System for propeller parking control for an electric aircraft and a method for its use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12332659-B2
Application number	US-202318200159-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2023
Priority date	Apr 29, 2022
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

In an aspect, a system for propeller parking control for an electric aircraft. The system include at least a sensor and a computing device. A sensor may be configured to generate angular datum. The computing device may be configured to generate a trajectory as a function of angular datum. The computing device may also be configured to initiate the transition from hover to fixed-wing flight as a function of a trajectory.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for propulsor parking control for an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the system comprising:
a plurality of lift propulsors mechanically coupled to the electric aircraft, the plurality of lift propulsors configured to:
generate lift when the eVTOL is hovering; and
park when the eVTOL is in wing-borne flight;

at least a first sensor configured to detect at least a first angular datum associated with a first lift propulsor of the plurality of lift propulsors;
at least a second sensor configured to detect at least a second angular datum associated with a second lift propulsor of the plurality of lift propulsors; and
a first controller communicatively connected to the first lift propulsor, the at least a first sensor, and the at least a second sensor, wherein the first controller is configured to:
generate a trajectory as a function of the atleast a first angular datum and the at least a second angular datum; and
adjust deceleration of the first lift propulsor based on the trajectory and the at least first angular datum.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein deceleration of the first lift propulsor uses a brake operatively connected to the first lift propulsor.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second controller communicatively connected to the second lift propulsor, the at least a first sensor, and the atleast a second sensor, wherein the second controller is configured to adjust deceleration of the first lift propulsor based on the trajectory and the at least a first angular datum.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least a first angular datum represents an angle of the first lift propulsor.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least a first angular datum represents a rate of angular change of the first lift propulsor.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least a first angular datum comprises:
an angle datum representing an angle of the at least a first propulsor; and
a rate datum representing a rate of angular change of the at least a first propulsor.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein adjusting deceleration of the first lift propulsor comprises:
adjusting deceleration of the first lift propulsor as a function of the rate datum, where the first lift propulsor has a rotational velocity greater than a threshold; and
adjusting deceleration of the first lift propulsor as a function of the angle datum, where the first lift propulsor has rotational velocity less than the threshold.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first controller comprises an inverter.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first controller is configured to:
receive a transition datum from a pilot interface; and
generate a trajectory as a function of the transition datum.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first controller is configured to calculate a trajectory such that the first lift propulsor decelerates to a stop along a drag minimization axis.

11. A method of propulsor parking control for an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the method comprising:
using at least a first sensor, detecting at least a first angular datum associated with a first lift propulsor;
using at least a second sensor, detecting at least a second angular datum associated with a second lift propulsor;
using a first controller communicatively connected to the first lift propulsor, generating a trajectory as a function of the at least a first angular datum and the at least a second angular datum; and
using the first controller, adjusting deceleration of the first lift propulsor based on the trajectory and the at least first angular datum.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein adjusting deceleration of the first lift propulsor uses a brake operatively connected to the first lift propulsor.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
using a second controller communicatively connected to the second lift propulsor, the at least a first sensor, and the at least a second sensor, adjusting deceleration of the first lift propulsor based on the trajectory and the at least first angular datum.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least a first angular datum represents an angle of the first lift propulsor.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least a first angular datum represents a rate of angular change of the first lift propulsor.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least a first angular datum comprises:
an angle datum representing an angle of the at least a first propulsor; and
a rate datum representing a rate of angular change of the at least a first propulsor.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein adjusting deceleration of the first lift propulsor comprises:
adjusting deceleration of the first lift propulsor as a function of the rate datum, where the first lift propulsor has a rotational velocity greater than a threshold; and
adjusting deceleration of the first lift propulsor as a function of the angle datum, where the first lift propulsor has rotational velocity less than the threshold.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first controller comprises an inverter.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
using the first controller, receiving a transition datum from a pilot interface; and
using the first controller, generating a trajectory as a function of the transition datum.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein generating a trajectory is done such that the first lift propulsor decelerates to a stop along a draft minimization axis.

Assignees

• Beta Air Llc

Inventors

• Freiheit Collin

Classifications

• B64D45/0005

  Devices specially adapted to indicate the position of a movable element of the aircraft, e.g. landing gear · CPC title

• G05D1/439

  on the runway during take-off or landing · CPC title

• G05D2109/23

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

• B64D35/026

  the electric power plant being integral with the propeller or rotor · CPC title

• B64D31/06

  actuated automatically · CPC title