Aerial vehicle and operating method of aerial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9523562-B2
Application number	US-201514672531-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2015
Priority date	Mar 31, 2014
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

An aerial vehicle includes an outer surface, an arithmetic unit and a control unit. The arithmetic unit calculates a control command using a control parameter. The control unit controls an attitude of the aerial vehicle or a thrust of the aerial vehicle based on the control command. At least a part of the outer surface of the aerial vehicle is composed of ablation material. The arithmetic unit changes the control parameter in response to an amount of shape change of the aerial vehicle caused by disappearance of the ablation material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerial vehicle comprising:
an outer surface;
at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory memory having stored thereon executable instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the aerial vehicle to function as an arithmetic unit configured to calculate a control command using a control parameter and a control unit configured to control an attitude of the aerial vehicle or a thrust of the aerial vehicle based on the control command,
wherein at least a part of the outer surface is composed of ablation material,
wherein the arithmetic unit is configured to change the control parameter in response to an amount of a shape change of the aerial vehicle caused by disappearance of the ablation material,
wherein the control parameter includes a control gain,
wherein the arithmetic unit is configured to calculate an amount of an aerodynamic coefficient change based on the amount of the shape change and a calculation function or a calculation table which correlates the amount of the shape change with the amount of the aerodynamic coefficient change,
wherein the arithmetic unit is configured to calculate a gain compensation amount based on the amount of the aerodynamic coefficient change and a calculation function or a calculation table which correlates the aerodynamic coefficient change with the gain compensation amount, and
wherein the arithmetic unit is configured to change the control gain based on the gain compensation amount.

2. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the executable instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the aerial vehicle to further function as an inertial system configured to obtain flight parameters of the aerial vehicle,
wherein the arithmetic unit is configured to calculate the control command using the flight parameters and the control parameter.

3. The aerial vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein:
the executable instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the aerial vehicle to further function as a command unit configured to transmit input commands to the arithmetic unit,
wherein the arithmetic unit is configured to calculate the control command using the input commands, the flight parameters and the control parameter.

4. The aerial vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the control gain is to be applied to a difference between the input commands and the flight parameters.

5. The aerial vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein:
the executable instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the aerial vehicle to further function as an autopilot system,
wherein the autopilot system includes the arithmetic unit and the command unit.

6. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the arithmetic unit is configured to calculate the amount of the shape change of the aerial vehicle based on a shape change calculation function or a shape change calculation table.

7. The aerial vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the shape change calculation function is a function which correlates at least a flight time of the aerial vehicle with the amount of the shape change of the aerial vehicle, or
the shape change calculation table is a table which correlates at least the flight time of the aerial vehicle with the amount of the shape change of the aerial vehicle.

8. The aerial vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the shape change calculation function is a function which correlates at least a flight time of the aerial vehicle and a flight height of the aerial vehicle with the amount of the shape change of the aerial vehicle, or
the shape change calculation table is a table which correlates at least the fight time of the aerial vehicle and the flight height of the aerial vehicle with the amount of the shape change of the aerial vehicle.

9. The aerial vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the shape change calculation function is a function which correlates at least a flight time of the aerial vehicle and a Mach number of the aerial vehicle with the amount of the shape change of the aerial vehicle, or
the shape change calculation table is a table which correlates at least the fight time of the aerial vehicle and the Mach number of the aerial vehicle with the amount of the shape change of the aerial vehicle.

10. The aerial vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the shape change calculation function is a function which correlates at least a flight time of the aerial vehicle and an attitude angle of the aerial vehicle with the amount of the shape change of the aerial vehicle, or
the shape change calculation table is a table which correlates at least the fight time of the aerial vehicle and the attitude angle of the aerial vehicle with the amount of the shape change of the aerial vehicle.

11. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the executable instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the aerial vehicle to further function as a shape measuring unit configured to measure a shape of the ablation material,
wherein the amount of the shape change of the aerial vehicle is calculated based on the measured shape of the ablation material.

12. The aerial vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein the shape measuring unit is configured to measure the shape of the ablation material on a nose portion of the aerial vehicle or the shape of the ablation material on a steering wing of the aerial vehicle.

13. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the arithmetic unit is configured to change the control parameter based on a pre-program.

14. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of attitude control mechanisms along a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the aerial vehicle.

15. An operation method of an aerial vehicle, the aerial vehicle comprising:
an outer surface;
at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory memory having stored thereon executable instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the aerial vehicle to function as an arithmetic unit configured to calculate a control command using a control parameter and a control unit configured to control an attitude of the aerial vehicle or a thrust of the aerial vehicle based on the control command,
wherein at least a part of the outer surface is composed of ablation material,
wherein the arithmetic unit is configured to change the control parameter in response to an amount of a shape change of the aerial vehicle caused by disappearance of the ablation material,
wherein the control parameter includes a control gain,
the operation method comprising:
obtaining the amount of the shape change of the aerial vehicle caused by the disappearance of the ablation material;
calculating an amount of an aerodynamic coefficient change based on the amount of the shape change and a calculation function or a calculation table which correlates the amount of the shape change with the amount of the aerodynamic coefficient change;
calculating a gain compensation amount based on the amount of the aerodynamic coefficient change and a calculation function or a calculation table which correlates the aerodynamic coefficient change with the gain compensation amount; and
changing the control gain based on the gain compensation amount.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Ando Keisuke
• Ueno Yoshihiko
• Sera Yoshihiro
• Furuya Shojiro

Classifications

• G05D1/107

  specially adapted for missiles · CPC title

• F42B15/01 Primary

  Arrangements thereon for guidance or control ({steering arrangements F42B10/60}; aircraft flight control B64C; guidance systems other than those installed aboard F41G7/00, F41G9/00; locating by use of radio or other waves G01S; flight control in general G05D1/00; computer aspects G06]) · CPC title