Aircraft control device, aircraft control method and program

Abstract

To provide a flying object control device, a flying object control method, and a program that are capable of suppressing overcharging of a battery.SOLUTION: A flying object control device 56 includes: a determination unit 66 that determines, based on a remaining capacity of a battery, whether or not to restrict supply of surplus electric power to the battery, the surplus electric power being a surplus of electric power generated by a generator; and a control unit 62 that, when the determination unit determines to restrict the supply of the surplus electric power to the battery, causes the surplus electric power to be consumed by a motor by increasing a rotor rotational speed that is a rotational speed of a rotor, and adjusts a steering angle of an elevator to restrict ascent of a fuselage caused by an increase in the rotor rotational speed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an aircraft equipped with a gas turbine, a generator, a battery, and a motor. The generator is driven by the gas turbine. Electricity generated by the generator is stored in a battery. The motor is driven by the power supplied from the battery. When the battery is fully charged, the gas turbine is stopped and power is supplied from the battery to the motor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-075649 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A gas turbine has a relatively low response rate in terms of the output power actually output by the gas turbine relative to the output power required for the gas turbine. Even if the power required by the motor suddenly decreases, the amount of power generated by the generator driven by the gas turbine cannot be suddenly reduced. Therefore, if the power required by the motor suddenly decreases, the battery may be overcharged.

[0005] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An aircraft control device according to one aspect of the present invention is an aircraft control device that controls an aircraft having a generator, a battery that stores power supplied from the generator, a motor driven by power supplied from at least one of the generator and the battery, a rotor driven by the motor, and an elevator that adjusts the angle of elevation of the aircraft, and is equipped with a determination unit that determines whether to limit the supply of surplus power generated by the generator to the battery based on the remaining capacity of the battery, and a control unit that, when the determination unit determines that the supply of surplus power to the battery should be limited, causes the motor to consume the surplus power by increasing the rotor rotation speed, which is the rotation speed of the rotor, and limits the ascent of the aircraft caused by the increase in rotor rotation speed by adjusting the rudder angle of the elevator.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for controlling an aircraft comprising a generator, a battery for storing power supplied from the generator, a motor driven by power supplied from at least one of the generator and the battery, a rotor driven by the motor, and an elevator for adjusting the angle of elevation of the aircraft, the method comprising: a determination step for determining whether to limit the supply of surplus power generated by the generator to the battery based on the remaining capacity of the battery; and a control step for, if it is determined in the determination step that the supply of surplus power to the battery should be limited, increasing the rotor rotation speed, which is the rotation speed of the rotor, to cause the motor to consume the surplus power, and limiting the ascent of the aircraft caused by the increase in rotor rotation speed by adjusting the rudder angle of the elevator.

[0008] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a program causes a computer installed in an aircraft having a generator, a battery for storing power supplied from the generator, a motor driven by power supplied from at least one of the generator and the battery, a rotor driven by the motor, and an elevator for adjusting the angle of elevation of the aircraft to execute the following steps: a determination step for determining whether to limit the supply of surplus power generated by the generator to the battery based on the remaining capacity of the battery; and a control step for, if it is determined in the determination step that the supply of surplus power to the battery should be limited, increasing the rotor rotation speed, which is the rotation speed of the rotor, to cause the motor to consume the surplus power, and limiting the ascent of the aircraft caused by the increase in rotor rotation speed by adjusting the angle of the elevator. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The present invention provides an aircraft control device, an aircraft control method, and a program that can prevent battery overcharging. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an air vehicle according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a portion of an air vehicle in accordance with one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a gas turbine. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an air vehicle control device according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an air vehicle according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] [One embodiment] An aircraft control device, an aircraft control method, and a program according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an aircraft according to this embodiment.

[0012] The aircraft 10 according to this embodiment is, for example, an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

[0013] The aircraft 10 may be equipped with an airframe 12. The aircraft 12 may be equipped with a cockpit (not shown), a cabin (not shown), etc. A pilot (not shown) may be on board the cockpit. The pilot may operate the aircraft 10. A passenger (not shown) may be on board the cabin. The aircraft 10 may be automatically operated without a pilot on board.

