Aircraft Flight Component Autorotation for In-Flight Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrically propelled aircraft, such as eVTOLs, face challenges in maintaining stability and safety during flight due to potential component failures, which can lead to catastrophic outcomes like loss of control or airframe breakup, with existing solutions like ballistic parachutes and redundancy systems being inadequate.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for in-flight stabilization that includes mechanically coupled flight components and sensors to detect failures, with a vehicle controller initiating automatic responses, such as autorotation inducement actions, to ensure safe landing by prioritizing flight controls and generating mitigating responses using heuristic databases and machine-learning models.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundancy systems and ballistic parachutes are used to ensure safety, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables the aircraft to stabilize itself automatically upon detecting a flight component failure. The vehicle controller autonomously commands the opposing flight component to perform autorotation inducement actions without requiring external intervention or complex redundant safety systems, thereby improving reliability while avoiding increased device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor detects failure events of flight components and provides feedback to the vehicle controller. This feedback mechanism enables the controller to initiate appropriate autorotation inducement actions on the opposing flight component, creating a closed-loop safety system that responds dynamically to failures without requiring pre-configured redundant components
2Reliability
If autorotation inducement actions are initiated automatically, then reliability is improved, but loss of time occurs during the stabilization process
Solution Approach 1:
The opposing flight component is positioned and configured in advance to perform autorotation inducement actions. When a failure is detected, the component can immediately execute the stabilization maneuver without requiring setup or configuration time, thus improving reliability while minimizing time loss
Solution Approach 2:
The system rushes through the stabilization process by immediately initiating autorotation inducement actions upon failure detection. The vehicle controller commands the opposing flight component to perform the necessary actions without delay, skipping intermediate steps that would consume time while ensuring the safety function is achieved
Data Source
AI summary
A system for in-flight stabilization including a plurality of flight components mechanically coupled to an aircraft, wherein the plurality of flight components includes a first flight component and a second flight component opposing the first flight component. The system further comprises a sensor mechanically coupled to the aircraft, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a failure event of a first flight component. The system comprises a vehicle controller communicatively connected to the sensor and is configured to receive the failure datum of the first flight component from the sensor, initiate an automatic response as a function of the failure datum. Initiating the automatic response further includes determining an autorotation inducement action for the second flight component to perform and commanding the second flight component to perform the autorotation inducement action.