AI for Propulsion System Power Optimization in UAV

Method for controlling an aircraft propulsion system that improves safety by preventing unintended thrust during landing. The method detects operating parameters and blade positions to determine the current operating state, and automatically adjusts thrust to prevent overthrust conditions. The system can be applied to electric propulsion units, particularly in vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

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Aircraft flight control system that dynamically compensates for propeller speed changes in tilt-rotor aircraft. The system employs a unique control strategy that incorporates real-time propeller speed monitoring, propeller blade pitch control, and gear ratio optimization. By predicting and adapting to the propeller speed changes, the system enables precise control of the aircraft's dynamics, particularly during low-speed operations where traditional control methods may fail. This enables the aircraft to maintain stable flight characteristics and respond effectively to external disturbances, even with varying propeller RPM.

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A control system for a co-axial rotorcraft with a pusher-propeller that simultaneously controls airspeed and climb rate by inverting the aircraft's dynamic equations. The system uses a multiple-input, multiple-output algorithm to generate commanded thrusts for both the main rotor and pusher-propeller based on reference velocity and flight path angle, enabling tight response control for high-speed maneuvers like terrain-following flight.

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Estimating available power for an aircraft battery to accurately predict landing capabilities and prevent failed landings. The system estimates the remaining power and power density of the battery during landing based on inputs like flight profile, battery data, and aircraft configuration. It compares the estimated peak landing power to the required peak demand. If the estimated power cannot meet the demand, it provides an error notification. This allows mission planning and in-flight adjustments to ensure the aircraft can land safely.

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A hybrid electric propulsion (HEP) system for aircraft that optimizes power distribution between electric motors and gas turbines using a soft actor-critic (SAC) reinforcement learning algorithm and control barrier functions (CBFs). The system determines optimal power splitting profiles based on a predefined fuel consumption objective and battery state of charge, while ensuring safety constraints are met through CBF filtering. The SAC algorithm iteratively generates and evaluates power splitting profiles, with the CBF filter enforcing system constraints and ensuring safe operation.

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A hybrid-electric propulsion system for aircraft that dynamically balances engine performance margins by transferring power between electric machines coupled to each engine. The system continuously monitors engine operating parameters, determines performance margins, and adjusts power distribution between the electric machines to maintain optimal engine balance and prevent performance degradation.

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Controlling the attitude of a multicopter by dynamically adjusting the thrust output from its internal combustion engine versus its electric motors. The control system modifies the engine's thrust ratio to match the motor's performance characteristics, enabling precise attitude control while maintaining efficient energy consumption. This approach enables the multicopter to achieve high responsiveness in attitude control while maintaining optimal efficiency.

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A voltage-controlled aircraft electric propulsion system that dynamically adjusts power bus voltage in response to changing altitude. The system maintains a constant current output from the power bus while reducing voltage as altitude increases, using a controller to adjust generator and stored energy power sources in real-time. The voltage reduction is coordinated with the electric propulsor's power demand, ensuring consistent performance across varying altitudes.

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Controlling multirotor aircraft like drones to mitigate issues caused by air density variations. The method involves using measured thrust instead of commanded rotor speeds for control. The thrust is measured inside the drive units. A cascaded control loop is used, with an outer thrust control loop and inner speed control loop. The thrust controller adjusts the rotor speed command to match the measured thrust. This eliminates the air density dependency of thrust vs speed.

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A vehicle electric power system for aircraft propulsion featuring multiple DC channels and redundant electric machines. The system includes at least two electric machines, each with magnetically decoupled multi-phase windings, that supply power to a common DC bus through separate channels. The system also employs passive and active rectification to provide reliable power during normal operation and fault conditions.

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A parallel hybrid propulsion system for aircraft that harvests waste heat from the engine's exhaust to generate electrical power, eliminating the need for engine shaft energy to recharge the battery. The system includes a turbine driven by the engine's exhaust, a generator that extracts rotational power from the turbine, and an electric energy storage unit that stores the generated electrical power. The stored energy is then used to drive an electric motor in the hybrid propulsion system, enabling reduced battery size and weight while maintaining aircraft range and safety.

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A hybrid powerplant for aircraft that combines a heat engine and an electric machine to drive a propulsor, with the electric machine controlling propeller speed through variable power output. The system can also operate multiple propulsors in coordinated motion, with the control system adjusting power to each based on differential speed and phase parameters.

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A redundant system for electric distributed propulsion in aircraft, particularly helicopters, that provides dual power and control channels for multiple motors. The system features two independent power buses, dual controllers, and redundant communication channels between pilot input sensors and the controllers. In the event of a component failure, the system automatically switches to the backup channel to maintain safe operation. The system also enables autorotation in the event of engine failure by using stored energy from an electric storage device to power the motors.

