Volocopter GmbH

A method for assisting a pilot in controlling an aircraft, an assistance system for an aircraft pilot, and an aircraft are disclosed herein. In one example, a method is disclosed of assisting a pilot in controlling an aircraft having a plurality of lift-generating propulsion devices. The method having steps that include, calculation of momentary control limitations for each control of the aircraft around a roll axis, a pitch axis, a yaw axis, and a total thrust T of the propulsion devices, and display of the calculated control limitations by a display device.

A battery cooling device ( 6 ) for cooling at least one battery cell ( 5 ) of an electrically operated aircraft is provided, the battery cooling device ( 6 ) having a first cooling device ( 7, 8 ) configured for absorbing a first amount of heat at least from the battery cell ( 5 ) in an electrical discharging process and thereby cooling it. The first cooling device has at least one latent heat storage unit with a variable state of aggregation. The battery cooling device ( 6 ) also includes a second cooling device ( 9 ), which is configured for absorbing a second amount of heat from the battery cell ( 5 ) and the first cooling device in an electrical charging process, the second cooling device ( 9 ) being able to be filled with and flowed through by a coolant ( 13 ). Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for cooling a battery cell of an electrically powered aircraft.

A method for operating an aircraft ( 1 ) is provided, wherein for a predetermined trajectory (NT) of the aircraft ( 1 ) a volume enveloping the trajectory (NT) is determined, which volume includes a first, inner volume and a second, outer volume, and the second volume envelops the first volume. The first volume is composed of a plurality of first individual volumes (TVi) and the second volume is composed of a number of second individual volumes, which individual volumes (TVi) are calculated at each point of the trajectory (NT) on the basis of parameters (v i ) of an actual flight condition of the aircraft ( 1 ) at a respective time.

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.

Method of verifying data communication integrity in an aircraft which has first and second data generating and sending entities. Data generated at the first entity is sent to the second entity as messages via a number of intermediate entities. The data communication is a blockchain with blocks, each being added to the blockchain by one of the entities and including a cryptographic hash representative of the prior block, thus linking the blocks. The method includes: a) logging a message subgroup and cryptographic hash at one or more of the first, second and intermediate entities; b) collecting message logs from each entity for verification; c) comparing messages sent by the first entity and messages received by the second entity; and d) if not all messages have arrived at said second entity, comparing message logs of intermediate entity(ies) with the message log of the first entity to identify where loss occurred.

An adjustable structure for battery cooling having a holding frame ( 15 ) for holding at least one battery module, with the holding frame ( 15 ) defining a frame plane with a plane normal vector (N 1 ). A cooling plate ( 16 ) for battery cooling is provided having at least one cooling surface ( 16 a ) with a surface normal vector (N 2 ), and is arranged adjacent said holding frame ( 15 ). The surface normal vector (N 2 ) extends parallel to said plane normal vector (N 1 ). A moving mechanism ( 17, 18 ) for moving the cooling plate ( 16 ) and the holding frame ( 15 ) relative to one another in a direction parallel or anti-parallel to the plane normal vector (N 1 ) and to the surface normal vector (N 2 ) is provided and holds cooling plate ( 16 ) against the holding frame ( 15 ) and/or against a battery module that is held by the holding frame ( 15 ).

A method of controlling a transition aircraft having actuators and which transitions between a first take-off/landing regime and a second horizontal flight regime, including: controlling a first actuator subset in the first regime and a second actuator subset in the second regime using the flight controller, by: a) providing measurements or estimates of flight parameters; b) depending on a current regime, checking whether a predefined set of conditions for that regime are fulfilled, by comparing flight parameters with threshold values; c) if conditions are fulfilled, signalling a decision-maker and awaiting confirmation regarding a transition to the other regime; d) instructing the flight controller to make the transition if approved; e) after transitioning in step d), commanding the aircraft according to the other regime; and f) returning to step a). Step e) includes gradually blending in a control law for the other regime over time while blending out the current regime.

A method for assisting a pilot in controlling an aircraft, an assistance system for an aircraft pilot, and an aircraft are disclosed herein. In one example, a method is disclosed of assisting a pilot in controlling an aircraft having a plurality of lift-generating propulsion devices. The method having steps that include, calculation of momentary control limitations for each control of the aircraft around a roll axis, a pitch axis, a yaw axis, and a total thrust T of the propulsion devices, and display of the calculated control limitations by a display device.

An all-inclusive method for planning the operation of an aerial vehicle, in particular an eVTOL, which operation is divided into different operational areas each with its own individually validatable and inspectable planning methodology, including (i) pre-processing data on a computer basis on the ground before takeoff of the aerial vehicle; (ii) taking along pre-planned results of the data pre-processing in the form of a database ( 33, 44 ) on board the aerial vehicle, preferably after transferring the pre-planned results into the database ( 33, 44 ) on board the aerial vehicle; (iii) combining the pre-planned results by means of a computer-based decision logic ( 28 ) with planning steps at the flying time in accordance with a state of the aerial vehicle recorded by sensors for generating a current flight path; and (iv) controlling the aerial vehicle along the current flight path.

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.