Abstract: A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (101) for transporting persons or loads, including a plurality of preferably equivalent and redundant electric motors (3) and propellers (2), substantially arranged in one surface, wherein each propeller is assigned an individual electric motor to drive the propeller, the aircraft being characterized in that at least one attitude sensor is provided for attitude control of the aircraft (101) in an active signal connection to at least one signal processing unit which is designed or set up to automatically perform the attitude control based on measurement data from the attitude sensor by regulating the speed of at least some of the electric motors (3), preferably with signal actions of the speed controller assigned to each electric motor such that the aircraft (101) is positioned in space with the surface defined by the propeller (2) substantially horizontal at all times, without control input by a pilot or a remote control.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 29, 2017
Date of Patent:
August 25, 2020
Assignee:
Volocopter GmbH
Inventors:
Thomas Senkel, Stephan Wolf, Alexander Zosel
Abstract: A method is provided for stabilizing an orientation and height of a person or load-carrying multicopter with a plurality of motors, wherein the drive of the individual motors in flight is continuously calculated by a flight control unit and correspondingly prescribed to the motors using control technology, for which purpose, based on a desired torque ?, of a desired thrust s preferably prescribed by a pilot signal, and of a motor matrix M, the drive of the motors is calculated by a motor allocation algorithm f and provided as a control signal to the motors, wherein the following applies to the drive and the corresponding manipulated motor variables u: u=f(?, s, M).
Type:
Application
Filed:
December 20, 2019
Publication date:
July 30, 2020
Applicant:
Volocopter GmbH
Inventors:
Jan ZWIENER, Thomas RUF, Walter FICHTER, Johannes STEPHAN
Abstract: An electric motor (1) is provided, preferably an internal rotor motor, having a housing (3) which is enclosed on all sides, except for a bushing for a drive shaft (2). A stator (5) is arranged in the housing, and is connected to a wall (3a) of the housing (3) in a thermally-conductive manner, wherein, externally to the wall (3a), a plurality of projections (6) are provided, which are oriented essentially parallel to the drive shaft (2), and wherein, externally to the housing (3), a fan wheel (8) is arranged on the drive shaft (2), the vanes (8a) of which, upon a rotation of the drive shaft (2), considered longitudinally to said drive shaft (2), pass over at least one region, in which region the projections (6) are arranged, such that a cooling air stream (KLS) is generated along the projections (6).
Abstract: A method for operating a transport system for passenger transportation, including the following steps: providing a plurality of vertically taking-off and vertically landing aircraft for passengers; providing a plurality of handing facilities for the take-off and landing of aircraft, wherein each handling facility has parking spaces for a plurality of aircraft; setting-up air routes between the handing facilities so that each handing facility is connected to at least one further handling facility via an air route, wherein there is continuous air traffic of aircraft on the air routes, at least in one flight direction, with automated take-off, automated flight along the air routes, and automated landing.
Abstract: A ground handling facility (1) for passenger-transporting aircraft (100), in particular vertical takeoff and landing multicopters, including: at least one first platform (2) which is designed as a landing platform (2) for a passenger-transporting aircraft (100), wherein a) the at least one first platform is simultaneously designed as a takeoff platform for a passenger-transporting aircraft (100), or b) wherein a second platform (3) is provided which is designed as a takeoff platform (3) for a passenger-transporting aircraft (100); at least one region (4) which is designed as weather protection for the passengers and the aircraft (100), in particular by provision of a canopy; and at least one conveying device (5.1; 5.2; 5.3) for the aircraft (100) that is designed to move the aircraft (100) from the landing platform (2) through the region (4) to the takeoff platform (3), in which region there is provided at least one station (6.1-6.4) which is configured for a predetermined interaction with the aircraft (100).