VTOL Flight Control Redundancy for Actuator and Power Failures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric-powered aircraft systems lack robustness against failures in power and actuator components, which can lead to loss of control and command, and are vulnerable to external damage sources.
Innovation Solution
A power system with redundant components, including dual-wound motors and batteries, distributed across the aircraft to ensure continuous power availability and fault tolerance, allowing for automatic reconfiguration in case of failures, and physical separation of critical hardware to protect against damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundant components (dual-wound motors, multiple batteries) are added to the aircraft system, then reliability and fault tolerance are improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The power system is segmented into multiple independent battery packs (first battery pack, second battery pack) and dual-wound motor configurations. Each battery pack can independently power critical systems, and the dual-wound motors have separate winding sets that can operate independently. This segmentation allows the system to maintain functionality even when one segment fails, directly improving fault tolerance while managing complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates redundant components (second battery pack, second flight actuator, duplicate windings in dual-wound motors) as preventive measures before failures occur. These redundant elements are designed to automatically engage when primary components fail, cushioning against the impact of failures and maintaining system reliability without requiring complex real-time decision-making.
2Reliability
If critical hardware components are physically separated and distributed across the aircraft, then resilience to external damage is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Critical hardware components are physically segmented and distributed to different locations on the aircraft. Battery packs are separated, control surfaces are distributed (first and second control surfaces on opposite sides), and flight actuators are positioned independently. This spatial segmentation ensures that external damage to one location does not compromise the entire system, improving resilience while using standardized mounting procedures to manage the complexity of distribution.
3Reliability
If automatic reconfiguration capabilities are implemented upon component failure, then control authority is maintained, but device complexity and difficulty of detecting and measuring failures increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flight control system incorporates feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor the operational status of components (motors, batteries, flight actuators). When a failure is detected through sensor feedback, the system automatically reconfigures by switching to redundant components. This feedback-driven approach maintains control authority while using established sensor and control algorithms to manage the complexity of failure detection and automatic reconfiguration.
Data Source
AI summary
A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft includes a starboard wing, a port wing, first and second tilt rotors coupled to the port and starboard wings respectively, and first and second batteries. A pair of control surfaces are arranged on a first side of the mid-sagittal plane of the aircraft, the pair comprising a first and a second control surface. A first flight actuator is electrically connected to the first battery and a second flight actuator is electrically connected to the second battery. The first and second flight actuators are mechanically connected to the first and second control surfaces respectively.