Online optimization-based flight control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11787535-B2
Application number	US-202117325629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2021
Priority date	Oct 18, 2016
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

Techniques to control flight of an aircraft are disclosed. In various embodiments, a set of inputs associated with a requested set of forces and moments to be applied to the aircraft is received. An optimal mix of actuators and associated actuator parameters to achieve to an extent practical the requested forces and moments is determined.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft comprising:
an airframe comprising a fuselage, a left wing attached to the fuselage, a right wing attached to the fuselage, and a tail structure;
actuators coupled with the airframe, wherein the actuators comprise lift fans, a left wing aileron mounted to the left wing, a right wing aileron mounted to the right wing, an elevator mounted to the tail structure, and a rudder mounted to the tail structure, wherein two or more of the lift fans are attached to the left wing, and wherein two or more of the lift fans are attached to the right wing;
a propeller driven by one of the actuators and configured to propel the aircraft in a forward direction of the aircraft;
sensors via which sensor data is generated, wherein the sensor data is indicative of one or more current operational parameters of the aircraft; and
a flight controller configured to:
receive a set of flight control inputs;
generate a set of flight control parameters indicative of a set of forces and moments to be applied to the aircraft based on the set of flight control inputs;
process the set of flight control parameters based on the sensor data to compute an optimal mix of the actuators and associated actuator parameters for use in applying the set of forces and moments to the aircraft; and
control the optimal mix of the actuators based on the associated actuator parameters to apply the set of forces and moments to the aircraft.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the set of flight control parameters defines the set of forces and moments to be applied to the aircraft.

3. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein:
the left wing comprises a first left wing pylon, a second left wing pylon, and a third left wing pylon;
the right wing comprises a first right wing pylon, a second right wing pylon, and a third right wing pylon;
two of the lift fans are attached to the first left wing pylon;
two of the lift fans are attached to the second left wing pylon;
two of the lift fans are attached to the third left wing pylon;
two of the lift fans are attached to the first right wing pylon;
two of the lift fans are attached to the second right wing pylon; and
two of the lift fans are attached to the third right wing pylon.

4. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the flight controller is configured to:
process the sensor data to determine a current state of the aircraft;
determine an availability and effectiveness of each of two or more of the actuators in the current state of the aircraft; and
compute the optimal mix of the actuators and associated actuator parameters based on the availability and effectiveness of each of the two or more of the actuators in the current state of the aircraft.

5. The aircraft of claim 4 , wherein the current state of the aircraft is indicative of one or more of:
an airspeed of the aircraft;
an attitude of the aircraft; and
an altitude of the aircraft.

6. The aircraft of claim 5 , wherein the sensor data is indicative of one or more environmental conditions of the aircraft.

7. The aircraft of claim 5 , wherein the sensor data is indicative of one or more of:
an availability of each of two or more of the actuators;
a failure status of each of two or more of the actuators; and
an operational status of each of two or more of the actuators.

8. The aircraft of claim 4 , wherein flight controller determines the optimal mix of the actuators and associated actuator parameters in real time.

9. An aircraft comprising:
an airframe;
actuators coupled with the airframe, wherein the actuators comprise lift fans;
sensors via which sensor data is generated, wherein the sensor data is indicative of one or more current operational parameters of the aircraft; and
a flight controller configured to:
receive a set of flight control inputs;
generate a set of flight control parameters indicative of a set of forces and moments to be applied to the aircraft based on the set of flight control inputs;
process the sensor data to determine a current state of the aircraft;
determine an availability and effectiveness of each of two or more of the actuators in the current state of the aircraft at least partially via one or more models of the actuators;
process the set of flight control parameters based on the sensor data to compute an optimal mix of the actuators and associated actuator parameters based on the availability and effectiveness of each of the two or more of the actuators in the current state of the aircraft for use in applying the set of forces and moments to the aircraft; and
control the optimal mix of the actuators based on the associated actuator parameters to apply the set of forces and moments to the aircraft.

10. An aircraft comprising:
an airframe;
actuators coupled with the airframe, wherein the actuators comprise lift fans;
sensors via which sensor data is generated, wherein the sensor data is indicative of one or more current operational parameters of the aircraft; and
a flight controller configured to:
receive a set of flight control inputs;
generate a set of flight control parameters indicative of a set of forces and moments to be applied to the aircraft based on the set of flight control inputs;
process the sensor data to determine a current state of the aircraft;
determine an availability and effectiveness of each of two or more of the actuators in the current state of the aircraft at least partially via a lookup data table mapping availability and effectiveness of each of two or more of the actuators to the sensor data;
process the set of flight control parameters based on the sensor data to compute an optimal mix of the actuators and associated actuator parameters based on the availability and effectiveness of each of the two or more of the actuators in the current state of the aircraft for use in applying the set of forces and moments to the aircraft; and
control the optimal mix of the actuators based on the associated actuator parameters to apply the set of forces and moments to the aircraft.

11. An aircraft comprising:
an airframe;
actuators coupled with the airframe, wherein the actuators comprise lift fans;
sensors via which sensor data is generated, wherein the sensor data is indicative of one or more current operational parameters of the aircraft; and
a flight controller configured to:
receive a set of flight control inputs;
generate a set of flight control parameters indicative of a set of forces and moments to be applied to the aircraft based on the set of flight control inputs;
process the sensor data to determine a current state of the aircraft;
determine an availability and effectiveness of each of two or more of the actuators in the current state of the aircraft at least partially based on one or more constraints regarding operation of the actuator;
process the set of flight control parameters based on the sensor data to compute an optimal mix of the actuators and associated actuator parameters based on the availability and effectiveness of each of the two or more of the actuators in the current state of the aircraft for use in applying the set of forces and moments to the aircraft; and
control the optimal mix of the actuators based on the associated actuator parameters to apply the set of forces and moments to the aircraft.

12. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the one or more constraints comprise one or more of:
minimum rotation speed;
maximum rotation speed;
maximum torque;
minimum deflection angle;
maximum deflection angle;
maximum rate of change of rotation speed;
maximum rate of change of torque; and
maximum rate of change of deflection angle.

Assignees

• Wisk Aero Llc

Inventors

• Mahboubi Zouhair
• Hoffmann Gabe
• Toupet Olivier
• Martins-Rivas Herve

Classifications

• G05D2109/23

  Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft; Short take-off and landing [STOL, STOVL] aircraft · CPC title

• G05D1/69

  Coordinated control of the position or course of two or more vehicles · CPC title

• G05D1/654

  Landing (docking at a base station G05D1/661) · CPC title

• G05D1/46

  Control of position or course in three dimensions [3D] · CPC title

• B64C29/00 Primary

  Aircraft capable of landing or taking-off vertically, e.g. vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft (rotorcraft B64C27/00) · CPC title