IP Library Granted Patent US 11,679,867
Granted Patent B2
US 11,679,867 · App. 17/515,124 · Granted Jun 20, 2023

System and method for flight control in electric aircraft

Inventors: Andrew Giroux (Georgia, VT); Timothy Gerard Richter (Wynantskill, NY); Nicholas Moy (Burlington, VT)
Assignee: BETA AIR, LLC
B64C13/16B64C13/503H04W4/40H04W72/569B64C29/0033
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,679,867
App. No.
17/515,124
Granted
Jun 20, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for flight control in electric aircraft includes a flight controller configured to provide an initial vehicle torque signal including a plurality of attitude commands. The system includes a mixer configured to receive the initial vehicle torque signal and a vehicle torque limit, receive prioritization data including a prioritization datum corresponding to each of the plurality of attitude command, determine a plurality of modified attitude commands as a function of the vehicle torque limit, the attitude commands, and the prioritization data, generate, as a function of modified attitude commands, an output torque command including the initial vehicle torque signal adjusted as a function of the vehicle torque limit, generate, as a function of the output torque command, a remaining vehicle torque. The system includes a display, wherein the display is configured to present, to a user, the remaining vehicle torque and the output torque command.

Claims (39)

1. A system for flight control in electric aircraft, the system comprising:

a mixer, wherein the mixer includes circuitry configured to:

receive an initial vehicle torque signal;

receive at least a vehicle torque limit;

receive a plurality of prioritization data, the plurality of prioritization data including a prioritization datum corresponding to each of the plurality of attitude commands;

determine a plurality of modified attitude commands as a function of the at least a vehicle torque limit, the plurality of attitude commands, and the plurality of prioritization data; and

generate, as a function of modified attitude commands, an output torque command, wherein the output torque command includes the initial vehicle torque signal adjusted as a function of the at least a vehicle torque limit.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a flight controller, wherein the flight controller is configured to provide the initial vehicle torque signal comprising a plurality of attitude commands.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining the plurality of modified attitude commands is further configured to include:

determining a modified pitch command as a function of the at least a vehicle torque limit, the plurality of attitude commands, and the plurality of prioritization data;

determining a modified roll command as a function of the at least a vehicle torque limit, the plurality of attitude commands, and the plurality of prioritization data;

determining a modified collective command as a function of the at least a vehicle torque limit, the plurality of attitude commands, and the plurality of prioritization data; and

determining a modified yaw command as a function of the at least a vehicle torque limit, the plurality of attitude commands, and the plurality of prioritization data.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mixer comprises an inertia compensator.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inertia compensator comprises a lead filter.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mixer is implemented using an electrical logic circuit.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mixer is implemented using a processor.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mixer is further configured to generate, as a function of the output torque command, a remaining vehicle torque.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the mixer is further configured to determine a plurality of modified attitude commands as a function of the at least a vehicle torque limit, the plurality of attitude commands, the plurality of prioritization data, and the remaining vehicle torque.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the remaining vehicle torque comprises the remaining vehicle torque capability in an aircraft's pitch moment.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the remaining vehicle torque comprises the remaining vehicle torque capability in an aircraft's roll moment.

12. A method for flight control in electric aircraft, the method comprising:

receiving, at a mixer, an initial vehicle torque signal including a plurality of attitude commands;

receiving, at the mixer, at least a vehicle torque limit;

receiving, at the mixer, a plurality of prioritization data including a prioritization datum corresponding to each of the plurality of attitude commands;

determining, at the mixer, a plurality of modified attitude commands as a function of the at least a vehicle torque limit, the plurality of attitude commands, and the plurality of prioritization data; and

generating, at the mixer, as a function of modified attitude commands, an output torque command, wherein the output torque command includes the initial vehicle torque signal adjusted as a function of the at least a vehicle torque limit.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises providing, at the flight controller, the initial vehicle torque signal comprising at least an attitude command.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the plurality of modified attitude commands is further configured to include:

determining a modified pitch command as a function of the at least a vehicle torque limit, the plurality of attitude commands, and the plurality of prioritization data;

determining a modified roll command as a function of the at least a vehicle torque limit, the plurality of attitude commands, and the plurality of prioritization data;

determining a modified collective command as a function of the at least a vehicle torque limit, the plurality of attitude commands, and the plurality of prioritization data; and

determining a modified yaw command as a function of the at least a vehicle torque limit, the plurality of attitude commands, and the plurality of prioritization data.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the mixer comprises an inertia compensator.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the mixer is implemented using a processor.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises generating, at the mixer, a remaining vehicle torque as a function of the output torque command.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises determining a plurality of modified attitude commands as a function of the at least a vehicle torque limit, the plurality of attitude commands, the plurality of prioritization data, and the remaining vehicle torque.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the remaining vehicle torque comprises the remaining vehicle torque capability in an aircraft's yaw moment.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the remaining vehicle torque comprises the remaining vehicle torque capability in an aircraft's assisted lift.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 22, 2021
From: MOY, NICHOLAS; RICHTER, TIMOTHY GERARD; GIROUX, ANDREW
To: BETA AIR, LLC
Reel/Frame 058459/0964 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17349631 · Jun 16, 2021
Continuation In Part 17197427 · Mar 10, 2021
Related Publication 20220289364A1 · Sep 15, 2022
Cited By (3)
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