[0014] The aircraft 10 may be equipped with front wings 14 and rear wings 16. When the aircraft 10 moves forward, lift is generated by each of the front wings 14 and rear wings 16. An elevator 17 may be provided at the rear end of the rear wing 16. The elevator 17 can adjust the angle of elevation of the airframe 12. The rear wing 16 may be equipped with components other than the elevator 17, but these will not be described here. The front wing 14 may also be equipped with an elevator 17.

[0015] The air vehicle 10 may be equipped with multiple VTOL rotors (rotors) 18. For example, the air vehicle 10 may be equipped with VTOL rotor 18FLa, VTOL rotor 18FLb, VTOL rotor 18RLa, and VTOL rotor 18RLb. The air vehicle 10 may also be equipped with VTOL rotor 18FRa, VTOL rotor 18FRb, VTOL rotor 18RRa, and VTOL rotor 18RRb. The VTOL rotor 18 may be driven by a motor 31A (see FIG. 2). When describing the individual VTOL rotors without distinguishing between them, the reference numeral 18 will be used, and when describing the individual VTOL rotors with distinction between them, the reference numerals 18FLa, 18FLb, 18RLa, 18RLb, 18FRa, 18FRb, 18RRa, and 18RRb will be used.

[0016] The longitudinal direction of the rotating shaft provided in the VTOL rotor 18 is the up-down direction. The VTOL rotor 18 is a vertical rotor that can generate vertical thrust. The thrust by the VTOL rotor 18 can be controlled by appropriately adjusting the rotation speed of the VTOL rotor 18 and the pitch angle of the blades. Lift thrust is obtained by controlling the thrust by the VTOL rotor 18. The lift thrust is a vertical thrust. Controlling the thrust of the VTOL rotor 18 causes a roll moment, a pitch moment, and a yaw moment to act on the airframe 12. The VTOL rotor 18 can be used during vertical takeoff, transition from vertical takeoff to cruising, transition from cruising to vertical landing, vertical landing, hovering in the air, etc. The VTOL rotor 18 can also be used during attitude control.

[0017] The aircraft 10 may be equipped with multiple cruise rotors 20L, 20R. The cruise rotors 20L, 20R may be provided at the rear of the airframe 12. The cruise rotors 20 may be driven by a motor 31B (see FIG. 2). When describing the individual cruise rotors without distinguishing between them, the reference numeral 20 will be used, and when describing the individual cruise rotors with distinction between them, the reference numerals 20L and 20R will be used.

[0018] The longitudinal direction of the rotating shaft of the cruise rotor 20 is the fore-and-aft direction. The cruise rotor 20 is a horizontal rotor that can generate horizontal thrust. The thrust generated by the cruise rotor 20 is controlled by adjusting the rotation speed of the cruise rotor 20 and the pitch angle of the blades of the cruise rotor 20. Cruise thrust is obtained by controlling the thrust generated by the cruise rotor 20. Cruise thrust is horizontal thrust. The cruise rotor 20 can be used during the transition from vertical takeoff to cruise, during cruise, and during the transition from cruise to vertical landing, etc.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a part of the flying vehicle according to this embodiment.

[0020] The aircraft 10 is equipped with a power generation unit 36 ​​and a battery 30. The aircraft 10 is a hybrid aircraft equipped with the power generation unit 36 ​​and the battery 30 as power sources. The power generation unit 36 ​​may be equipped with a gas turbine 40, a generator 42, and a converter 44. The aircraft 10 may be equipped with multiple power generation units 36, but FIG. 2 illustrates one of the multiple power generation units 36.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a gas turbine.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3 , the gas turbine 40 may include a compressor 46, a combustion chamber 48, and a turbine 50. Air drawn in through an intake port 52 may be compressed in the compressor 46. By compressing the air by the compressor 46, high-pressure air is obtained. The high-pressure air thus obtained is supplied to the combustion chamber 48. In the combustion chamber 48, fuel is injected into the high-pressure air. By burning the fuel in the combustion chamber 48, high-temperature, high-pressure gas is generated. The high-pressure gas thus generated rotates the turbine 50. The energy of the high-temperature, high-pressure gas is converted into rotational energy by the turbine 50 and output via an output shaft 54. The rotational energy thus obtained may also be used to rotate the compressor 46.

[0023] 2, a generator 42 is connected to the gas turbine 40. More specifically, the generator 42 is connected to an output shaft 54 ​​of the gas turbine 40. The generator 42 is driven by the gas turbine 40, so that electricity can be generated by the generator 42.

