Volocopter Gmbh

Volocopter Technologies Gmbh

Johannes Stephan

Burak Yüksel

Jan Zwiener

Christoph Seiferth

Walter Fichter

Ulrich Schaferlein

Tobias Vermeulen

Stephan Wolf

Benjamin Kirsch

Thomas Ruf

Ulrich Schäferlein

A method for flight control of an aircraft with multiple actuators during flight is disclosed. For each actuator, a control command is computed according to at least one predetermined control law and based on pilot inputs and sensor measurements in relation to a physical state of the aircraft. The respective control commands are provided to the actuators. The control commands are independently monitored by estimating or measuring a current physical state of the aircraft and comparing it with the control commands. This comparison includes checking whether the control commands stabilize the aircraft in a stable state in the absence of both disturbances and pilot inputs according to at least one predefined criterion. If the monitoring indicates a lack of stability, transmission of the control commands is prevented and a backup control command is computed for each actuator.

Aircraft and method for flight control of an aircraft during flight

A method for controlling an overdetermined system with multiple power-restricted actuators that perform a primary task and non-primary tasks, including: a) determining a pseudo-control command based on a physical model of the system, which pseudo-control command represents the torques and a total thrust force acting on the system, b) determining a control matrix, c) dissociating the control matrix into sub control matrices, wherein the sub control matrices and the corresponding sub pseudo-control commands correspond to the primary task for i=1 and for i>1 correspond to the non-primary task(s) and a priority of the non-primary tasks decreases with increasing index i, d) determining actuator control commands for solving the primary task, e) projecting the non-primary tasks into the null space of the primary task, and into respective null spaces of all of the non-primary tasks of higher priority, if present, and f) providing the actuator control commands from d) and e) at the actuators.

Method and control unit for controlling an overdetermined system, system and aircraft

A method for controlling an overdetermined system with multiple actuators, for example an aircraft () with multiple propulsion units (). The actuators perform at least one primary task and at least one non-primary task, including: a) determining a pseudo-control command u∈based on a physical model of the system, which command represents the torques (L, M, N) and a total thrust force (F) acting on the system, b) determining a control matrix D, D∈according to u=Du, where u=Duu∈represents a control command for the actuators to perform the primary task, c) projecting the non-primary task into the null space N(D) of the primary task, so that Du=0 if uu∈represents a control command for the actuators to perform the non-primary task, and d) providing the control commands from b) and c) to the actuators. In this way, the solution of the primary task is not adversely affected by the non-primary task or its solution.

A method for controlling a aircraft with a plurality of drive units, in particular a plurality of electrical drive units, and a controller for flight control. At least one lateral control signal is entered into the controller for flight control in order to initiate a lateral movement of the aircraft. The significant point is that a speed (V) of the aircraft is ascertained through a speed estimation (6) and, depending on the estimated airspeed (V), a commanded roll angle (ϕ) and a commanded pitch angle (θ), a rate of turn ({dot over (ψ)}) is calculated. The lateral movement is automatically initiated with the calculated rate of turn ({dot over (ψ)}) through input of the lateral control signal.

Method and controller for turn coordination of an aircraft, and an aircraft with turn coordination

A method for determining a maneuvering reserve in an aircraft having a number of propulsion units, preferably a multirotor VTOL aircraft, most preferably an aircraft with electrically operated drive units for the rotors, including the steps: a) Determining a control vector, τ, for the aircraft, τ=(L M N F), the components of which represent control torques of the aircraft around the roll axis, L, the pitch axis, M, and the yaw axis, N, and a total thrust, F, b) Approximating an existing four-dimensional control volume, D, of the aircraft by a four-dimensional ellipsoid, E, the axes of which represent the control torques, L, M, N, of the aircraft and the total thrust, F, c) Determining a normalized control vector, τ=(LMNF)for the aircraft, using axis dimensions, L, M, N, F, of the ellipsoid, in particular semi-axis dimensions of the ellipsoid; and d) Outputting at least the normalized control vector, τ, for determining a permissible flight maneuver in at least one dimension of the four-dimensional control volume.

