compensated for by the output of GT60-2 (another GT).

[0059] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the flow of processing by GT60-2 to compensate for output. For example, assume that the excessive noise condition of GT60-1 is satisfied when GT60-1 and GT60-2 are outputting 50 [kW]. In this case, the first engine control unit 122 sends a control command to GT60-1 to control the output of GT60-1 to 40 [kW]. GT60-1 reduces the output based on the control command. The second engine control unit 124 sends a control command to GT60-2 to control the output of GT60-2 to 60 [kW]. GT60-2 increases the output based on the control command.

[0060] As described above, when engine control unit 120 reduces the output of GT60-1, it compensates for the output by using GT60-2. This suppresses noise while taking fuel economy into consideration, and maintains the output of GT60. Note that when GT60-1 increases its output to suppress noise, it controls GT60-2 so that its output is suppressed.

[0061] Here, we will explain how to suppress noise from the GT60. For example, consider the noise of an aircraft engine that generates thrust. When the rotation speeds of the left and right engines of an aircraft are different, the noise from the fans can become harsh. One way to reduce this noise is to introduce engine control that aligns the rotation speeds. Even when an aircraft engine generates thrust and the excessive noise condition is met, it is difficult to change the engine rotation speed, and it may not be possible to make significant changes to the engine operating point.

[0062] The aircraft 1 of this embodiment uses the GT60 for power generation purposes and can flexibly change the operating point of the GT60. When an excessive noise condition is met, the aircraft 1 of this embodiment references the first map 132 and the second map 134 and controls the GT60 at an operating point that minimizes fuel consumption degradation and reduces noise. This makes it possible to suppress noise while taking fuel consumption into consideration. Note that the noise in this embodiment may be sound perceived by a person outside the aircraft 1, or may be sound perceived by a person inside the aircraft 1.

[0063] According to the embodiment described above, when it is estimated that the excessive noise condition is met, the aircraft control system can more appropriately suppress noise by changing one or both of the rotation speed and torque magnitude of the GT 60 so as to reduce noise to a level lower than before the excessive noise condition was met. For example, it is expected that the comfort of people around and inside the aircraft 1 will be improved.

[0064] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1. Aircraft, 14. Electric motor, 30. Storage battery unit, 32. Storage battery, 50. Generator, 60. Gas turbine engine (GT), 80. Various sensors, 100. Control device, 110. Estimation unit, 112. First estimation unit, 114. Second estimation unit, 120. Engine control unit, 122. First engine control unit, 124. Second engine control unit

Claims

1. a plurality of engines mounted on an aircraft fuselage; a plurality of generators connected to engine shafts of the plurality of engines; an electric motor driven by electric power supplied from the plurality of generators; a rotor driven by a driving force output from the electric motor; an estimation unit that estimates whether an excessive noise condition is satisfied based on information for estimating the engine noise; an engine control unit that, when it is estimated that the excessive noise condition is satisfied, changes one or both of the rotation speed and torque of the engine so as to reduce noise to a level lower than that before the excessive noise condition was satisfied; An aircraft control system comprising:

2. When the excessive noise condition is satisfied, the engine control unit controls one or both of the engine speed and the torque magnitude based on the relationship between the engine speed, the torque magnitude, and the engine noise magnitude so that the engine noise magnitude falls within a noise standard.

10. The control system for an aircraft according to claim 1.

3. The engine control unit further controls one or both of the rotation speed of the engine and the magnitude of the torque based on the relationship between the rotation speed of the engine, the magnitude of the torque, and the fuel efficiency of the engine so that the fuel efficiency falls within a fuel efficiency standard.

3. The control system for an aircraft according to claim 2.

4. the engine control unit refers to a first operation map representing a distribution of fuel efficiency according to the engine speed and the magnitude of the torque, and a second operation map representing a distribution of noise according to the engine speed and the magnitude of the torque, and controls one or both of the engine speed and the magnitude of the torque.

4. The control system for an aircraft according to claim 3.

5. The engine control unit controlling the engine on an operation line that is a combination of the engine speed and the torque magnitude that optimizes the fuel economy, and when it is estimated that the excessive noise condition is not satisfied, controlling the engine on the operation line; controlling the engine on the driving line, and when it is estimated that the excessive noise condition is satisfied, controlling the engine at a driving point that is a combination of the engine speed and the magnitude of the torque at which the fuel economy deviates from the driving line; 5. An aircraft control system according to claim 3 or 4.

6. the driving point is a point at which the noise level of the engine falls within a noise standard, the fuel efficiency falls within a fuel efficiency standard, and a first output of the engine controlled based on the driving point satisfies an output standard, the output standard is that the first output falls within a predetermined range with respect to the output of the engine controlled based on the operating line; 6. The control system for an aircraft according to claim 5.

7. the engine control unit controls one or both of the rotation speed and the magnitude of the torque of the engine to reduce the noise, and when the output after the control is smaller than the output before the control by a predetermined degree or more, increases the output of another engine to compensate for the reduced output.

7. A control system for an aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. further comprising a storage battery that stores the power generated by the generator, The electric motor is driven using the power output from the storage battery.

8. A control system for an aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. a plurality of engines mounted on an aircraft fuselage; a plurality of generators connected to engine shafts of the plurality of engines; an electric motor driven by electric power supplied from the plurality of generators; a rotor driven by a driving force output from the electric motor, estimating whether an excessive noise condition is satisfied based on information for estimating the engine noise; When it is estimated that the excessive noise condition is satisfied, one or both of the rotation speed and the torque of the engine are changed so as to reduce the noise to a level lower than that before the excessive noise condition was satisfied. Control method for aircraft.

10. a plurality of engines mounted on an aircraft fuselage; a plurality of generators connected to engine shafts of the plurality of engines; an electric motor driven by electric power supplied from the plurality of generators; a rotor driven by a driving force output from the electric motor, estimating whether an excessive noise condition is satisfied based on information for estimating the engine noise; When it is estimated that the excessive noise condition is satisfied, one or both of the rotation speed and the torque of the engine are changed so as to reduce the noise to a level lower than that before the excessive noise condition was satisfied. Aircraft programs.

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