[0024] A converter 44 is connected to the generator 42. The converter 44 converts the AC power output from the generator 42 into DC power and outputs the DC power.

[0025] The electric power obtained by power generation by the power generation unit 36 ​​can be supplied to the VTOL drive unit 24, cruise drive unit 26, etc., which will be described later, without going through the battery 30. Furthermore, the battery 30 can be charged with the electric power obtained by power generation by the power generation unit 36. If the electric power obtained by power generation by the power generation unit 36 ​​is insufficient for the electric power required by the VTOL drive unit 24, cruise drive unit 26, etc., the electric power stored in the battery 30 can be supplied to the VTOL drive unit 24, cruise drive unit 26, etc.

[0026] When the electric power obtained by power generation by the power generation unit 36 ​​is greater than the electric power required by the VTOL drive unit 24, the cruise drive unit 26, etc., surplus electric power occurs. The gas turbine 40 has a relatively low responsiveness in the output power actually output from the gas turbine 40 compared to the output power required of the gas turbine 40. For this reason, even if the electric power required by the VTOL drive unit 24, the cruise drive unit 26, etc. suddenly decreases, the amount of electric power generated by the power generation unit 36 ​​cannot suddenly decrease. For this reason, when the electric power required by the VTOL drive unit 24, the cruise drive unit 26, etc. suddenly decreases, surplus electric power occurs.

[0027] The air vehicle 10 may be equipped with multiple batteries 30, but Fig. 2 illustrates one battery 30 of the multiple batteries 30. The air vehicle 10 may be equipped with multiple VTOL drive units 24, but Fig. 2 illustrates one VTOL drive unit 24 of the multiple VTOL drive units 24. The air vehicle 10 may be equipped with multiple cruise drive units 26, but Fig. 2 illustrates one cruise drive unit 26 of the multiple cruise drive units 26.

[0028] The VTOL drive unit 24 may be provided in the VTOL rotor 18. The VTOL drive unit 24 may be provided with a motor 31A and an inverter 32A. The motor 31A is, for example, a three-phase motor. An output shaft (not shown) provided in the motor 31A is coupled to a rotating shaft provided in the VTOL rotor 18. The inverter 32A converts DC power input to the inverter 32A into three-phase AC power and supplies the three-phase AC power to the motor 31A.

[0029] The cruise drive unit 26 may be provided in the cruise rotor 20. The cruise drive unit 26 may be provided with a motor 31B and an inverter 32B. The motor 31B is, for example, a three-phase motor. An output shaft (not shown) provided in the motor 31B is connected to a rotating shaft provided in the cruise rotor 20. The inverter 32B converts DC power input to the inverter 32B into three-phase AC power and supplies the three-phase AC power to the motor 31B.

[0030] As described above, the aircraft 10 may be equipped with an elevator 17. The aircraft 10 may be equipped with multiple elevators 17, but FIG. 2 illustrates only one of the elevators 17. The elevator 17 may be equipped with an actuator 19 for adjusting the steering angle of the elevator 17. The actuator 19 is connected to the battery 30 or the like via a DC-DC converter 34A. The DC-DC converter 34A increases or decreases the DC voltage input to the DC-DC converter 34A and supplies the increased or decreased DC voltage to the actuator 19.

[0031] The flying vehicle 10 may be equipped with an accessory device 28. The flying vehicle 10 may be equipped with multiple accessory devices 28, but FIG. 2 illustrates one of the multiple accessory devices 28. Examples of the accessory device 28 include an air conditioner, a refrigeration device (refrigerator), etc. The air conditioner may adjust the temperature, humidity, etc. of the air inside the aircraft 12. The refrigeration device may refrigerate food, etc. The accessory device 28 is connected to the battery 30, etc. via a DC-DC converter 34B. The DC-DC converter 34B increases or decreases the DC voltage input to the DC-DC converter 34B and supplies the increased or decreased DC voltage to the accessory device 28.

[0032] The aircraft 10 may be equipped with landing gear 33. The landing gear 33 may support the airframe 12 on the ground. The landing gear 33 may absorb shocks and the like that occur when the airframe 12 lands. The aircraft 10 may be equipped with multiple landing gears 33, but FIG. 2 illustrates one of the multiple landing gears 33. The landing gear 33 is connected to the battery 30, etc. via a DC-DC converter 34C. The DC-DC converter 34C steps up or steps down the DC voltage input to the DC-DC converter 34C, and supplies the stepped-up or stepped-down DC voltage to the landing gear 33. When describing the individual DC-DC converters without distinguishing them, the reference numeral 34 is used, and when describing the individual DC-DC converters with distinction, the reference numerals 34A to 34C are used.