Method for determining a maneuvering reserve in an aircraft, flight control device in an aircraft and appropriately equipped aircraft

A method for operating an aircraft with N&#x3e;4 drive units. A flight control system (FCS) generates control commands u_COM, u_COM&#x2208;U&#x2208;R{circumflex over (&#x2003;)}N, for the drive units, via a first channel. u represents limitations of the drive units. The FCS generates pseudo-control commands &#x3b3;_COM, &#x3b3;_COMER{circumflex over (&#x2003;)}4, in the first channel, which specify torques about corresponding axes of rotation of the aircraft and a thrust, a control matrix M&#x2208;R{circumflex over (&#x2003;)}(4&#xd7;N) with &#x3b3;=M u establishing a relationship with the control commands u; in the first channel. Admissible control commands u_COM&#x2208;U are calculated from the pseudo-control commands; and the first channel is monitored and, based on a result, is passivated. Monitoring takes place in a second channel, pseudo-control commands &#x3b3;_MON, &#x3b3;_MON&#x2208;R{circumflex over (&#x2003;)}4, are generated in the second channel and the control commands u_COM of the first channel are evaluated in the second channel using &#x3b3;{circumflex over (&#x2003;)}*=M u_COM, and &#x3b3;{circumflex over (&#x2003;)}* and &#x3b3;_MON are compared. A FCS and aircraft are also provided.

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

A method of operating an actuator system () having a number k, k&#x2208;, of actuators (), in particular individual propulsion units of an MAV-VTOL aircraft (), in particular electrically powered actuators, wherein a desired control command u&#x2208;, m&#x2208;, for controlling the actuator system () is allocated to real actuator commands u&#x2208;, k&#x2208;, by using a weighted allocation matrix D (W), from an equation u=D(W)u, wherein D(W) is an inverse of the weighted allocation matrix, and the real actuator commands u are applied for controlling the actuators (). The method includes determining a characterizing value u* from the real actuator commands u; determining, at least for some of the actuators (), preferably for all of the actuators (), a deviation e, i=1, 2, . . . , k of a respective actuator command u, i=1, 2, . . . , k from said characterizing value u*; determining, at least for some of the actuators (), preferably for all of the actuators (), a weight w, i=1, 2, . . . , k for a given actuator () as a function w(e), i=1, 2, . . . , k of said deviation e; and using the weights wfor determining said weighted allocation matrix D(W). An actuator system which is operated according to this method and an aircraft with a plurality of propulsion units as a specific use case are also provided.

Method of operating an actuator system, actuator system, and aircraft comprising said method and system

A method for operating an aircraft having multiple drive units including: a) providing a first flight control unit (CTRL-), which activates the drive units according to a first control implementation when CTRL-is active; b) providing a second flight control unit (CTRL-), which activates the drive units according to a second control implementation when CTRL-is active; c) continuously monitoring a function of the currently active flight control unit (CTRL-); d) changing the active flight control unit from the currently active flight control unit (CTRL-) to the newly active flight control unit (CTRL-) in dependence on a result of the monitoring in step c); in which the change in step d) for the newly active flight control unit (CTRL-) includes: d1) initializing starting values of a movement equation of the aircraft implemented in CTRL-using currently known state values (x) of the aircraft; d2) initializing integrators of CTRL-using control commands for the drive units from CTRL-; d3) difference equalization between control commands (u) for the drive units from CTRL-and control commands (u) for the drive units from CTRL-

Method for operating an aircraft, flight control device for an aircraft, and aircraft having multiple drive units

A method is provided for stabilizing an orientation and height of a person or load-carrying multicopter with a plurality of motors, wherein the drive of the individual motors in flight is continuously calculated by a flight control unit and correspondingly prescribed to the motors using control technology, for which purpose, based on a desired torque &#x3c4;, of a desired thrust s preferably prescribed by a pilot signal, and of a motor matrix M, the drive of the motors is calculated by a motor allocation algorithm f and provided as a control signal to the motors, wherein the following applies to the drive and the corresponding motor control variables u: u=f(&#x3c4;, s, M). The method provides that A) the individual motors are weighted with a preferably diagonally filled matrix P, so that the following applies: u=f(&#x3c4;, s, M, P), the motor allocation algorithm calculates the drive u such that the individual motors make an individual contribution to the desired forces and torques T and to the thrust s in accordance with the matrix P depending on the weighting; and/or B) zero space orientations with 0=M&#xb7;uthat do not generate any torques or thrust, and therefore do not influence the flight movement, are used to drive the motors.

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Stuttgart, Germany

Johannes Stephan