CN111788753A

CN111788753A - Power supply or drive system for a motor in an electrically driven aircraft

Info

Publication number: CN111788753A
Application number: CN201880087770.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: S·德蒙特
Original assignee: H55 SA
Current assignee: H55 SA
Priority date: 2018-01-25
Filing date: 2018-12-28
Publication date: 2020-10-16
Also published as: EP3743974A1; WO2019145777A1

Abstract

The present disclosure describes at least some embodiments of a power management system for an electric or hybrid aircraft. The system may include a first motor and a second motor supported by a housing of the aircraft. The first motor may be powered by a first battery pack and the second motor may be powered by a second battery pack different from the first battery pack. The first motor and the second motor may propel the housing, and the second motor may charge a second battery pack. The electronic circuit may cause the first battery pack to power the first motor while the second motor, acting as a generator, charges the second battery pack.

Description

Power supply or drive system for a motor in an electrically driven aircraft

Technical Field

The invention relates to a power supply or drive system for a motor in an electrically driven aircraft.

Background

Electric and hybrid vehicles have become increasingly important for the transportation of people and goods. Such vehicles may desirably provide an advantage of energy efficiency over oil powered vehicles and may produce less air pollution during operation than oil powered vehicles.

Although the technology of electric and hybrid vehicles has developed significantly in recent years, many innovations that can transition from fuel-powered vehicles to electric vehicles unfortunately cannot be directly applied to the development of electric or hybrid aircraft. The functions of automobiles and aircraft are quite different in many respects, which necessitates that many design elements of electric and hybrid aircraft be uniquely developed separately from those of electric and hybrid automobiles.

In particular, in electric or hybrid aircraft, it is more important to reduce the weight of the battery pack, while still being able to provide sufficient power during the takeoff, landing and climb phases.

In fact, the aircraft and its components may have different power requirements at different times. At takeoff, the aircraft may consume a relatively large amount of power for a short period of time to begin moving the aircraft and moving the aircraft off the ground. At cruising altitude and cruising speed, an aircraft may consume a relatively small amount of power over a longer period of time to maintain consistent speed and altitude. However, in order to realize a long distance, a large capacity (an amount of stored energy) is required. It is difficult for the battery to satisfy both requirements.

Electric and hybrid aircraft are typically powered by a battery pack that includes a plurality of battery cells, such as lithium ion or lithium polymer batteries. The battery cells are connected in series and/or parallel to deliver the required voltage and current. High power cells typically include large conductors required to carry high currents; these conductors reduce the energy density that can be stored per unit weight. High energy (i.e., high capacity) cells have fewer conductors to increase the density of the energy storage unit, but are unable to carry high currents.

Disclosure of Invention

The object is to improve an electric drive system for an electrically driven aircraft.

According to one aspect, the invention relates to an electrical power supply system, usable in an electrically powered aircraft, for supplying electrical power to drive a thrust producing propeller or a lift producing rotor, the electrical power supply system comprising:

at least one motor;

a first battery pack;

a second battery pack;

circuitry comprising a first controller for powering the at least one motor from the first battery pack and for generating a motor drive signal for driving the at least one motor;

a second controller for charging the second battery pack in accordance with a generator signal generated by a motor operating as a generator.

This solution has the advantage of charging the second battery pack from the first battery pack using the existing motor operating as a generator.

No additional circuitry is required to charge the second battery pack from the first battery pack. Thus, the weight of the system remains low and reliability is increased due to the reduced number of components.

Further, the aircraft may include one or more motors operable as generators to charge one or more different power sources. One of the different power sources may be used to drive one or more motors, while another of the different power sources may be simultaneously charged by one or more motors. Such an arrangement may be desirable, for example, because the charging power source may be charged from the supply power source without including additional circuitry and without increasing the weight of the aircraft to otherwise facilitate charging of the charging power source from the supply power source.