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System and method for controlling engine speed and pitch of propulsion members in aerial vehicles, enabling efficient operation of mechanical power sources while maintaining optimal performance of electric power generation and propulsion components. The system includes a powertrain control system that receives operational, status, and component parameter signals to generate speed and pitch control signals, allowing the mechanical power source to operate within a desired range while the propulsion members maintain optimal pitch angles for thrust generation.

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Aircraft power consumption control method to enable longer flight times by dynamically adjusting power usage based on flight conditions. The method involves limiting power consumption when the propeller is not spinning, like during takeoff and landing, to reduce chip heating. It also lowers camera and transmission power when the propeller is spinning. This helps manage power demand as intelligent functions need more power during flight. By dynamically adjusting power usage based on flight conditions, the method extends flight time by reducing heating and power consumption during certain phases.

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A control methodology for managing interactions between engine thrust control and electrical machine control in multi-engine, multi-spool aircraft engines. The approach optimizes engine cycle performance while meeting electrical power demands by determining power splits between multiple electrical machines attached to independent engine shafts. The control methodology is agnostic to electric architectures and provides direct feedback for thrust control integration and local supervisor level optimization.

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Electric aircraft propulsion system with dual-mode converters for efficient power management. The system features a DC-AC converter for each motor, which can operate in a first mode to drive both motors simultaneously or a second mode where one converter drives a propulsor while the other converter provides braking torque to the other propulsor. This dual-mode operation enables efficient power management during both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and cruise phases, particularly when battery voltage is reduced.

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A hybrid propulsion system for electrically driven distributed propulsion systems that enables the use of high speed, high power density AC electrical motors and generators powered and operated with an AC power distribution system. The system includes a starter generator, a first inverter, a second inverter, and a controller that configures the system to start generators and motors in sequence using a fractionally sized configurable converter. The converter injects reactive power into the AC power to the AC electric motors so that they operate at their full power and torque capability.

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Power distribution for electric aircraft with fault tolerance and weight savings. The aircraft has multiple battery packs, each powering a different subset of electric propulsion units (EPUs). The EPUs include lift rotors and tiltable proprotors. If a battery fails, only the lost EPU subset is affected since the remaining EPUs continue operating. This reduces destabilization compared to interconnected batteries. The EPU subset selection balances roll, pitch, yaw moments. Isolated buses between batteries avoid diodes.

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An integral hybrid electric aircraft that combines a fuel-powered generator with batteries to enable vertical takeoff and landing while maintaining fixed-wing flight efficiency. The aircraft has batteries, fuel tanks, a generator, and propellers. The generator uses fuel from the tanks to generate electricity during fixed-wing flight. The batteries supplement power for vertical takeoff/landing. The propellers can be powered by either the generator or batteries. This allows vertical takeoff/landing using batteries and then switching to generator power for efficient fixed-wing flight.

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Method for optimizing efficiency of electric aircraft propulsion systems by coordinating motor torque, rotor pitch, and governor speed. The method involves finding the optimal motor torque, rotor pitch, and governor speed setpoints for a given flight condition that maximizes overall propulsion system efficiency. This is done by calculating the minimum motor input power required for the thrust, taking into account motor, inverter, and propeller efficiencies. The optimal setpoints are determined for a given flight parameter by finding the setpoints that provide the required thrust at the calculated minimum motor input power.

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A hybrid electric propulsion system for aircraft that prevents over-speeding of the low-pressure turbine during failure conditions. The system includes a gas turbine engine, an electric machine coupled to the low-pressure system, and a propulsor. In response to a failure condition, the electric machine extracts power from the low-pressure system to slow down the turbine, preventing over-speeding and potential damage. The system can also reduce fuel flow to the combustion section to further mitigate the failure condition.

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A hybrid electro-aero-thermal turbine engine that integrates electric generators and motors to improve engine efficiency. The engine features a dual-compressor configuration, where a high-pressure compressor is driven by a turbine and a low-pressure compressor is driven by an electric motor. The electric motor is powered by a generator driven by the turbine, and a battery system supplements power to the motor. The engine's fan drive system includes a geared architecture that connects the turbine and motor to drive the fan. The engine's control system matches the operation of the electric motor to the operation of the turbine-driven compressor to optimize engine performance.

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Rotorcraft with enhanced autorotation capability through power extraction from a pusher propeller. The rotorcraft includes a main rotor system and a pusher propeller that is aerodynamically driven during autorotations to provide power to the main rotor system, enabling controlled descent and recovery. The pusher propeller is integrated with the rotorcraft's drivetrain and can be controlled to optimize power transfer during autorotation.

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Managing battery capacities in a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to extend battery life and enable consistent performance. The technique involves setting target charge voltages for each UAV battery based on a threshold capacity associated with the fleet. As batteries age, the target voltages are adjusted to maintain the threshold capacity. This prevents overcharging that accelerates capacity loss. By aligning capacities, it becomes easier to balance workloads across UAVs with varying battery health.

