Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for flight control of aircrafts driven by electric propulsion systems and in other types of vehicles. In some embodiments, a flight control system of an aircraft is disclosed, configured to receive one or more signals to control movement of the aircraft, determine at least one flight condition of the aircraft, wherein the at least one flight condition includes at least a phase of flight, calculate at least one or more loads associated with the aircraft based on the determined at least one flight condition; determine an optimized flight configuration to alleviate loads on one or more components of the aircraft based on the received one or more signals and the calculated loads, generate one or more effector commands based on the optimized flight configuration; and actuate one or more aircraft effectors based on the one or more effector commands.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for flight control of aircrafts driven by electric propulsion systems and in other types of vehicles. In some embodiments, a computer-implemented method for controlling an aircraft is disclosed, comprising: receiving, from a source processor, a first copy of a signal corresponding to an input device; sending a second copy of the signal to all other processors; receiving a number of second copies of the signal from all other processors, the number of second copies being equal to the number of all other processors excluding the source processor; determining a consensus signal based on the first copy and the second copies of the signal; and determining a command signal for an effector of the aircraft based on the consensus signal, and wherein no two processors are configured to receive signals from a same input device.

Abstract: An aircraft wing, comprising: a plurality of ribs, each rib including a plurality of wire openings, wherein each of the plurality of wire openings are enclosed by one of the plurality of ribs and a skin of the aircraft; and a plurality of high voltage wires disposed in the wire openings in the plurality of ribs such that each wire opening receives only one high voltage wire, and the each wire opening has an opening size larger than a size of the one high voltage wire, the opening size being smaller than a size of a connector mounted to an end of the one high voltage wire and configured to allow mating with another high voltage wire or an electrical component.

Abstract: An apparatus for aircraft propulsion includes a propeller and a hybrid-cooled electric engine mounted to a support structure and configured to rotate the propeller. The electric engine is located in an enclosure, with a first heat transfer element thermally coupled to the electric engine via a fluid flow path, partially located outside the enclosure. A second heat transfer element, integral to or thermally coupled to the electric engine, provides air cooling. Both heat transfer elements are housed within the aircraft's support structure. At least one air inlet on the upper side of the support structure receives propeller downwash. A first cooling path directs a portion of the downwash from the air inlet to the first heat transfer element, and a first air outlet exhausts the downwash.

Abstract: A VTOL aircraft includes a plurality of lift propellers configured to rotated by lift motors to provide vertical thrust during takeoff, landing and hovering operations. The lift propellers are configured to generate a cooling airflow to cool the lift motors during use. During a cruise operation when the VTOL aircraft is in forward motion, the lift propellers may be stowed in a stationary position. Therefore, the cooling airflow may be reduced or eliminated when it is not needed.

Abstract: An electrical propulsion system for a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft comprises an electrical motor assembly and an inverter assembly. The inverter assembly comprises a housing, a capacitor assembly, at least one printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), and a plurality of positioning pins. The capacitor assembly comprises a center hole, at least one capacitor, a capacitor housing having at least one busbar, and a plurality of through holes in the capacitor housing. The capacitor assembly and the at least one PCBA are positioned inside the housing. The plurality of positioning pins pass through the through the plurality of through holes of the capacitor housing and the at least one PCBA and are connected to the housing.

Abstract: “A tilting apparatus for an aircraft, comprising: a tiltable aircraft component which tilts between a first and second position, at least one actuator for adjusting a tilt angle of the tiltable aircraft component, and at least one passive damper connected to the tiltable aircraft component and configured to limit a rate of change of the tilt angle of the tiltable aircraft component. The at least one passive damper is on a load path separate from a load path of the at least one actuator.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to a method for balancing a rotor of an electrical engine of an electrical propulsion system comprising: identifying an axis of rotation of a rotor, wherein the rotor comprises a sacrificial layer having a mass M formed along a circumference of the rotor; determining an imbalance present in the rotor by rotating the rotor about the axis of rotation, wherein determining an imbalance includes marking the rotor, rotating the rotor, and detecting an amplitude of the imbalance; calculating an amount of mass k to add or remove at a position p along the sacrificial layer such that a center of mass of the rotor coincides with the axis of rotation of the rotor; and removing an amount of mass r from the sacrificial layer such that an amount of remainder mass n is present along the circumference of the rotor.

Abstract: An electric propulsion system comprising an electric motor assembly. The electric motor assembly may include a housing having an internal volume, a stator ring disposed about a perimeter of the internal volume, and a rotor positioned within the stator. The electric motor assembly may include a main shaft connected to the rotor via a gear reduction, wherein the main shaft extends through the rotor. The electric motor assembly may include a collar connected to the main shaft, wherein the collar encircles the main shaft, and at least a portion of the collar is configured to direct a fluid away from the main shaft and toward the stator ring.

Abstract: Systems and methods for backlash measurement and monitoring are disclosed for an actuator having a motor end and an output end. The method may include: driving the motor end of the actuator to one endpoint; measuring, using a first sensor, a motor-end initial position value associated with the motor end; measuring, using a second sensor, an output-end initial position value associated with the output end; driving the motor end of the actuator to another endpoint; measuring a motor-end final position value using the first sensor and an output-end final position value using the second sensor; determining a backlash value based on the motor-end initial position value, output-end initial position value, motor-end final position value, and output-end final position value; generating a signal based on comparing the backlash value to a predetermined threshold; and displaying a notification indicative of an operational condition of the actuator based on the signal.

Abstract: A VTOL aircraft includes a lift propeller configured to provide lift during takeoff, landing and hover operations. The lift propeller is configured to be stowed close to a boom surface when not in use during, e.g., cruise flight, to minimize drag around propeller surfaces. The lift propeller may be displaced vertically with respect to the boom when switching to a lift configuration to provide greater separation from the boom to improve lift efficiency and reduce unwanted vibrations. The lift propeller may have a fail-safe configuration that allows the propeller to move passively between lift and stowed configurations, and to fully rotate even when fully retracted.

Abstract: A motor gearbox assembly for an aircraft may comprise a layshaft configured to transmit torque from a rotor to a main power output shaft. The motor gearbox assembly may comprise a gearbox housing, a stator mounted inside the gearbox housing, a rotor rotatably mounted inside the stator on a main power output shaft and a layshaft rotatably mounted in the gearbox housing outside of the stator. The motor gearbox assembly may comprise a first ear reduction between the rotor and the layshaft, and a second gear reduction between the layshaft and the main power output shaft.

Abstract: “An electrical propulsion system comprises an inverter, an electrical motor assembly, an assembly, and a rotor position sensor. The inverter comprises a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA). The electrical motor assembly comprises a stator and a rotor. The assembly is configured to rotate a propeller and comprises a moving component and a stationary component. The rotor position sensor comprises at least one sensor coupled to the PCBA, and a magnet located on the moving component. The at least one sensor is configured to detect a magnetic field of the magnet through the stationary component.

Abstract: A method for balancing a rotor of an electric engine, comprising: identifying an axis of rotation of the rotor, determining an imbalance present in the rotor by rotating the rotor about the axis of rotation, wherein determining the imbalance includes rotating the rotor and detecting an amplitude of the imbalance. The method further comprising: calculating an amount of mass to remove at a position along an inner circumference of the rotor such that a center of mass of the rotor coincides with the axis of rotation of the rotor and removing the amount of mass from the inner circumference of the rotor.