In order to flexibly meet the power requirements of the aircraft, the aircraft may include different power sources with different characteristics to supply power to the same components of the aircraft at different times or at the same time. The different power sources may be, for example, different batteries having different battery cells with different energy or power output capacities.

In one embodiment, a power supply system includes a first battery pack having a high energy density, low power battery cell; and a second battery pack having low energy density, high power cells.

The terms "low" and "high" are relative. A battery cell in a first battery stack is considered to have a high energy density if the energy density of the battery cell in the first battery stack is higher than the energy density of a cell in a second battery stack. Conversely, if the energy density of the battery cells in the second battery pack is lower than the energy density of the battery cells in the first battery pack, the battery cells in the second battery pack are considered to have a low energy density. Energy density is the amount of energy per unit weight, e.g., watt-hours.

The battery cells in the first battery pack are considered to have low power if the power that can be delivered by the battery cells in the first battery pack is lower than the power that can be delivered by the cells in the second battery pack. Conversely, if the power of the battery cells in the second battery pack is higher than the power of the cells in the first battery pack, the battery cells in the second battery pack are considered to have high power.

An arrangement with different battery cells in the two battery packs is also possible. For example, the power supply system may include:

a first battery pack including battery cells in a first arrangement; and

a second battery pack having battery cells in a second arrangement different from the first arrangement.

Different arrangements may include different connections of the battery cells in parallel or in series, for example. In one example, the second battery pack comprises a higher proportion of parallel connections than the first battery pack to deliver higher current and higher torque during short periods of time, such as during take-off or climb, while the first battery pack comprises a higher proportion of series connections to allow for higher voltages.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a power supply or drive system for an electrically driven aircraft comprises the following: at least one motor; a first battery pack comprising high energy density, low power cells; a second battery pack comprising low energy density, high power battery cells; and a circuit including a controller for generating a motor drive signal for driving the at least one motor.

Using two battery packs with different power and energy requirements optimizes the use of stored energy for different flight conditions. For example, the first battery pack may be used in standard flight conditions, where high power is not required, but high energy is required. The second battery pack may be used alone or in addition to the first battery pack for flight conditions with high power requirements, such as take-off or maneuvering.

In one embodiment, the power supply system is configured to charge a second battery pack from a first battery pack. This allows recharging the second battery pack during flight when it is already in use in high power demanding flight situations. Therefore, the second battery pack can be implemented to be small. This saves space and weight. Furthermore, this allows having different battery packs for different flight situations, thereby optimizing the use of the battery packs.

In one embodiment, the power supply system is configured to charge the second battery pack by one of the at least one motor operating as a generator. This allows recharging the second battery pack during flight after it has been used for high power demanding flight conditions. Therefore, the second battery pack can be implemented to be small. This saves space and weight. Furthermore, the different battery packs allow an improved recovery of braking energy. The braking energy recovered by the generator motor during landing and/or descent generates high currents that cannot be recovered by conventional battery packs used for long distances. By using a second battery pack adapted to receive high power in a short time, more braking energy may be recovered in the second battery pack.

In one embodiment, the third battery pack is implemented as a supercapacitor. The described system can be further improved since the super capacitor can receive and output large instantaneous power or high energy in a short time.

An aircraft according to the present disclosure may have features herein that improve the usability or operability of the aircraft.

Electric or hybrid aircraft also present challenges to storing, monitoring, and utilizing multiple battery cells. The battery cells may together represent a considerable weight and occupy a considerable space in an electric or hybrid aircraft. The battery cells may additionally pose a serious safety risk, such as in the case of a fire or a malfunction, and should therefore be carefully managed. Different electric or hybrid aircraft may also have different physical designs and different power requirements, which may affect the desired configuration of battery cells for different aircraft.