[0033] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an aircraft control device according to this embodiment.

[0034] The aircraft control device 56 may include a calculation unit 58 and a memory unit 60. The calculation unit 58 may be a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The calculation unit 58 may be configured with, for example, multiple processors. The calculation unit 58 may include a control unit 62, a battery information acquisition unit 64, a determination unit 66, a battery control unit 68, a generator information acquisition unit 70, a gas turbine control unit 72, a surplus power calculation unit 74, a rotor rotation speed calculation unit 76, and a rudder angle calculation unit 78. The control unit 62, the battery information acquisition unit 64, the determination unit 66, the battery control unit 68, the generator information acquisition unit 70, the gas turbine control unit 72, the surplus power calculation unit 74, the rotor rotation speed calculation unit 76, and the rudder angle calculation unit 78 may be realized by the calculation unit 58 executing a program stored in the memory unit 60.

[0035] At least a portion of the control unit 62, the battery information acquisition unit 64, the determination unit 66, the battery control unit 68, the generator information acquisition unit 70, the gas turbine control unit 72, the surplus power calculation unit 74, the rotor rotation speed calculation unit 76, and the rudder angle calculation unit 78 may be realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).At least a portion of the control unit 62, the battery information acquisition unit 64, the determination unit 66, the battery control unit 68, the generator information acquisition unit 70, the gas turbine control unit 72, the surplus power calculation unit 74, the rotor rotation speed calculation unit 76, and the rudder angle calculation unit 78 may be realized by an electronic circuit including discrete devices.

[0036] The storage unit 60 is a computer-readable storage medium. The storage unit 60 may include a volatile memory (not shown) and a non-volatile memory (not shown). Examples of the volatile memory include RAM (Random Access Memory). The volatile memory is used as a working memory for the processor and temporarily stores data necessary for processing or calculation. Examples of the non-volatile memory include ROM (Read Only Memory) and flash memory. The non-volatile memory is used as a storage memory and stores programs, tables, maps, etc. At least a portion of the storage unit 60 may be included in the processor, integrated circuit, etc. described above.

[0037] The control unit 62 is responsible for the overall control of the aircraft control device 56. The control unit 62 can control the VTOL rotor 18. The rotation speed of the VTOL rotor 18 can be controlled by controlling the inverter 32A. The control unit 62 can also control the cruise rotor 20. The rotation speed of the cruise rotor 20 can be controlled by controlling the inverter 32B. The control unit 62 can adjust the rudder angle of the elevator 17. The rudder angle of the elevator 17 can be adjusted by controlling the actuator 19. The control unit 62 can control the flight of the aircraft 10 by appropriately controlling the VTOL rotor 18, the cruise rotor 20, the elevator 17, etc.

[0038] The battery information acquisition unit 64 can acquire information about the battery 30. The battery information acquisition unit 64 can acquire information about the SOC (State Of Charge) of the battery 30. The SOC of the battery 30 can be determined by a battery control device (not shown). The battery control device can acquire information about the voltage, current, temperature, etc. of the battery 30 using a sensor (not shown), and calculate the SOC of the battery 30 using a predetermined algorithm, table, etc. The battery control device can supply the information about the SOC of the battery 30 to the aircraft control device 56. In this way, information about the remaining capacity of the battery 30 can be acquired by the battery information acquisition unit 64.

[0039] The determination unit 66 can determine whether or not to limit the supply of surplus power, of the power generated by the generator 42, to the battery 30, based on the remaining capacity of the battery 30. For example, when the remaining capacity of the battery 30 is equal to or greater than a predetermined remaining capacity threshold, the determination unit 66 can limit the supply of surplus power to the battery 30. Since charging to the battery 30 is limited when the remaining capacity of the battery 30 is equal to or greater than the remaining capacity threshold, according to this embodiment, overcharging of the battery 30 can be prevented.

