Rotor Health-Based Thrust Allocation for Longer eVTOL Flight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft systems that take off and land vertically but also fly forward face limitations in extending flight time and range without adding new components, particularly challenging for ultralight aircraft with stringent weight requirements.
Innovation Solution
A technique that determines commands for rotor modules based on health metrics, such as temperature, voltage, and usage, to allocate thrust more efficiently, ensuring healthier rotor modules handle additional loads and extending flight time and range by preventing premature landings due to unhealthy modules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If flight time and range are extended by adding new components, then the aircraft performance is improved, but the weight of the aircraft increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational parameters of existing rotor modules by adjusting their thrust allocation based on health metrics. Instead of adding new components, the system dynamically modifies how existing rotors are utilized, assigning higher thrust commands to healthier rotors and reducing commands to unhealthy ones, thereby extending flight time without increasing weight
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the aircraft to self-manage its rotor health by automatically monitoring health metrics and dynamically reallocating thrust commands. The flight computer independently determines which rotors are healthier and adjusts their workload accordingly, allowing the aircraft to optimize its own performance and extend flight time using existing components
2Duration of action of moving object
If thrust is increased to extend range, then the flight performance is improved, but the wear on rotor modules accelerates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating thrust allocation based on individual rotor health status. Each rotor receives a customized thrust command proportional to its health metric, with healthier rotors handling higher loads and unhealthy rotors receiving reduced commands. This localized adjustment extends range while preventing excessive wear on vulnerable components
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts thrust commands in real-time based on changing rotor health conditions. As rotors degrade or improve in health, the flight computer continuously recalibrates their thrust allocation, enabling the aircraft to maximize range while adaptively managing wear on individual rotor modules throughout the flight
Data Source
AI summary
A set of one or more desired forces or desired moments associated with an aircraft having a plurality of rotor modules is received. A plurality of health metrics associated with the plurality of rotor modules is received. A plurality of commands for the plurality of rotor modules is determined based at least in part on the set of desired forces or desired moments and the plurality of health metrics. The plurality of commands is sent to the plurality of rotor modules where each rotor module in the plurality of rotor modules is configured to perform a corresponding command in the plurality of commands.