An aircraft according to the disclosure herein may be powered using a modular battery system. The modular battery system may include a plurality of battery packs that may be physically connected. The battery packs may each include a pack case that supports a plurality of battery cells electrically connected in parallel to each other through conductive plates, and may be connected to one or more pack cases of other battery packs. The stack shells may be shaped and sized such that the stack shells may be coupled together and adapted to a particular aircraft design, or to the placement of the stack shells in various portions of the aircraft. A plurality of battery packs may also be connected in series with one another to form a power source for an aircraft with a large output voltage.

A power management system for an aircraft is disclosed. The power management system may include a battery having energy density and power density battery cells that are different from one another and that may be used to selectively power the motors (transducers) of the aircraft at different times and to charge one another. The power management system may include a first battery pack, a second battery pack, and an electronic circuit. The first battery pack may power a motor supported by the housing. The motor may propel the housing. The second battery pack may power the motor and charge the first battery pack. The second battery pack may include lower energy density battery cells and higher power density battery cells than the first battery pack. The electronic circuit may control whether one or both of the first battery pack or the second battery pack powers the motor.

The power management system of the preceding paragraph may include one or more of the following features: the electronic circuit may control when the second battery pack charges the first battery pack. The electronic circuit may cause the second battery pack to charge the first battery pack when the first battery pack is powering the motor. The electronic circuit may cause the second battery pack to charge the first battery pack when the first battery pack is not supplying power to the motor. The power management system may include a super capacitor configured to charge the first battery pack. The electronic circuit may cause the supercapacitor to charge the first battery pack. The electronic circuit may control whether the super capacitor powers the motor. The motor acting as a generator may charge the super capacitor. The power management system may include a converter that may convert a first current from the first battery pack to a second current to charge the second battery pack.

The first battery pack or the second battery pack may include Li-ion or Li-Po cells. The electronic circuit may include a controller. The motor (transducer) may charge the first battery pack or the second battery pack. The power management system may include a commutator that may determine whether the motor is charging the first battery pack or the second battery pack. The power management system may include another motor (transducer) on the common shaft and mechanically coupled to the first motor, and the other motor may charge the first battery pack or the second battery pack while the motor propels the housing. The electronic circuit may generate a drive signal to operate the motor.

A method of operating a power management system of an aircraft is disclosed. The method can comprise the following steps: powering a motor supported by the housing with a first battery pack; powering the motor by a second battery pack comprising battery cells of lower energy density than the first battery pack and battery cells of higher power density than the first battery pack; propelling the housing by the motor; and controlling, by the electronic circuit, whether one or both of the first battery pack or the second battery pack powers the motor.

The method of the preceding paragraph may include one or more of the following features: the method may include powering the motor by the supercapacitor; and controlling, by the electronic circuit, whether the super capacitor powers the motor. The method may include charging the first battery pack or the second battery pack with a motor that functions as a generator. The method may include generating, by the electronic circuit, a drive signal to operate the motor.

A power management system for an aircraft having one or more motors is disclosed. The power management system may include a first battery pack, a second battery pack, and an electronic circuit. The first battery pack may power a first motor supported by the housing. The first motor may propel the housing. The second battery pack may power a second motor supported by the housing. The second motor may propel the housing and charge the second battery pack. The electronic circuit may cause the first battery pack to power the first motor while the second motor, acting as a generator, charges the second battery pack.

The power management system of the preceding paragraph may include one or more of the following features: the first motor and the second motor may be the same motor. The first motor may include a rotor, a first set of windings, and a second set of windings, and the first set of windings may be used to drive the rotor with a first battery pack, and the second set of windings may be used to charge a second battery pack. The first motor and the second motor may be mechanically coupled to each other. The first motor and the second motor may be different motors.

