Tail-sitter Flight Management Architecture for Autonomous Transition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current autonomous transition between flight-states for unmanned aerial tail-sitter aircraft is inadequately managed by coupled non-linear feedback controllers, which are insufficient for analysis, certification, or testing, and lack an efficient flight-management architecture for transitioning between rotor-borne and wing-borne states.
Innovation Solution
A flight-management architecture that includes a processor receiving signals indicative of a flight plan, determining vehicle attitude commands, and adjusting flight control command signals based on sensed vehicle states and errors, utilizing sensors for real-time terrain and obstacle data, and employing a Rapidly-exploring Random Tree algorithm for trajectory planning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a coupled non-linear feedback controller is used for autonomous transition between flight-states, then the aircraft can manage highly varying vehicle dynamics during transition, but the system becomes insufficient for analysis, certification, or test and lacks an efficient flight-management architecture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the flight management system into separate functional modules: a flight management computer (FMC) that generates reference trajectories and commands, and individual control systems for each flight state (rotor-borne and wing-borne). This segmentation allows each module to be analyzed and certified independently while maintaining the ability to handle varying dynamics through coordinated operation of the separated components.
2Extent of automation
If multiple control loops and transition logic are used for autonomous transition, then the system can manage flight-state transitions, but the control approach is not sufficient for analysis, certification or test
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a flight management computer (FMC) as an intermediary layer between the flight plan and the individual flight control systems. The FMC generates reference trajectories and commands that are sent to separate rotor-borne and wing-borne control systems. This intermediary structure enables autonomous transition capability while improving reliability by allowing each component to be analyzed, certified, and tested independently according to standard procedures.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a coupled non-linear feedback controller is used, then transition between flight-states can be managed, but the system lacks efficiency in flight-management architecture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the flight management architecture into distinct functional components: trajectory generation, command generation, and state-specific control execution. This segmentation improves flight-management efficiency by allowing parallel processing of control commands for different flight states and enabling independent optimization of each module, while maintaining the adaptability to manage transitions through coordinated operation of the segmented components.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for controlling flight of an aircraft having a propeller, memory and a processor includes receiving one or more signals indicative of a flight plan comprising a plurality of waypoints; determining information indicative of a trajectory between the plurality of waypoints; determining information indicative of vehicle attitude commands; determining information indicative of flight control command signals; and determining an error between sensed vehicle states and the vehicle attitude commands.