Method for operating an aircraft, flight control system for an aircraft and aircraft with such a flight control system

1. A method for operating an aircraft with N drive units, where N is greater than 4, the method comprising:

a flight control system generating control commands u COM , u COM ∈U⊂R N , for the drive units, via a first channel, where U represents limitations of the drive units, and transmitting the control commands to the drive units;

the flight control system also generating pseudo-control commands γ COM , γ COM ∈R 4 , in the first channel, said pseudo-control commands specifying torques about corresponding axes of rotation of the aircraft and a thrust, said torques and said thrust being generated by the drive units, a control matrix M∈R 4×N according to γ=M u establishing a relationship with the control commands u;

in the first channel, calculating admissible control commands u COM ∈U from the pseudo-control commands γ COM by an allocation algorithm;

monitoring the first channel by an independent second channel and, in dependence on a monitoring result, passivating the first channel;

the monitoring of the first channel taking place in the second channel, by likewise generating pseudo-control commands γ MON , γ MON ∈R 4 in the second channel and evaluating the control commands u COM of the first channel in the second channel by a relationship γ*=M u COM , for which γ* and γ MON are compared with one another for generating a monitoring result.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising passivating the first channel if the comparing of γ* and γ MON finds a deviation outside a prescribed limit value.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising performing the passivation by actuating a switch for the first channel.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the first channel the pseudo-control commands γ COM are determined based on at least one of pilot inputs or measurement results of sensor measurements.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the first channel the pseudo-control commands γ COM are generated by a first implementation of open-loop/closed-loop control laws.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control matrix M∈R 4×N according to γ=M u establishes a linear relationship with the control commands u.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein in the second channel the pseudo-control commands γ COM are generated by a second implementation of open-loop/closed-loop control laws.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the first implementation is different from the second implementation.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising conducting a feasibility check in addition to the comparing of γ* and γ MON .

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising combining a result of the feasibility check and the monitoring result before passivating the first channel.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the combining is a logical combining.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drive units comprise electrically driven rotors.

13. A flight control system for an aircraft with N drive units, where N is greater than 4, comprising:

a first channel configured for generating control commands i COM , u COM ∈U⊂R N , for the drive units, where U represents limitations of the drive units, and for transmitting the control commands to the drive units;

a second channel, which is independent of the first channel and is operatively connected to the first channel for monitoring the first channel and for delivering a monitoring result;

a passivation means configured for passivating the first channel in dependence on the monitoring result;

the first channel is also configured to generate pseudo-control commands γ COM , γ COM ∈R 4 , said pseudo-control commands specify torques about corresponding axes of rotation of the aircraft and a thrust, said torques and said thrust are adapted to be generated by the drive units, a control matrix M∈R 4×N according to γ=M u establishing a relationship with the control commands u and admissible control commands u COM ∈U being calculated or determinable from the pseudo-control commands γ COM by an allocation algorithm; and

the second channel is set up for monitoring the first channel, in that the second channel is configured for generating pseudo-control commands γ MON , γ MON ∈R 4 , and for evaluating the control commands u COM of the first channel by a relationship γ*=M u COM by a comparison of γ* and γ MON to generate a monitoring result.

14. The flight control system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the first channel is configured for generating the pseudo-control commands γ COM by a first implementation of open-loop/closed-loop control laws and the second channel is configured for generating the pseudo-control commands γ COM by a second implementation of open-loop/closed-loop control laws.

15. The flight control system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the first implementation is different from the second implementation.

16. The flight control system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the flight control system is further configured to subject output data to a feasibility check, and the flight control system further comprises a combination means for combining a result of the feasibility check and the monitoring result before executing a passivation of the first channel.

17. The flight control system as claimed claim 13 , in which the passivation means is configured as a switch.

18. The flight control system of claim 13 , wherein the drive units comprise electrically driven rotors.

19. An aircraft comprising:

N drive units, where N is greater than 4;

a flight control system as claimed in claim 13 ; and

at least one of pilot input means or sensors configured to deliver measurement results to the flight control system for generation of the pseudo-control commands γ COM .

20. The aircraft of claim 19 , wherein the drive units comprise electrically driven rotors.