The electronic circuit may operate the first motor or the second motor in a plurality of modes, and the plurality of modes may include a first mode in which the first motor is powered by the first battery pack rather than the second battery pack. The plurality of modes may include one or more of a second mode in which the first motor is powered by the first battery pack and the second battery pack, a third mode in which the first motor is powered by the second battery pack but not the first battery pack, a fourth mode in which the first motor is powered by the first battery pack and the second motor charges the second battery pack, a fifth mode in which the first motor charges the first battery pack and the second motor is powered by the second battery pack, a sixth mode in which the first motor charges the first battery pack but the second battery pack is not charged or powered, a seventh mode in which, the second motor charges the second battery pack while the first battery pack is not charged or powered, and in the eighth mode, the first motor charges the first battery pack while the second motor charges the second battery pack. The power management system may include a super capacitor, and the plurality of modes may include one or more of a ninth mode in which the first motor or the second motor is powered by the super capacitor, a tenth mode in which the first motor or the second motor is powered by the super capacitor and the first battery pack or the second battery pack, an eleventh mode in which the first motor is powered by the first battery pack, the second motor is powered by the second battery pack, and the first motor or the second motor charges the super capacitor, a twelfth mode in which the first motor or the second motor charges the super capacitor, and a thirteenth mode in which the first motor or the second motor charges the super capacitor and the first battery pack or the second battery pack. The second battery pack may include battery cells of lower energy density than the first battery pack and battery cells of higher power density than the first battery pack. The power management system may include a super capacitor. The electronic circuitry may include power to the motor from the first battery pack, the second battery pack, and the ultracapacitor. The first motor may charge the first battery pack, the second battery pack, or the supercapacitor. The super capacitor may charge the first battery pack or the second battery pack. The electronic circuitry may include one or more controllers. The electronic circuit may generate a drive signal to operate the first motor or the second motor.

A method of operating a power management system of a vehicle is disclosed. The method can comprise the following steps: powering a first motor supported by the housing with a first battery pack; powering a second motor supported by the housing with a second battery pack different from the first battery pack; propelling the housing by the first motor; propelling the housing by the second motor; and charging, by the second motor, the second battery pack while the first battery pack is supplying power to the first motor.

The method of the preceding paragraph may include one or more of the following features: the first motor and the second motor may be the same motor. The first motor may include a rotor, a first set of windings, and a second set of windings, and charging may include charging the second battery pack with the second set of windings while the first battery pack drives the rotor via the first set of windings. The method may include mechanically coupling a first motor to a second motor.

A power management system for a vehicle having an electric motor is disclosed. The power management system may include a first power source, a second power source, and an electronic circuit. The first power source may power an electric motor supported by the housing. The electric motor may propel the housing. The second power source may power the electric motor and be charged by the electric motor when the first power source powers the electric motor; the electronic circuit may cause the first power source to power the electric motor while the electric motor charges the second power source. The electric motor may include a rotor, a first set of windings, and a second set of windings, and the first set of windings may be used to drive the rotor from a first power source, and the second set of windings may be used to charge a second power source from the rotor.

A control system for a motor of a vehicle including a plurality of field coils is disclosed. The control system may include a memory device and a controller. The memory device may store operating parameters. The controller may vary a current supplied to each of a plurality of field coils of the motor based on the operating parameter to compensate for a failure of one or more of the plurality of field coils and maintain a power output of the motor despite the failure of the one or more of the plurality of field coils. The plurality of field coils may generate a torque on a rotor of the motor. The motor may be supported by and propels the housing.

