Rotor Thrust Allocation Using Health Metrics to Extend Flight Time
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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 adjust thrust levels, ensuring healthier modules bear more load and extending flight time and range by preventing premature landings due to unhealthy rotor modules, implemented through firmware or software without adding physical components.
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 aircraft performance is improved, but aircraft weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the operational parameters of existing rotor modules by adjusting thrust allocation based on real-time health metrics. Instead of adding new components, the patent modifies how existing components are utilized by dynamically redistributing load based on temperature, voltage, and usage data, thereby extending flight time without increasing weight
Solution Approach 2:
The aircraft system monitors its own component health and autonomously adjusts thrust allocation to prevent premature failures. The health metric-based allocation system enables the aircraft to self-optimize its performance by redistributing workload among rotor modules based on their current state, eliminating the need for additional extension components
2Ease of operation
If thrust is allocated uniformly to all rotor modules, then simplicity is maintained, but unhealthy rotor modules cause premature landings
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different thrust allocation strategies to different rotor modules based on their individual health metrics. Each rotor module receives customized thrust commands proportional to its health state, allowing the system to maintain overall simplicity while implementing localized adjustments to prevent premature landings
Solution Approach 2:
The thrust allocation system continuously monitors health metrics from rotor modules and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust thrust distribution. This closed-loop control enables the system to adapt to changing component conditions in real-time, improving reliability without significantly complicating the operation
Data Source
AI summary
Commands, including a first and second command associated with a first and second rotor module, are determined based at least in part on a set of desired forces or moments and a plurality of health metrics, including by determining a plurality of differences between the plurality of health metrics and a threshold and assigning a lower thrust value to the first command based at least in part on the first difference and a higher thrust value to the second command based at least in part on the second difference, where the first difference indicates a higher degree of wear on the first rotor module than the second difference indicates for the second rotor module. The commands are sent to the rotor modules and after the commands are performed, updated health metrics are determined.