Active damping of flexible modes for unmanned aerial vehicles
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsDouglas Conrad Cameron, JR., Michael James Duffy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments described herein provide active dampening of flexible modes of a UAV during flight operations. During operation of a UAV having a flexible airframe, the thrust and/or torque of the motor(s) coupled to propellers can induce flexing in the airframe that reduces the flight performance of the UAV. Measurements of a linear acceleration and/or an angular rate at a location proximate to the motor are performed, and flexible modes in the airframe of the UAV are identified based on the measurements. An operation of the motor(s) is modified based on the measurements to dampen the flexible mode.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- at least one sensor configured to measure at least one of a linear acceleration and an angular rate at a location that is proximate to a motor of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), wherein the motor is coupled to a propeller;
- and
- a controller communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor that is configured to identify a flexible mode of an airframe of the UAV based on at least one of the linear acceleration and the angular rate, and to modify an operation of the motor based on at least one of the linear acceleration and the angular rate to dampen the flexible mode.
A method comprising:
- controlling a motor of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) coupled to a propeller;
- measuring at least one of a linear acceleration and an angular rate at a location that is proximate to the motor;
- identifying a flexible mode of an airframe of the UAV based on at least one of the linear acceleration and the angular rate;
- and
- modifying an operation of the motor based on at least one of the linear acceleration and the angular rate to dampen the flexible mode.
An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), comprising:
- a central body;
- an arm coupled to and extending away from the central body;
- a motor coupled to a distal end of the arm and coupled to a propeller;
- at least one sensor configured to measure at least one of a linear acceleration and an angular rate at a location that is proximate to the motor;
- and
- a controller communicatively coupled to the motor and the at least one sensor that is configured to identify a flexible mode of the arm of the UAV based on at least one of the linear acceleration and the angular rate, and to modify an operation of the motor based on at least one of the linear acceleration and the angular rate to dampen the flexible mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.