The control system of the preceding paragraph may include one or more of the following features: the controller may vary a rotational rate of a motor supported by the housing or a pitch of the propeller to compensate for a failure of one or more of the plurality of field coils and maintain the power output despite the failure of the one or more of the plurality of field coils. The controller may: supplying a primary current to all of the plurality of field coils in an order before supplying another primary current to any of the plurality of field coils before a first field coil of the plurality of field coils fails; and no current is supplied to the first field coil after the first field coil fails. The controller may increase the current provided to at least some of the plurality of field coils after the first field coil fails to compensate for the failure of the first field coil. The controller may increase the current supplied to the second and third exciting coils of the plurality of exciting coils after the first exciting coil fails. The first field coil may be sequentially before the second field coil and after the third field coil. The sensor may detect a failure of one or more of the plurality of field coils. The sensor may detect a failure of one or more of the plurality of field coils based on a temperature, current, or magnetic field measured by the sensor. The controller is no longer able to provide current to a first field coil of the plurality of field coils in response to detecting a failure of the first field coil. The controller may set the operating parameter in response to an output from the sensor. The controller may vary the current supplied to each of the field coils to compensate for a failure of at least two of the plurality of field coils. The controller may vary the current supplied to each of the field coils to compensate for a failure of at least three of the plurality of field coils. The controller may modulate power input to the motor over time to compensate for a failure of one or more of the plurality of field coils. The controller may increase a power input to one or more active ones of the plurality of field coils during a modulation cycle of the motor to compensate for a failure of the one or more of the plurality of field coils. The controller may maintain the power output of the motor above a threshold despite failure of one or more of the plurality of field coils. The operating parameter may indicate which of the one or more of the plurality of field coils is disabled. The motor may be an electric motor.

A method of operating a motor of a vehicle is disclosed. The method can comprise the following steps: supporting the motor by the housing; providing a current to each of a plurality of field coils of a motor to generate a torque on a rotor of the motor; propelling the housing by the motor; and varying the current supplied to each of the plurality of field coils to compensate for a failure of one or more of the plurality of field coils and maintain the power output of the motor despite the failure of the one or more of the plurality of field coils.

The method of the preceding paragraph may include one or more of the following features: the method may include varying a rotational rate of the motor or a pitch of a propeller supported by the housing to compensate for a failure of one or more of the plurality of field coils and maintain the power output despite the failure of the one or more of the plurality of field coils. The altering may include increasing a current provided to at least some of the plurality of field coils after a failure of a first field coil of the plurality of field coils to compensate for the failure of the first field coil. The method may include detecting, by a sensor, a failure of one or more of the plurality of field coils. The power output of the motor may remain above the threshold despite failure of one or more of the plurality of field coils.

A modular power system for an electric or hybrid aircraft is disclosed. The modular power system may include a power source configured to supply power to a motor and including a plurality of battery packs. The motor may propel a vehicle housing configured for flight. The plurality of battery packs may include a first battery pack and a second battery pack. The first battery pack may include a first pack case, a plurality of first battery cells, and a first plate. The first group case may support a plurality of first battery cells, and the plurality of first battery cells may be electrically connected in parallel to each other at least by the first plate. The second battery pack may include a second pack case, a plurality of second battery cells, and a second plate. The second set of housings may support a plurality of second battery cells and be coupled to the first set of housings. The plurality of second battery cells may be electrically connected in parallel to each other through at least the second plate and electrically connected in series with the plurality of first battery cells.

The modular power system of the preceding paragraph may include one or more of the following features: the first plate may distribute heat evenly over the plurality of first battery cells such that the plurality of first battery cells age at a common rate. The first battery pack may be air-cooled. The first plate may comprise copper. The plurality of first battery cells may include 16 battery cells. Each of at least some of the plurality of first battery cells may be substantially cylindrically shaped. The first set of housings may be shaped substantially as a rectangular prism. The first set of housings may comprise plastic. The first group case may prevent fire in the plurality of first battery cells from spreading to the outside of the first group case. The modular power system may include one or more sensors that monitor a voltage or temperature of individual ones of the first plurality of battery cells. The power source may be electrically isolated by electrical isolation from another power source configured to power the motor. The first battery pack may not be electrically isolated from the second battery pack. The power source may have an output voltage of less than 120V. The power source may have a maximum power output of between 1kW and 60 kW during operation. The power source may have a maximum voltage output of between 10V and 120V during operation. The power source has a maximum current output between 100A and 500A during operation. A first side of the first set of housings may be coupled to the second set of housings, and a second side of the first set of housings opposite the first side may be coupled to a third set of housings supporting a third plurality of battery cells. The first set of housings and the second set of housings may be sized and shaped to fit between structural supports of the vehicle housings when the first set of housings are coupled to the second set of housings. The first set of housings and the second set of housings may be sized and shaped to fit within the wings of the vehicle housing when the first set of housings are coupled to the second set of housings. The first set of shells and the second set of shells may be sized and shaped to fit within the engine compartment of the wing when the first set of shells is coupled to the second set of shells. The first set of shells and the second set of shells may each have an outer length, an outer width, and an outer height that each range from 30 mm to 250 mm. The outer length, outer width and outer height may each range from 50 mm to 100 mm. The first battery pack and the second battery pack may be electrically coupled in series with a plurality of additional battery packs. The total number of battery packs included in the plurality of additional battery packs may be adjusted to scale the size or output of the power source. One or more of the first battery pack, the second battery pack, or the plurality of additional battery packs may be disconnected to reduce the size or output of the power source.

