SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING REGIONAL AIR TRANSIT NETWORK USING HYBRID-ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for overcoming the disadvantages of current air transportation systems that might be used for regional travel by providing a more cost effective and convenient regional air transport system. In some embodiments, the inventive air transport system, operational methods, and associated aircraft include a highly efficient plug-in series hybrid-electric powertrain (specifically optimized for aircraft operating in regional ranges), a forward compatible, range-optimized aircraft design, enabling an earlier impact of electric-based air travel services as the overall transportation system and associated technologies are developed, and platforms for the semi-automated optimization and control of the powertrain, and for the semi-automated optimization of determining the flight path for a regional distance hybrid-electric aircraft flight.
1 . (canceled)
2 . A flight control system for an aircraft, the aircraft having a plurality of electric propulsors distributed laterally relative to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, the flight control system comprising:
(a) a flight control interface to receive a pilot or autopilot input;
(b) at least one sensor to provide aircraft state data, the aircraft state data including at least data indicative of an attitude of the aircraft derived from the at least one sensor; and
(c) a Powertrain Optimization and Control System (POCS) communicatively coupled to the flight control interface, the at least one sensor and the plurality of electric propulsors, the POCS to receive the pilot or autopilot input and the aircraft state data, and in response, provide primary or supplemental aircraft control by allocation of a power command across the plurality of electric propulsors to produce a differential thrust moment.
3 . The flight control system of claim 2 , wherein the differential thrust moment comprises a yaw moment.
4 . The flight control system of claim 2 , wherein at least two of the plurality of electric propulsors are mounted to direct a flow over aerodynamic surfaces to provide lift augmentation by production of lift via suction and/or flow deflection.
5 . The flight control system of claim 4 , wherein the aerodynamic surfaces comprise trailing edge flaps, and wherein the electric propulsors are configured to direct the flow such that the flow adheres to the trailing edge flaps via a Coanda effect.
6 . The flight control system of claim 4 , wherein the differential thrust moment comprises a rolling moment produced by differential modulation of the lift augmentation provided by the electric propulsors.
7 . The flight control system of claim 2 , wherein the POCS is further to:
(i) detect a fault condition that results in a loss of thrust from a first of the plurality of electric propulsors; and
(ii) produce the differential thrust moment as a corrective moment to counteract an asymmetric moment caused by the detected fault condition.
8 . The flight control system of claim 7 , wherein the POCS is further to command at least a second, non-faulty propulsor to operate at a peak power level for a limited duration to compensate for the detected fault condition.
9 . The flight control system of claim 2 , wherein the POCS is further to:
(i) detect a failure of a flight control surface or actuator based, at least in part, on the aircraft state data; and
(ii) produce the differential thrust moment to restore a degree of lost control authority.
10 . The flight control system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of electric propulsors comprise propellers.
11 . The flight control system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of electric propulsors comprise ducted fans.
12 . The flight control system of claim 2 , wherein an autopilot input received by the flight control interface comprises auto-throttle directives generated to maintain a pre-calculated flight path generated by a Flight Path Optimization Platform (FPOP), and wherein the POCS is further to continuously adjust a total thrust output of the plurality of electric propulsors in response to said auto-throttle directives to follow the pre-calculated flight path.
13 . The flight control system of claim 12 , wherein the autopilot input further comprises directional control commands generated to maintain a flight track of said pre-calculated flight path, and wherein the POCS is configured to provide said primary or supplemental aircraft control via production of the differential thrust moment in response to said directional control commands.
14 . The flight control system of claim 2 , wherein the flight control interface is further to receive a selection of an operational state, and wherein the POCS is further to translate a pilot input into a propulsor command based, at least in part, on a control law or operating rule defined by the selection.
15 . The flight control system of claim 7 , wherein the POCS is further to, in response to the detected fault condition during a takeoff phase, simultaneously command a corrective yaw moment and command at least one non-faulty propulsor to a peak power level exceeding its continuous rating to maintain a required climb gradient.
16 . The flight control system of claim 2 , wherein the POCS is further to detect a rejected takeoff condition, and in response, command the plurality of electric propulsors to generate reverse thrust to reduce a stopping distance.
17 . The flight control system of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the plurality of electric propulsors comprises at least one variable-pitch propulsor, and wherein the POCS to generate the reverse thrust by commanding the at least one variable-pitch propulsor to a negative pitch angle.
18 . The flight control system of claim 2 , wherein the POCS is further to command the plurality of electric propulsors to a variable drag state comprising regenerative braking to provide airspeed control while increasing a descent rate of the aircraft.
