eVTOL Flight Torque Mixing With Prioritized Attitude Commands
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft technologies face challenges in flight control, particularly in managing vehicle torque and attitude commands effectively, which complicates the development of both manned and unmanned aircraft.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for flight control in electric aircraft that includes a flight controller and a mixer, which processes initial vehicle torque signals, prioritization data, and vehicle torque limits to generate modified attitude commands and output torque commands, while displaying remaining vehicle torque and output torque to the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a flight control system processes multiple attitude commands simultaneously, then the aircraft's maneuverability is improved, but the control complexity increases due to torque management challenges
Solution Approach 1:
The mixer segments the combined torque demand into individual attitude command components (pitch, roll, yaw) and processes them separately according to their prioritization levels. This allows the system to handle multiple simultaneous maneuvers by breaking down the complex torque management into manageable segments, reducing control complexity while maintaining maneuverability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the parameter of torque allocation by adjusting the weight or priority of different attitude commands based on current flight conditions and torque availability. This allows the flight control system to adaptively manage torque distribution among multiple attitude commands, resolving conflicts without increasing structural complexity.
2Productivity
If the aircraft operates at maximum torque limits to enhance performance, then the maneuver execution capability is improved, but the risk of exceeding safe operational boundaries increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mixer continuously monitors the combined torque demand against predefined torque limits and provides feedback to adjust the output torque commands. When the total torque approaches safety boundaries, the system automatically scales back individual attitude commands to prevent exceeding maximum limits, ensuring operational safety while maintaining optimal performance within safe boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows temporary excessive torque commands to be processed through the mixer, which then selectively applies partial action by limiting the output to safe levels. This approach enables the aircraft to attempt high-performance maneuvers while the mixer ensures that the actual executed torque remains within safety boundaries, balancing performance capability with operational reliability.
3Measurement precision
If the system prioritizes certain attitude commands over others, then the control precision for critical maneuvers is improved, but the response time for lower-priority commands increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mixer applies local quality by assigning different prioritization weights to different attitude commands based on their criticality. Critical maneuvers such as pitch control receive higher priority and more precise torque allocation, while less critical commands receive proportionally less attention. This differential treatment optimizes control precision for essential maneuvers without completely neglecting lower-priority commands.
Solution Approach 2:
The prioritization scheme is dynamic rather than static, allowing the system to adjust the relative importance of different attitude commands in real-time based on flight conditions. A command that is lower priority in normal flight can become higher priority during emergency situations, enabling the system to maintain appropriate response times across varying operational contexts while preserving control precision when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for flight control in electric aircraft includes a flight controller configured to provide an initial vehicle torque signal including a plurality of attitude commands. The system includes a mixer configured to receive the initial vehicle torque signal and a vehicle torque limit, receive prioritization data including a prioritization datum corresponding to each of the plurality of attitude command, determine a plurality of modified attitude commands as a function of the vehicle torque limit, the attitude commands, and the prioritization data, generate, as a function of modified attitude commands, an output torque command including the initial vehicle torque signal adjusted as a function of the vehicle torque limit, generate, as a function of the output torque command, a remaining vehicle torque. The system includes a display, wherein the display is configured to present, to a user, the remaining vehicle torque and the output torque command.