Electric Aircraft Flight Control for Defunct Actuator Torque Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric aircraft face challenges in maintaining safety and stability during flight due to potential malfunctions or failures of actuators, which can compromise the integrity of the aircraft and pose risks to passengers and cargo, as existing solutions often require complex and costly monitoring systems.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for flight control that utilizes a controller to receive sensor data, identify malfunctioning actuators, generate actuator allocation commands, and perform torque allocation to compensate for failed components, leveraging existing sensors like inertial measurement units to detect performance anomalies without additional equipment, thereby ensuring uninterrupted flight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If complex monitoring systems are used to detect actuator failures, then detection precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The existing sensors in the electric aircraft are made to serve a dual purpose: their primary function and actuator failure detection. The controller analyzes data from these existing sensors to identify actuator malfunctions, eliminating the need for separate monitoring systems while maintaining detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The existing sensor system is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously - its original intended function plus actuator failure detection. This multi-functionality approach allows the same sensors to provide both operational data and fault detection information without adding new hardware.
2Reliability
If additional monitoring equipment is added to detect actuator failures, then reliability is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The existing sensors in the electric aircraft are made to serve a dual purpose: their primary function and actuator failure detection. The controller analyzes data from these existing sensors to identify actuator malfunctions, eliminating the need for separate monitoring systems while maintaining detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The existing sensor system is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously - its original intended function plus actuator failure detection. This multi-functionality approach allows the same sensors to provide both operational data and fault detection information without adding new hardware.
3Measurement precision
If complex monitoring systems are implemented, then detection precision is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The existing sensors in the electric aircraft are made to serve a dual purpose: their primary function and actuator failure detection. The controller analyzes data from these existing sensors to identify actuator malfunctions, eliminating the need for separate monitoring systems while maintaining detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The existing sensor system is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously - its original intended function plus actuator failure detection. This multi-functionality approach allows the same sensors to provide both operational data and fault detection information without adding new hardware.
4Speed
If actuator allocation commands are generated quickly, then response speed is improved, but calculation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller is pre-programmed with the logic and algorithms necessary to rapidly process sensor data and generate actuator allocation commands. By having the computational framework prepared in advance, the system can quickly respond to actuator failures without performing complex real-time calculations during the actual failure event.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for flight control for managing actuators for an electric aircraft is provided. The system includes a controller, wherein the controller is designed and configured to receive a sensor datum from at least a sensor, generate an actuator performance model as a function of the sensor datum, identify a defunct actuator of the electric aircraft as a function of the sensor datum and the actuator performance model, generate an actuator allocation command datum as a function of at least the actuator performance model and at least the identification of the defunct actuator, and perform a torque allocation as a function of the actuator allocation command datum.