[0040] The battery control unit 68 can control charging of the battery 30 and can also control power supply from the battery 30. If the determination unit 66 determines that the supply of surplus power to the battery 30 should be limited, the battery control unit 68 limits the supply of surplus power to the battery 30. If the determination unit 66 does not determine that the supply of surplus power to the battery 30 should be limited, the battery control unit 68 does not limit the supply of surplus power to the battery 30.

[0041] The generator information acquisition unit 70 can acquire information about the generator 42. The generator information acquisition unit 70 can acquire information indicating the rotation speed of the generator 42.

[0042] The gas turbine control unit 72 may perform control over the gas turbine 40. That is, the gas turbine control unit 72 may control the output power of the gas turbine 40. The gas turbine control unit 72 may control the gas turbine 40 so that the generator 42 generates power according to the power required by the aircraft 10. The power required by the aircraft 10 may be calculated, for example, by the control unit 62, but is not limited to this.

[0043] The surplus power calculation unit 74 may calculate the surplus power. The surplus power calculation unit 74 may calculate the surplus power by subtracting the power consumed by the aircraft 10 from the power obtained by power generation by the power generation unit 36. The power obtained by power generation by the power generation unit 36 ​​may be calculated based on, for example, but not limited to, information indicating the rotation speed of the generator 42. The power obtained by power generation by the power generation unit 36 ​​may be calculated by, for example, but not limited to, the control unit 62. The power consumed by the aircraft 10 may be calculated based on, for example, but not limited to, information indicating the rotation speed of the VTOL rotor 18, information indicating the rotation speed of the cruise rotor 20, etc. The power consumed by the aircraft 10 may be calculated by, for example, but not limited to, the control unit 62.

[0044] The rotor rotation speed calculation unit 76 can calculate the rotor rotation speed, which is the rotation speed of the VTOL rotor 18, when the rotor rotation speed is increased to consume surplus power by the motor 31A.

[0045] If the surplus power were consumed by the motor 31A simply by increasing the rotation speed of the VTOL rotor 18, the airframe 12 would rise. In this embodiment, the rise of the airframe 12 is suppressed by adjusting the rudder angle of the elevator 17 so that the airframe 12 descends.

[0046] The rudder angle calculation unit 78 can calculate the rudder angle when the rudder angle of the elevator 17 is adjusted to limit the ascent of the aircraft 12 caused by an increase in rotor rotation speed.

[0047] When the determination unit 66 determines that the supply of surplus power to the battery 30 should be limited, the control unit 62 can perform the following control. That is, in such a case, the control unit 62 rotates the VTOL rotor 18 at the rotor rotation speed calculated by the rotor rotation speed calculation unit 76, and adjusts the elevator 17 so that the rudder angle is the rudder angle calculated by the rudder angle calculation unit 78.

[0048] If the surplus power is excessive, attempting to eliminate the surplus power by increasing the rotation speed of the VTOL rotor 18 may result in the rotor rotation speed exceeding a predetermined rotor rotation speed limit value. Furthermore, if the surplus power is excessive, attempting to limit the ascent of the aircraft 12 caused by the increased rotation speed of the VTOL rotor 18 by adjusting the angle of the elevator 17 may result in the angle of the elevator 17 exceeding a predetermined angle limit value. If the surplus power cannot be eliminated by the motor 31A without the rotor rotation speed exceeding the predetermined rotor rotation speed limit value and the angle of the elevator 17 exceeding the predetermined angle limit value, the control unit 62 performs the following control. That is, in such a case, the control unit 62 may further consume the surplus power by other devices other than the motor 31A. Examples of other devices include the accessory device 28 and the landing gear 33. Examples of the accessory device 28 include air conditioning equipment, refrigeration equipment, and the like, as described above. Note that the other devices are not limited to these.

[0049] The air conditioner may be equipped with a compressor (not shown). The compressor may be equipped with a motor (not shown). By appropriately adjusting the rotation speed of the motor, the power consumption of the air conditioner may be appropriately adjusted.

[0050] The refrigeration equipment may also be equipped with a compressor (not shown). The compressor may be equipped with a motor (not shown). By appropriately adjusting the rotation speed of the motor, the power consumption of the refrigeration equipment can be appropriately adjusted.

[0051] The landing gear 33 may be provided with an actuator (not shown). The actuator may be provided with a motor (not shown). By appropriately adjusting the rotational speed of the motor, the power consumption of the landing gear 33 may be appropriately adjusted.

[0052] Next, the flying object control method according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the flying object control method according to this embodiment.