19 . The flight control system of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the plurality of electric propulsors comprises at least one variable-pitch propulsor, and wherein the POCS generates the regenerative braking by commanding the at least one variable-pitch propulsor to adjust a blade pitch angle.
20 . The flight control system of claim 4 , wherein the differential thrust moment comprises a pitch moment, and wherein the POCS is further to modulate the flow directed over the aerodynamic surfaces to vary the lift augmentation and provide supplemental longitudinal control during a takeoff or landing phase of flight.
21 . A method for providing flight control for an aircraft, the aircraft having a plurality of electric propulsors distributed laterally relative to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, the method comprising:
(a) receiving, at a Powertrain Optimization and Control System (POCS), a pilot or autopilot input from a flight control interface;
(b) receiving, at the POCS, aircraft state data derived from at least one sensor, the aircraft state data including at least data indicative of an attitude of the aircraft; and
(c) in response to the pilot or autopilot input and the data, providing, by the POCS, primary or supplemental aircraft control by allocating a power command across the plurality of electric propulsors to produce a differential thrust moment.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the differential thrust moment comprises a yaw moment.
23 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising directing a flow from at least two of the plurality of electric propulsors over aerodynamic surfaces to provide lift augmentation by producing lift via suction and/or flow deflection.
24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the aerodynamic surfaces comprise trailing edge flaps, and wherein the directing the flow causes the flow to adhere to the trailing edge flaps via a Coanda effect.
25 . The method of claim 21 , and further comprising:
(i) detecting, by the POCS, a fault condition resulting in a loss of thrust from a first of the plurality of electric propulsors; and
(ii) producing, by the POCS, the differential thrust moment as a corrective moment to counteract an asymmetric moment caused by the detected fault condition.
26 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the providing primary or supplemental aircraft control comprises producing the differential thrust moment in response to a Flight Management System (FMS) command to execute a pre-calculated flight path generated by a Flight Path Optimization Platform (FPOP).
27 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a Powertrain Optimization and Control System (POCS) of an aircraft, the aircraft having a plurality of electric propulsors distributed laterally relative to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, to:
(a) obtain a pilot or autopilot input received from a flight control interface;
(b) obtain aircraft state data derived from at least one sensor, the aircraft state data including at least data indicative of an attitude of the aircraft; and
(c) in response to the pilot or autopilot input and the aircraft state data, provide primary or supplemental aircraft control by allocation of a power command across the plurality of electric propulsors to produce a differential thrust moment.
28 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to control at least two of the plurality of electric propulsors to direct a flow over aerodynamic surfaces to provide lift augmentation by producing lift via suction and/or flow deflection.
29 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28 , wherein the aerodynamic surfaces comprise trailing edge flaps, and wherein execution of the instructions is further to cause the POCS to direct the flow such that the flow adheres to the trailing edge flaps via a Coanda effect.
30 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to:
(i) detect, by the POCS, a fault condition resulting in a loss of thrust from a first of the plurality of electric propulsors; and
(ii) initiate production, by the POCS, of the differential thrust moment as a corrective moment to counteract an asymmetric moment caused by the detected fault condition.
31 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 30 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to command, by the POCS, at least a second, non-faulty propulsor to operate at a peak power level for a limited duration to at least partially compensate for the detected fault condition.
32 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27 , wherein the primary or supplemental aircraft control is provided by command of a millisecond-scale thrust output response to modulate a thrust output to provide primary or supplemental aircraft control.
33 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the POCS to obtain the autopilot input as auto-throttle directives generated to maintain a pre-calculated flight path generated by a Flight Path Optimization Platform (FPOP), and wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the POCS to continuously adjust a total thrust output of the plurality of electric propulsors in response to said auto-throttle directives to follow the pre-calculated flight path.
34 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33 , wherein the autopilot input further comprises directional control commands generated to maintain a flight track of said pre-calculated flight path, and wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the POCS to provide said primary or supplemental aircraft control via production of the differential thrust moment in response to said directional control commands.
35 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27 , wherein the instructions are further executable to cause the POCS to detect a rejected takeoff condition, and in response, command the plurality of electric propulsors to generate reverse thrust to reduce a stopping distance.
36 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28 , wherein the differential thrust moment comprises a pitch moment, and wherein the instructions further executable by the one or more processors to cause the POCS to modulate the flow directed over the aerodynamic surfaces to vary the lift augmentation and provide supplemental longitudinal control during a takeoff or landing phase of flight.
37 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27 , wherein the plurality of electric propulsors comprise variable-pitch propulsors, and wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the POCS to command a blade pitch angle adjustment to modulate the differential thrust moment.