Aircraft Failure Response Control for In-Flight Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrically propelled aircraft, such as eVTOLs, face safety risks due to component malfunctions during flight, which can lead to loss of control or airframe breakup, and existing mitigation methods like ballistic parachutes or redundancy systems are inadequate.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising flight components mechanically coupled to the aircraft, sensors to detect failures, and a vehicle controller that generates and initiates mitigating responses to ensure safe landing, using heuristic databases and machine-learning algorithms to adapt to various failure scenarios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If component redundancy systems are used to mitigate flight failures, then aircraft safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by continuously monitoring flight components and pre-planning mitigating responses before failures occur. The vehicle controller maintains a library of pre-computed mitigating responses for various failure scenarios, allowing the system to react instantly without complex real-time calculations when a failure is detected.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety system is segmented into independent functional modules: sensor modules for detecting specific failure types, a vehicle controller for coordinating responses, and individual flight components that can be independently activated. This modular segmentation reduces overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive safety coverage.
2Reliability
If ballistic parachutes are used for emergency mitigation, then aircraft safety is improved, but adaptability to various failure scenarios deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts its mitigating response based on the specific failure detected. Rather than using a fixed parachute system, the vehicle controller selects from multiple pre-planned responses and activates specific flight components based on real-time sensor data, allowing the system to adapt to various failure scenarios including propulsion failure, control surface failure, and structural issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle controller serves multiple functions: it monitors all flight components, detects various failure types, selects appropriate mitigating responses, and initiates the corresponding flight components. This multi-functional approach replaces the need for separate specialized systems for different failure modes, enhancing adaptability while managing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for in-flight stabilization including a plurality if flight components mechanically coupled to an aircraft. The system further comprises a sensor mechanically coupled to the aircraft, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a failure datum of the flight component. The system comprises a vehicle controller communicatively connected to the sensor and is configured to receive the failure datum of a flight component of the aircraft from the sensor, generate a mitigating response to be performed by at least a flight component of the plurality of flight components, and initiate the at least a flight component of the plurality of flight components. Initiating the flight component of the plurality of flight components further includes performing the mitigating response.