A modular power system for an electric or hybrid aircraft is disclosed. The modular power system may include a power source configured to supply power to a motor and including a plurality of battery packs. The motor may propel a vehicle housing configured for flight, the plurality of battery packs including a first battery pack and a second battery pack. The first battery pack may include a first pack case and a plurality of first battery cells. The first group of housings may support a plurality of first battery cells and have a first outer length ranging from 30 mm to 250 mm, a first outer width, and a first outer height. The second battery pack may include a second pack case and a plurality of second battery cells. The second set of housings may support a plurality of second battery cells and be coupled to the first set of housings. The second set of shells may have a second outer length, a second outer width, and a second outer height each ranging from 30 mm to 250 mm. The second battery cells may be electrically connected in parallel with each other and electrically connected in series with the plurality of first battery cells.

Drawings

The invention will be better understood with the aid of the description of an embodiment given by way of example and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A illustrates an aircraft, such as an electric aircraft or a hybrid aircraft;

FIG. 1B shows a simplified block diagram of an aircraft;

FIG. 2 illustrates a management system for operating an aircraft;

FIG. 3 illustrates an aircraft surveillance system;

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate an embodiment of a battery monitoring system;

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate an embodiment of a primary circuit for monitoring a battery monitoring system;

FIGS. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 show schematic diagrams of embodiments of a power management system;

14A and 14B illustrate a battery pack that may be used in an aircraft;

fig. 15A and 15B show a power source formed of a plurality of battery packs;

FIG. 16 illustrates a plurality of power sources arranged and connected for powering an aircraft;

17A and 17B illustrate a plurality of power sources located within an aircraft nose for powering an aircraft;

18A and 18B illustrate a plurality of power sources located in an aircraft wing for powering an aircraft;

fig. 19 shows a motor having a plurality of field coils; and

fig. 20 illustrates a process for operating a motor to compensate for a failure of an excitation coil of the motor.

Detailed Description

Overview of the System

FIG. 1A illustrates an aircraft 100, such as an electric or hybrid aircraft, and FIG. 1B illustrates a simplified block diagram of the aircraft 100. The aircraft 100 includes a motor 110, a management system 120, and a power source 130. The motors 110 may be used to propel the aircraft 100 and fly and sail the aircraft 100. The management system 120 may control and monitor components of the aircraft 100, such as the motors 110 and the power source 130. The power source 130 may power the motor 110 to drive the aircraft 100 and the management system 120 to enable operation of the management system 120. The management system 120 may include one or more controllers and other electronic circuitry for controlling and monitoring components of the aircraft 100.

FIG. 2 illustrates a component 200 of an aircraft, such as aircraft 100 of FIGS. 1A and 1B. The components 200 may include a power management system 210, a motor management system 220, and a recorder 230, as well as a first battery pack 212A, a second battery pack 212B, an alarm panel 214, fuses and relays 216, a converter 217, a cockpit battery pack 218, a motor controller 222, one or more motors 224, and a throttle 226.

