IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,592,841
Granted Patent B2
US 11,592,841 · App. 16/713,520 · Granted Feb 28, 2023

In-flight stabilization of an aircraft

Inventor: Kyle B Clark (Underhill, VT)
Assignee: BETA AIR, LLC
G05D1/0816B64C13/16B64D45/00G05D1/102
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,592,841
App. No.
16/713,520
Granted
Feb 28, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for in-flight stabilization including a plurality if flight components mechanically coupled to an aircraft. The system further comprises a sensor mechanically coupled to the aircraft, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a failure datum of the flight component. The system comprises a vehicle controller communicatively connected to the sensor and is configured to receive the failure datum of a flight component of the aircraft from the sensor, generate a mitigating response to be performed by at least a flight component of the plurality of flight components, and initiate the at least a flight component of the plurality of flight components. Initiating the flight component of the plurality of flight components further includes performing the mitigating response.

Claims (79)

1. A system for in-flight stabilization, the system comprising:

a plurality of flight components mechanically coupled to an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, wherein the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft includes a fixed wing component;

a sensor mechanically coupled to the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, wherein the sensor is configured to:

detect a failure event of a flight component of the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft; and

generate a failure datum of a flight component of the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft; and

a vehicle controller communicatively connected to the sensor, the vehicle controller designed and configured to:

receive the failure datum of a flight component of the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft from the sensor, wherein:

the failure datum comprises directional control malfunction associated with at least a flight component of the electric vertical takeoff landing aircraft; and

the directional control malfunction comprises an incorrect shear stress;

generate a mitigating response to be performed by at least a flight component of the plurality of flight components based on the failure datum, wherein the mitigating response comprises at least one alternative control algorithm for at least a flight component of the plurality of flight components applicable to at least one alternative failure datum scenario; and

initiate the at least a flight component of the plurality of flight components, wherein initiating the flight component of the plurality of flight components further includes:

performing the mitigating response.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of flight components includes:

a propulsor;

a rotating element;

an aileron; and

a rudder.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle controller is further mechanically coupled to each flight component of the plurality of flight components and the flight component.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle controller further comprises a reconfigurable hardware platform.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least a flight component further comprises:

a propulsor;

a motor; and

a rudder.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle controller further comprises a heuristic generator module, wherein the heuristic generator module is designed and configured to:

receive heuristic training data from a heuristic database correlating a failure datum to at least a heuristic element;

generate, using a supervised machine-learning process, a heuristic model that receives the failure datum as an input and produces an output containing a plurality of heuristic elements.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to generate the mitigating response by:

receiving the at least a plurality of heuristic elements generated at the heuristic generator module; and

generating the mitigating response as a function of the at least a heuristic element.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein generating the mitigating response as a function of the plurality of heuristic elements is further designed and configured to:

generate a loss function as a function of the at least a failure datum and the at least a heuristic element;

minimize the loss function; and

select at least a heuristic element as a function of minimizing the loss function.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to:

store the failure datum in the heuristic database;

store the plurality of heuristic elements in the heuristic database; and

store the mitigating response in the heuristic database.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein performing the mitigating response further comprises:

pulsing the torque on rotors, wherein pulsing the torque on rotors increases the average torque while minimizing the net thrust;

utilizing a pusher rotor to stabilize the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft;

utilizing flight surfaces in a non-coordinated way; and

altering a flight path of the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

11. A method for in-flight stabilization, the method comprising:

detecting, by a sensor, a failure event of a flight component of an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, wherein the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft includes a fixed wing component;

generating, by a sensor, a failure datum of a flight component of the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft;

receiving, by a vehicle controller, the failure datum of a flight component of the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft from the sensor, wherein:

the failure datum comprises directional control malfunction associated with at least a flight component of the electric vertical takeoff landing aircraft; and

the directional control malfunction comprises an incorrect shear stress;

generating, by the vehicle controller, a mitigating response to be performed by a flight component of the plurality of flight components based on the failure datum, wherein the mitigating response comprises at least one alternative control algorithm for at least a flight component of the plurality of flight components applicable to at least one alternative failure datum scenario; and

initiating, by the vehicle controller, the flight component of the plurality of flight components, wherein initiating the flight component of the plurality of flight components further comprises:

performing the mitigating response.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least a flight component further comprises:

a propulsor;

a motor; and

a rudder.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of flight components includes:

a propulsor;

a rotating element;

an aileron; and

a rudder.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein generating a mitigating response to be performed by a flight component of the plurality of flight components further comprises:

receiving, by a heuristic generator module, heuristic training data from a heuristic database correlating a failure datum to at least a heuristic element;

generating, by the heuristic generator module using a supervised machine-learning process, a heuristic model that receives the failure datum as an input and produces an output containing a plurality of heuristic elements.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein generating a mitigating response to be performed by a flight component of the plurality of flight components further comprises:

receiving the at least a plurality of heuristic elements generated at the heuristic generator module; and

generating the mitigating response as a function of the at least a heuristic element.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein generating the mitigating response as a function of the plurality of heuristic elements further comprises:

generating a loss function as a function of the at least a failure datum and the at least a heuristic element;

minimizing the loss function; and

selecting at least a heuristic element as a function of minimizing the loss function.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein generating a mitigating response to be performed by a flight component of the plurality of flight components further comprises:

storing the failure datum in the heuristic database;

storing the plurality of heuristic elements in the heuristic database; and

storing the mitigating response in the heuristic database.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein performing the mitigating response further comprises:

pulsing the torque on rotors, wherein pulsing the torque on rotors increases the average torque while minimizing the net thrust;

utilizing a pusher rotor to stabilize the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft;

utilizing flight surfaces in a non-coordinated way; and

altering a flight path of the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 17, 2020
From: CLARK, KYLE B
To: BETA AIR, LLC
Reel/Frame 052138/0982 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62912741 · Oct 9, 2019
Related Publication 20210109547A1 · Apr 15, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,613,535