US 11,945,597 B2
Systems and methods for control allocation for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft
Geoffrey C. Bower, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Nansi Xue, Redondo Beach, CA (US); Alan Chen, San Carlos, CA (US); Benjamin Goldman, Santa Cruz, CA (US); and Nathan Depenbusch, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to ARCHER AVIATION, INC., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Archer Aviation, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 25, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/157,580.
Prior Publication US 2022/0234747 A1, Jul. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. B64D 31/02 (2006.01); B60L 50/60 (2019.01); B60L 58/12 (2019.01); B64C 27/57 (2006.01); B64C 27/59 (2006.01); B64C 29/00 (2006.01); B64D 27/24 (2006.01); B64D 31/14 (2006.01)
CPC B64D 31/02 (2013.01) [B60L 50/60 (2019.02); B60L 58/12 (2019.02); B64C 27/57 (2013.01); B64C 27/59 (2013.01); B64C 29/0033 (2013.01); B64D 27/24 (2013.01); B64D 31/14 (2013.01); B60L 2200/10 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of controlling an electric aircraft that comprises a plurality of actuators that includes a plurality of electric propulsion units and a plurality of battery packs that power the plurality of electric propulsion units, the method comprising:
receiving desired force and moment commands for the electric aircraft;
monitoring energy states of the plurality of battery packs, wherein at least a first battery pack of the plurality of battery packs is electrically isolated from at least a second battery pack of the plurality of battery packs;
determining control commands for the plurality of actuators based on the desired force and moment commands by solving an optimization problem that comprises an energy balance term for balancing energy draw of the electric propulsion units according to the monitored energy state of the plurality of battery packs; and
controlling the plurality of actuators according to the determined control commands to meet the desired force and moment commands of the electric aircraft.