Electric Aircraft Flight Control with Self-Diagnosing Actuator Allocation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Electric aircraft face challenges in maintaining safety and stability during flight due to potential actuator malfunctions, as existing systems require complex and costly monitoring equipment to detect and respond to actuator failures effectively.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for flight control that utilizes a controller to receive sensor data, generate an actuator performance model, identify malfunctioning actuators, and allocate torque accordingly, allowing for automatic compensation and notification of pilots to ensure safe operation without the need for additional monitoring equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If complex monitoring equipment is used to detect actuator failures, then detection precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator serves itself by incorporating sensors that monitor its own performance parameters (current, voltage, temperature, position) and a processing unit that autonomously detects failures by comparing actual performance against expected performance models, eliminating the need for external complex monitoring equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The actuator integrates multiple functions including motor operation, sensing, data processing, and failure detection within a single unit, allowing it to perform both propulsion and self-diagnosis without requiring separate dedicated monitoring systems
2Reliability
If additional monitoring equipment is installed to ensure flight safety, then reliability is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator performs self-monitoring and self-diagnosis using its own integrated sensors and processing unit, eliminating the need for additional external monitoring equipment that would add weight to the aircraft while maintaining flight safety through autonomous failure detection
3Reliability
If complex monitoring systems are implemented, then actuator failure detection capability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator incorporates self-diagnosis functionality using standard sensors (current, voltage, temperature, position) and a processing unit that autonomously detects failures by comparing performance against expected models, avoiding the need for expensive specialized monitoring equipment while maintaining detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual model of expected actuator performance and compares it with actual sensor readings to detect failures, using software-based monitoring instead of expensive hardware-based specialized detection equipment
Data Source
AI summary
A system for flight control for managing actuators for an electric aircraft is provided. The system includes a controller, wherein the controller is designed and configured to receive a sensor datum from at least a sensor, generate an actuator performance model as a function of the sensor datum, identify a defunct actuator of the electric aircraft as a function of the sensor datum and the actuator performance model, generate an actuator allocation command datum as a function of at least the actuator performance model and at least the identification of the defunct actuator, and perform a torque allocation as a function of the actuator allocation command datum.