[0053] In step S1, the control unit 62 determines whether or not power is being generated by the power generation unit 36. If power is being generated by the power generation unit 36 ​​(YES in step S1), the process proceeds to step S2. If power is not being generated by the power generation unit 36 ​​(NO in step S1), the process shown in FIG. 5 is completed.

[0054] In step S2, the determination unit 66 determines whether or not to limit the supply of surplus power, of the power generated by the generator 42, to the battery 30, based on the remaining capacity of the battery 30. If the determination unit 66 determines not to limit the supply of surplus power to the battery 30 (NO in step S2), the process proceeds to step S3. If the determination unit 66 determines to limit the supply of surplus power to the battery 30 (YES in step S2), the process proceeds to step S4.

[0055] In step S3, the control unit 62 supplies the surplus power to the battery 30. After that, the process proceeds to step S11.

[0056] In step S4, the surplus power calculation unit 74 calculates the surplus power, and then the process proceeds to step S5.

[0057] In step S5, the rotor rotation speed calculation unit 76 calculates the rotor rotation speed when surplus power is consumed by the motor 31A by increasing the rotor rotation speed, which is the rotation speed of the VTOL rotor 18. After that, the process proceeds to step S6.

[0058] In step S6, the rudder angle calculation unit 78 calculates the rudder angle when the ascent of the aircraft 12 caused by an increase in rotor rotation speed is limited by adjusting the rudder angle of the elevator 17. After this, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0059] In step S7, control unit 62 determines whether the rotor rotation speed calculated by rotor rotation speed calculation unit 76 exceeds a predetermined rotor rotation speed limit value. If the rotor rotation speed calculated by rotor rotation speed calculation unit 76 does not exceed the predetermined rotor rotation speed limit value (NO in step S7), control unit 62 proceeds to step S8. If the rotor rotation speed calculated by rotor rotation speed calculation unit 76 exceeds the predetermined rotor rotation speed limit value (YES in step S7), control unit 62 proceeds to step S9.

[0060] In step S8, it is determined whether the steering angle calculated by the steering angle calculation unit 78 exceeds a predetermined steering angle limit value. If the steering angle calculated by the steering angle calculation unit 78 does not exceed the predetermined steering angle limit value (NO in step S8), the process proceeds to step S12. If the steering angle calculated by the steering angle calculation unit 78 exceeds the predetermined steering angle limit value (YES in step S8), the process proceeds to step S9.

[0061] In step S9, the control unit 62 determines the rotation speed of the VTOL rotor 18 and the steering angle of the elevator 17 within a range in which the rotation speed of the VTOL rotor 18 does not exceed the rotor rotation speed limit value and the steering angle of the elevator 17 does not exceed the steering angle limit value. Then, the process proceeds to step S10.

[0062] In step S10, the control unit 62 determines the power consumption by other devices. That is, the control unit 62 determines further consumption of surplus power by other devices other than the motor 31A. In other words, the control unit 62 determines the power to be consumed by other devices. As described above, examples of the other devices may include the accessory device 28, the landing gear 33, etc. As described above, examples of the accessory device 28 may include air conditioning equipment, refrigeration equipment, etc. The control unit 62 may determine the power to be consumed by, for example, the air conditioning equipment. Furthermore, the control unit 62 may determine the power to be consumed by, for example, the refrigeration equipment. Furthermore, the control unit 62 may determine the power to be consumed by, for example, the landing gear 33.

[0063] In step S11, the control unit 62 does not change the rotation speed of the VTOL rotor 18, and does not change the rudder angle of the elevator 17.

[0064] In step S12, the control unit 62 sets the rotation speed of the VTOL rotor 18 to the rotor rotation speed calculated by the rotor rotation speed calculation unit 76. The control unit 62 also sets the rudder angle of the elevator 17 to the rudder angle calculated by the rudder angle calculation unit 78.

[0065] In step S13, the control unit 62 sets the rotation speed of the VTOL rotor 18 to the rotor rotation speed determined in step S9. The control unit 62 also sets the rudder angle of the elevator 17 to the rudder angle determined in step S9. The control unit 62 also causes other devices to consume surplus power as appropriate. That is, the control unit 62 causes other devices to consume the power determined in step S10.

[0066] Thus, the process shown in FIG. 5 is completed.

