A multi-rotor aircraft includes a fuselage, a propulsion engine coupled to the fuselage that generates thrust to propel the aircraft along a first vector during forward flight, and rotors coupled to the fuselage, each rotor comprising blades, each rotor coupled to a motor, and each motor configured to supply power to and draw power from the coupled rotor. The aircraft includes a flight control system configured to control the motors coupled to the rotors in a power managed regime in which a net electrical power, consisting of a sum of the power being supplied to or drawn from each rotor by its motor, is maintained within a range determined by a feedback control system of the flight control system. The flight control system can also be leveraged to adjust rotor control inputs to modify at least one of thrust, roll, pitch, or yaw of the multi-rotor aircraft.

A multi-rotor aircraft includes a fuselage, a propulsion engine coupled to the fuselage that generates thrust to propel the aircraft along a first vector during forward flight, and rotors coupled to the fuselage, each rotor comprising blades, each rotor coupled to a motor, and each motor configured to supply power to and draw power from the coupled rotor. The aircraft includes a flight control system configured to control the motors coupled to the rotors in a power managed regime in which a net electrical power, consisting of a sum of the power being supplied to or drawn from each rotor by its motor, is maintained within a range determined by a feedback control system of the flight control system. The flight control system can also be leveraged to adjust rotor control inputs to modify at least one of thrust, roll, pitch, or yaw of the multi-rotor aircraft.

A method for adaptive phase control of a distributed propulsion (DP) aircraft includes deriving an estimated source noise level of the aircraft's propulsors with respect to a designated low-noise area on the ground. Responsive to the estimated source noise level, a phase generator module estimates a ground noise level using the source noise level. The method includes determining an optimized set of relative azimuthal propulsor blade positions/phase angles, via the phase generator module, with such optimized phase angles being sufficient for reducing the estimated ground noise level. Phase control signals from a flight controller to the respective propulsors establishes the optimized set of relative phase angles, and thereby reduces community noise in the designated low-noise area. The DP aircraft includes an aircraft body, the flight controller, and the above-noted phase generator module.

A method for adaptive phase control of a distributed propulsion (DP) aircraft includes deriving an estimated source noise level of the aircraft's propulsors with respect to a designated low-noise area on the ground. Responsive to the estimated source noise level, a phase generator module estimates a ground noise level using the source noise level. The method includes determining an optimized set of relative azimuthal propulsor blade positions/phase angles, via the phase generator module, with such optimized phase angles being sufficient for reducing the estimated ground noise level. Phase control signals from a flight controller to the respective propulsors establishes the optimized set of relative phase angles, and thereby reduces community noise in the designated low-noise area. The DP aircraft includes an aircraft body, the flight controller, and the above-noted phase generator module.

A plurality of rotary blades of a flight vehicle of the present invention includes a first rotary blade provided on one side of the main body in a width direction and a second rotary blade provided on the other side of the main body in the width direction. An acquisition unit acquires rotational positions of the rotary blades. A control unit controls the rotational positions based on the rotational positions acquired so that the rotational positions of the first rotary blade and the second rotary blade associated with each other are in a predetermined positional relationship.

A motor drive control device includes a main controller that generates a PWM control signal for instructing a rotational speed of a motor. The motor drive control device includes a signal switch that converts the PWM control signal supplied from the main controller into differential data, and outputs the differential data to two transmission lines. An electric speed controller is connected to the two transmission lines, and receives the differential data and responds to the differential data to supply a drive signal to the motor.

A method and a device for monitoring a deviation of a first rotational speed of a first drive unit for an aircraft from a second rotational speed of an at least second drive unit of an aircraft. The monitoring of the deviation of the first rotational speed of the first drive unit from the second rotational speed of the at least second drive unit is carried out as a function of a comparison of a detection of a first event of the first drive unit to a detection of a second event of the at least second drive unit.

A method and a device for monitoring a deviation of a first rotational speed of a first drive unit for an aircraft from a second rotational speed of an at least second drive unit of an aircraft. The monitoring of the deviation of the first rotational speed of the first drive unit from the second rotational speed of the at least second drive unit is carried out as a function of a comparison of a detection of a first event of the first drive unit to a detection of a second event of the at least second drive unit.

A rotor assembly includes a first rotor, a second rotor and a damper system. The first and second rotors are arranged to be rotated about a common axis for thrust generation by a drive system. The first rotor is rotatable about the common axis relative to the second rotor between a stowed configuration of the rotor assembly in which a rotor blade of the first rotor and a rotor blade of the second rotor are substantially angularly aligned and a deployed configuration in which the rotor blade of the first rotor and the rotor blade of the second rotor are angularly misaligned. The damper system is arranged to generate a damper force opposing the relative rotation between the first and second rotors in at least one of the direction towards the stowed configuration and the direction towards the deployed configuration.

A rotor assembly includes a first rotor, a second rotor and a damper system. The first and second rotors are arranged to be rotated about a common axis for thrust generation by a drive system. The first rotor is rotatable about the common axis relative to the second rotor between a stowed configuration of the rotor assembly in which a rotor blade of the first rotor and a rotor blade of the second rotor are substantially angularly aligned and a deployed configuration in which the rotor blade of the first rotor and the rotor blade of the second rotor are angularly misaligned. The damper system is arranged to generate a damper force opposing the relative rotation between the first and second rotors in at least one of the direction towards the stowed configuration and the direction towards the deployed configuration.