Aircraft having a Fault Tolerant Distributed Propulsion System
AssigneeBell Helicopter Textron Inc.
InventorsJohn Richard McCullough, Paul K. Oldroyd
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In some embodiment, an aircraft includes a flying frame having an airframe, a distributed propulsion system attached to the airframe, the distributed propulsion system including a plurality of propulsion assemblies and a flight control system operably associated with the distributed propulsion system. The flying frame has a vertical takeoff and landing mode and a forward flight mode. The flight control system is operable to independently control the propulsion assemblies. The flight control system is also operable to detect faults in individual propulsion assemblies and to perform corrective action responsive to detected faults at a distributed propulsion system level.
Claims20
An aircraft comprising:
- a flying frame including an airframe;
- a distributed propulsion system attached to the airframe, the distributed propulsion system including a plurality of propulsion assemblies;
- and
- a flight control system operably associated with the distributed propulsion system, wherein, the flying frame has a vertical takeoff and landing mode and a forward flight mode;
- wherein, the flight control system is operable to independently control the propulsion assemblies;
- and
- wherein, the flight control system is operable to detect faults in individual propulsion assemblies and to perform corrective action responsive to detected faults at a distributed propulsion system level.
An aircraft comprising:
- a flying frame including an airframe;
- a distributed propulsion system attached to the airframe, the distributed propulsion system including a plurality of propulsion assemblies;
- a triply redundant flight control system operably associated with the distributed propulsion system;
- and
- a passenger pod assembly selectively attachable to the flying frame, wherein, the flying frame has a vertical takeoff and landing mode and a forward flight mode;
- wherein, the flight control system is operable to independently control the propulsion assemblies;
- and
- wherein, the flight control system is operable to detect faults in individual propulsion assemblies and to perform corrective action responsive to detected faults at a distributed propulsion system level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.