[0067] Thus, according to this embodiment, when the determination unit 66 determines that the supply of surplus power to the battery 30 should be limited, the rotor rotation speed, which is the rotation speed of the VTOL rotor 18, is increased to cause the motor 31A to consume the surplus power. Therefore, this embodiment can provide an aircraft control device 56 that can prevent overcharging of the battery 30. Moreover, this embodiment limits the ascent of the airframe 12 caused by an increase in rotor rotation speed by adjusting the rudder angle of the elevator 17. Therefore, this embodiment can effectively prevent overcharging of the battery 30 while preventing a decrease in ride comfort, etc.

[0068] [Modified embodiment] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various configurations can be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0069] For example, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which surplus power is consumed by increasing the rotation speed of the VTOL rotor 18, but this is not limiting. The rotation speed of the cruise rotor 20 may also be increased in addition to increasing the rotation speed of the VTOL rotor 18. In other words, the other device described above may be the motor 31B that drives the cruise rotor 20.

[0070] The invention that can be understood from the above-described embodiments will be described below.

[0071] The aircraft control device (56) controls an aircraft (10) including a generator (42), a battery (30) that stores power supplied from the generator, a motor (31A) driven by power supplied from at least one of the generator and the battery, a rotor (18) driven by the motor, and an elevator (17) that adjusts the angle of elevation of an airframe (12), and includes: a determination unit (66) that determines whether to limit supply of surplus power generated by the generator to the battery based on the remaining capacity of the battery; and a control unit (62) that, when the determination unit determines to limit the supply of surplus power to the battery, increases the rotor rotation speed, thereby causing the motor to consume the surplus power, and adjusts the elevator angle to limit the ascent of the airframe resulting from the increase in rotor rotation speed. According to this configuration, when the determination unit determines to limit the supply of surplus power to the battery, increases the rotor rotation speed, thereby causing the motor to consume the surplus power. Therefore, this configuration provides an aircraft control device that can prevent battery overcharging. Moreover, this configuration limits the aircraft's ascent caused by an increase in rotor rotation speed by adjusting the elevator angle. Therefore, this configuration can effectively prevent battery overcharging while preventing a decrease in ride comfort, etc.

[0072] In the above-mentioned aircraft control device, the determination unit may determine to limit the supply of surplus power to the battery when the remaining capacity of the battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined remaining capacity threshold.

[0073] In the aircraft control device, if the excess power cannot be eliminated by the motor without the rotor speed exceeding a predetermined rotor speed limit value and the steering angle exceeding a predetermined steering angle limit value, the control unit may cause other equipment (28, 33) other than the motor to further consume the excess power. With this configuration, overcharging of the battery can be more reliably prevented.

[0074] In the above-described aircraft control device, the other equipment may include at least one of air conditioning equipment (28), refrigeration equipment (28), and landing gear (33).

[0075] In the above-mentioned aircraft control device, the rotor may be a vertical rotor capable of generating vertical thrust, and the other equipment may include another motor (31B) that drives a horizontal rotor (20) capable of generating horizontal thrust.

[0076] In the above-mentioned aircraft control device, the aircraft may further include a gas turbine (40) having a compressor (46) and a turbine (50) that rotates integrally with the compressor, and the generator may be driven by the gas turbine.

[0077] The aircraft control method controls an aircraft having a generator, a battery that stores power supplied from the generator, a motor driven by power supplied from at least one of the generator and the battery, a rotor driven by the motor, and an elevator that adjusts the angle of elevation of the aircraft, and includes a determination step (S2) of determining whether to limit the supply of surplus power generated by the generator to the battery based on the remaining capacity of the battery, and control steps (S12, S13) of increasing the rotor rotation speed, which is the rotation speed of the rotor, to cause the motor to consume the surplus power, and limiting the ascent of the aircraft caused by the increase in rotor rotation speed by adjusting the rudder angle of the elevator, if the determination step determines that the supply of surplus power to the battery should be limited.