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A hybrid electric gas turbine engine system for aircraft that improves compressor efficiency during idle conditions. The system includes a main compressor and an auxiliary compressor that operate in parallel, with the auxiliary compressor selectively activated during idle conditions to provide compressed air to the engine. The main compressor can be partially or fully deactivated during idle conditions, with the auxiliary compressor driven by an electric motor powered by the aircraft's battery system. This configuration enables reduced fuel consumption during idle conditions by leveraging the auxiliary compressor's lower power requirements.

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A rotor assembly for electric VTOL aircraft that enables variable thrust vectoring through pitch control of the rotor blades. The assembly integrates a brushless DC motor with a variable pitch servo mechanism, enabling independent control of rotor pitch and thrust direction. This allows the rotor to maintain constant rotor speed during transitions between vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and fixed-wing flight modes, while optimizing thrust vectoring performance for each flight regime. The system achieves this through a dynamic pitch control mechanism that adjusts blade pitch in response to motor position signals, enabling controlled thrust vectoring capabilities.

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Electrically distributed yaw control system for helicopters with multiple tail rotors, featuring a flight control computer that dynamically balances tail rotor performance based on real-time aircraft parameters. The system continuously monitors parameters such as airspeed, power consumption, and load, and adjusts operating parameters of individual tail rotors to optimize overall performance and efficiency. This enables the system to adapt to changing flight conditions and optimize tail rotor performance in real-time, reducing power consumption, noise, and structural loads compared to traditional tail rotor systems.

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An electric propulsion motor assembly for an aircraft that integrates a propulsion function with electrical generation for non-propelling loads. The assembly features a single motor with dual windings: a primary winding for propulsion and a secondary winding for electrical generation. The windings are integrated into a single stator and rotor assembly, eliminating the need for a separate gearbox or auxiliary power unit. The motor can be powered by fuel cells, and a DC-AC converter enables phase shift control for propulsion and generation functions.

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Airspeed estimation for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft using propulsor data instead of traditional airspeed sensors. The method involves detecting the torque of the propulsor using sensors, receiving the torque by the flight controller, and estimating the airspeed based on the propulsor torque. This eliminates the need for a separate airspeed sensor and provides an alternative method for estimating airspeed during transition phases when airspeed sensors may not be reliable. The torque data from the propulsor is used to infer the airspeed using propulsor aerodynamics.

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Electric aircraft with integrated weather forecasting and trajectory optimization. The aircraft incorporates a weather sensor that continuously monitors atmospheric conditions, while a onboard processor receives user input for destination and altitude parameters. The system then determines the optimal flight path based on these parameters, incorporating factors such as aerodynamics, propulsion efficiency, and weather conditions. This enables the aircraft to plan efficient and safe routes in real-time, with the ability to adapt to changing weather conditions.

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Method for adjusting directional movement ability of an aircraft with multiple rotors by collectively reducing desired thrust demands when the maximum demand exceeds the rotor's thrust capability limit, while maintaining stability and altitude control. The reduction amount is based on the excess demand, and can be further adjusted based on absolute altitude to prioritize stability over directional movement near the ground.

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An electric distributed propulsion system for aircraft that includes multiple rotors controlled by motors via rotational speed, with a logic system that manages motor speed and direction to achieve desired thrust while avoiding a specific range of motor speed conditions. The system enables precise control of anti-torque yaw authority, particularly in low-thrust regimes where traditional motor control systems can exhibit speed dead bands.

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A gas turbine engine for an aircraft featuring electric machines on multiple spools, with a control strategy that optimizes power extraction from the high-pressure spool during cruise conditions and the low-pressure spool during high-power demands, such as takeoff and climb. The control strategy dynamically manages power distribution between the spools to maintain optimal engine performance and efficiency across the operational envelope.

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A hybrid propulsion system for aircraft that combines a conventional gas turbine engine with an electric motor/generator. The system enables the gas turbine to drive a power turbine, which in turn drives a contra-rotating fan, while the electric motor/generator can either supplement or replace the gas turbine power as needed. The system can operate in multiple modes, including all-electric, all-gas turbine, and hybrid, and can also generate power from aerodynamic energy in emergency situations.

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A gas-electric propulsion system for aircraft that converts rotational energy from gas-powered engines into electric energy to power an electric boundary layer ingestion fan. The system includes high-pressure and low-pressure electric generators that distribute power to the fan, which is mounted aft of the wing and ingests boundary layer air to reduce drag. Energy storage devices can supplement power during certain operational modes.

