Electric Propulsion Thermal Control for eVTOL Flight Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric VTOL aircraft face challenges in control allocation due to over-actuation and complex thermal management, particularly with multiple propulsion units and actuators affecting various control axes, leading to inefficiencies in energy use and component temperature management.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for determining reference commands based on aircraft conditions and energy states of isolated battery packs, generating control commands for effectors to optimize energy use and thermal management, including monitoring battery states and engine temperatures to adjust control strategies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple propulsion units and actuators are used to enable VTOL and forward flight capabilities, then aircraft versatility and performance are improved, but device complexity and control allocation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into multiple independent control modules, each responsible for specific functions (thrust vectoring, rotor control, actuator management). This segmentation allows complex control tasks to be distributed and managed separately, reducing overall control allocation complexity while maintaining full VTOL and forward flight versatility
Solution Approach 2:
The propulsion units and actuators are designed with dynamic adjustability, allowing real-time reconfiguration of thrust vectors and actuator positions based on flight phase requirements. This dynamic capability enables the same hardware to efficiently perform both VTOL and forward flight operations without requiring separate dedicated systems for each mode
2Power
If multiple propulsion units are used to provide thrust for vertical and forward flight, then aircraft performance is improved, but thermal management difficulty and energy efficiency worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal management system implements local quality control by providing dedicated cooling channels and thermal regulation for each propulsion unit based on its specific thermal load and operational requirements. This localized approach allows optimal temperature control for high-power units during VTOL operations while reducing cooling demands during lower-power forward flight, improving overall thermal management efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts operational parameters of propulsion units including power output, rotational speed, and cooling flow rates based on real-time thermal conditions and flight phase. During VTOL, parameters are optimized for high power with increased cooling; during forward flight, parameters are reduced to lower thermal loads, thereby managing component temperatures effectively across varying power levels
3Ease of operation
If multiple actuators are used to control flight axes, then aircraft maneuverability is improved, but energy consumption and control complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple actuators are designed with multi-functionality, where each actuator can serve different control axes and flight modes depending on operational requirements. For example, actuators can switch between controlling rotor pitch during VTOL and wing flaps during forward flight, reducing the need for dedicated single-function actuators and thereby lowering overall energy consumption while maintaining full maneuverability
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for flight control of aircrafts driven by electric propulsion systems and in other types of vehicles. In some embodiments, a system of an aircraft is disclosed, configured to determine one or more desired commands for the aircraft, retrieve engine information for at least one electric propulsion unit (EPU) of a plurality of EPUs of the aircraft, wherein the engine information includes at least one time-based metric for temperature associated with the at least one EPU, generates control commands based on the received engine information, and controls effectors according to the generated control commands to meet the desired commands of the aircraft.