[0078] The program causes a computer installed in an aircraft having a generator, a battery that stores power supplied from the generator, a motor driven by power supplied from at least one of the generator and the battery, a rotor driven by the motor, and an elevator that adjusts the angle of elevation of the aircraft to execute the following steps: a determination step of determining whether to limit the supply of surplus power generated by the generator to the battery based on the remaining capacity of the battery; and a control step of, if it is determined in the determination step that the supply of surplus power to the battery should be limited, increasing the rotor rotation speed, which is the rotation speed of the rotor, to cause the motor to consume the surplus power, and limiting the ascent of the aircraft caused by the increase in rotor rotation speed by adjusting the rudder angle of the elevator. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 10: Aircraft 12: Aircraft 14: Front wing 16: Back wing 17: Elevator 18, 18FLa, 18FLb, 18FRa, 18FRb, 18RLa, 18RLb, 18RRa, 18RRb: VTOL rotor 19: Actuator 20, 20L, 20R: Cruise rotor 24: VTOL drive unit 26: Cruise drive unit 28: Accessory equipment 30: Battery 31A, 31B: Motor 32A, 32B: Inverter 33: Landing gear 34A~34C: DC-DC converter 36: Power generating unit 40: Gas turbine 42: Generator 44: Converter 46: Compressor 48: Combustion chamber 50: Turbine 52: Intake port 54: Output shaft 56: Aircraft control device 58: Arithmetic section 60: Storage section 62: Control unit 64: Battery information acquisition unit 66: Determination unit 68: Battery control unit 70: Generator information acquisition unit 72: Gas turbine control unit 74: Surplus power calculation unit 76: Rotor rotation speed calculation unit 78: Steering angle calculation unit

Claims

1. 1. An aircraft control device for controlling an aircraft including: a generator; a battery for storing power supplied from the generator; a motor driven by power supplied from at least one of the generator and the battery; a rotor driven by the motor; and an elevator for adjusting the angle of elevation of the aircraft, a determination unit that determines whether or not to limit the supply of surplus power generated by the generator to the battery based on a remaining capacity of the battery; a control unit that, when the determination unit determines that the supply of the surplus power to the battery should be limited, causes the motor to consume the surplus power by increasing a rotor rotation speed that is a rotation speed of the rotor, and limits ascent of the airframe caused by the increase in the rotor rotation speed by adjusting a rudder angle of the elevator; An aircraft control device comprising:

2. 2. The aircraft control device according to claim 1, The determination unit determines to limit the supply of surplus power to the battery when the remaining capacity of the battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined remaining capacity threshold.

3. 3. The aircraft control device according to claim 2, An aircraft control device in which, if the excess power cannot be eliminated by the motor without the rotor rotation speed exceeding a predetermined rotor rotation speed limit value and the steering angle exceeding a predetermined steering angle limit value, the control unit further consumes the excess power by other equipment other than the motor.

4. 4. The aircraft control device according to claim 3, The other equipment includes at least one of air conditioning equipment, refrigeration equipment, and landing gear.

5. 4. The aircraft control device according to claim 3, the rotor is a vertical rotor capable of generating a vertical thrust; The other equipment includes another motor that drives a horizontal rotor capable of generating horizontal thrust.

6. The aircraft control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the aircraft further includes a gas turbine having a compressor and a turbine that rotates integrally with the compressor; An aircraft control device, wherein the generator is driven by the gas turbine.

7. 1. A method for controlling an aircraft comprising: a generator; a battery for storing power supplied from the generator; a motor driven by power supplied from at least one of the generator and the battery; a rotor driven by the motor; and an elevator for adjusting an angle of elevation of the aircraft, a determining step of determining whether or not to limit supply of surplus power from the power generator to the battery based on a remaining capacity of the battery; a control step of increasing a rotor rotation speed, which is the rotation speed of the rotor, to cause the motor to consume the surplus power when it is determined in the determining step that the supply of the surplus power to the battery should be limited, and limiting ascent of the airframe caused by the increase in the rotor rotation speed by adjusting a rudder angle of the elevator; A method for controlling an aircraft.

8. a computer provided in an aircraft including a generator, a battery that stores power supplied from the generator, a motor that is driven by power supplied from at least one of the generator and the battery, a rotor that is driven by the motor, and an elevator that adjusts the angle of elevation of the aircraft; a determining step of determining whether or not to limit supply of surplus power from the power generator to the battery based on a remaining capacity of the battery; a control step of increasing a rotor rotation speed, which is the rotation speed of the rotor, to cause the motor to consume the surplus power when it is determined in the determining step that the supply of the surplus power to the battery should be limited, and limiting ascent of the airframe caused by the increase in the rotor rotation speed by adjusting a rudder angle of the elevator; A program to execute.

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