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A multi-rotor gyrodyne aircraft with improved flight control and efficiency. The aircraft features coaxial pairs of rotors with offset blades, a power-managed flight control system, and a horizontal stabilizer to balance pitching moments. The rotors operate in a power-managed regime during forward flight, with motors adjusting rotational frequency to provide attitude control. The aircraft also incorporates redundancy in rotor control inputs to prevent mixer saturation, and rotors are inclined to provide yaw control moments during autorotation.

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A flight control method for stable unmanned aircraft flight, comprising: acquiring real-time flight operation data using sensors; solving motor control quantities using a multi-layer zeroing neural network; and obtaining a corresponding power allocation scheme. The neural network is designed based on the aircraft's differential equations, enabling stable flight control through real-time data processing.

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Hybrid-electric propulsion system for an aircraft that reduces the need for heavy bleed valves in the engine to prevent compressor stall during throttle reduction. The system uses an electric motor/generator mechanically coupled to the low pressure spool of the turbomachine. During throttle reduction, electrical power is drawn from the motor to slow it down and reduce the speed relationship between the low and high pressure spools. This prevents compressor stall by matching their rotational speeds. The motor can also provide electrical power to the propulsion system during certain operations.

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Powertrain control for a hybrid electric aircraft. The control includes generating, receiving, conditioning, and/or distributing electrical power from one or more electrical energy sources, such as to drive or operate a particular electrical machine that provides mechanical power for an associated propulsion system.

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A hybrid flight vehicle with multiple rotors driven by a gas turbine engine or electric power generated by a generator driven by the gas turbine engine. The vehicle includes a gas turbine engine with a compressor and first turbine, a generator connected to the engine's output shaft, a battery to store generated power, and multiple motor-generators connected to the battery and rotor shafts. A second turbine is provided to drive the rotors using high-pressure gas output from the gas turbine engine, enabling improved thermal efficiency of the high-pressure gas.

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Electric machine for aerospace propulsion with high power-to-weight ratio, comprising a stator with a fully non-magnetic core and non-superconducting transposed conductor windings, and a rotor with a fully non-magnetic core and superconducting windings or magnets. The stator windings are cooled by a cryogenic system to minimize conduction losses, while the superconducting rotor windings enable high magnetic field strength despite the non-magnetic core.

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A propulsion system for an aircraft that enables hybrid operation between conventional and electric propulsion. The system includes a primary engine driving a conventional propeller, and an electric motor driving an outboard propeller. A selector enables operation in a hybrid mode where both propellers are driven, with the electric motor providing additional power during critical phases of flight such as takeoff and landing. The system also includes a generator and battery to recharge the electric motor, and interchangeable propeller assemblies that can be removed and replaced to adapt to different flight modes.

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A Boundary Layer Ingestion (BLI) fan system for aircraft propulsion, where a fan is positioned near the fuselage surface to ingest low-velocity boundary layer air, and is driven by a hydraulic system that connects to one or more external engine cores, enabling increased fuel efficiency and reduced drag compared to conventional propulsion systems.

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Aircraft propulsion system with distributed electrical energy storage systems (ESSs) positioned in nacelles to provide redundancy and stability. The system features symmetrically distributed electric machines across the airframe, with each pair of inboard and outboard nacelles operating from a separate ESS. This configuration enables continued operation in the event of an ESS failure, maintaining stability and preventing yaw moment due to asymmetrical thrust.

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Powering unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with battery management that dynamically adjusts to mission requirements. The system estimates battery capacity based on mission duration and environmental conditions, then dynamically adjusts power output to prevent overcharging or undercharging. It also monitors UAV weight and flight parameters to prevent overload. The system enables precise control of UAV operations while ensuring battery safety and performance.

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A stable flight control method for multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) based on finite-time neurodynamics. The method uses real-time flight data to establish a dynamics model of the UAV, which is then solved using a finite-time varying-parameter convergence differential neural network. The solution is transmitted to the UAV's motor speed regulators to control its motion. The method enables fast and accurate tracking of time-varying targets, such as aerial photography orbits, and provides robustness against disturbances and parameter variations.

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A hybrid power system for an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that enables extended range by dynamically switching between different power sources during flight. The system includes a primary power source, such as a battery pack, and a secondary power source, such as an internal combustion engine and generator, that provide power during hover and transition phases and cruise phases, respectively. The system includes redundant switching mechanisms to ensure safe operation in the event of a failure.

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A brushless DC motor for an aircraft propeller that integrates a generator and motor functions into a single unit, eliminating the need for separate power transfer lines between the rotating and stationary components. The motor features a stator with windings that serve both commutation and power generation functions, with a controller that applies transient and static DC voltages to manage motor operation and power output.

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System and method for preventing circuit protection device engagement in electric aircraft by dynamically reducing power to loads when electrical parameters approach threshold values, ensuring continued operation of critical systems during flight. The system comprises sensors monitoring electrical parameters, an aircraft controller comparing parameter values to threshold levels, and a power reduction mechanism to prevent circuit protection device activation.

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