The power management system 210, the motor management system 220, and the recorder 230 may monitor communications on a communication bus, such as a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, and communicate via the communication bus. First battery pack 212A and second battery pack 212B may communicate, for example, over a communication bus, such that power management system 210 is able to monitor and control first battery pack 212A and second battery pack 212B. As another example, the motor controller 222 may communicate over a communication bus such that the motor management system 220 can monitor and control the motor controller 222.

Logger 230 may store some or all of the data transmitted over the communication bus (such as component status, temperature, or over/under voltage information from components or other sensors) to a memory device for later reference, such as for reference by power management system 210 or motor management system 220, or for troubleshooting or debugging by maintenance workers. The power management system 210 and the motor management system 220 may each output or include a user interface that presents status information and allows for system configuration. Power management system 210 may control a charging process (e.g., a charging timing, a current level, or a voltage level) of the aircraft when the aircraft is coupled to an external power source to charge a power source of the aircraft, such as first battery pack 212A or second battery pack 212B.

The alarm panel 214 may be a panel that alerts the pilot or another person or computer to a problem, such as a problem associated with a power source, such as the first battery pack 212A. A fuse and relay 216 may be associated with first battery pack 212A and second battery pack 212B and may be used to transfer power to a cockpit battery pack 218 through a converter 217 (e.g., a dc-dc converter). Fuse and relay 216 may protect one or more battery poles of first battery stack 212A and second battery stack 212B from short circuits or overcurrent. The cockpit battery pack 218 may supply power to the communication bus.

The motor management system 220 may provide control commands to a motor controller 222, which may in turn be used to operate one or more motors 224. The motor controller 222 may further operate in accordance with instructions from the throttle 226, which may be controlled by the pilot of the aircraft. The one or more motors may comprise electric brushless motors.

The power management system 210 and the motor management system 220 may execute the same or similar software instructions and may perform the same or similar functions as each other. However, the power management system 210 may be primarily responsible for power management functions, while the motor management system 220 may be secondarily responsible for power management functions. Similarly, the motor management system 220 may be primarily responsible for motor management functions, while the power management system 210 may be secondarily responsible for motor management functions. For example, depending on the system configuration, such as one or more memory flags in memory indicating desired functions, the respective functions may be assigned to power management system 210 and motor management system 220. The power management system 210 and the motor management system 220 may include the same or similar computer hardware.

The power management system 210 may automatically perform the motor management function when the motor management system 220 is not operational (such as in the event of a restart or failure of the motor management system 220), and the motor management system 220 may automatically perform the power management function when the power management system 210 is not operational (such as in the event of a restart or failure of the power management system 210). Further, power management system 210 and motor management system 220 may take over functions from each other without communicating operational data, such as data about one or more of the components controlled or monitored by power management system 210 and motor management system 220. This may be because the power management system 210 and the motor management system 220 may monitor communications on the communication bus in unison to generate control information, but the control information may be used if the power management system 210 and the motor management system 220 have primary responsibility and may not be used if the power management system 210 and the motor management system 220 do not have primary responsibility. Additionally or alternatively, the power management system 210 and the motor management system 220 may also access data stored by the recorder 230 to obtain information that may be used to take over primary responsibilities.

System architecture

Electric and hybrid aircraft (rather than aircraft powered by fuel during operation) have been designed and manufactured for decades. However, electric and hybrid aircraft are still not widely used for most transportation applications, such as carrying passengers or cargo.

This failure to be suitable may be due in large part to the fact that it may be very difficult to design an aircraft that is sufficiently secure to be certified by a certification authority. Furthermore, authentication of the prototype may not be sufficient to authenticate it as commercially viable. Instead, each individual aircraft and its components may need to be certified.

The present disclosure provides at least some methods for constructing an electric aircraft from components and systems that have been designed to pass certification requirements, such that the aircraft itself can pass certification requirements and enter into active commercial use.

The authentication requirements may be related to security risk analysis. A condition that may occur to an aircraft or component thereof may be assigned to one of a plurality of security risk assessments, which in turn may be associated with a particular certification criterion. The condition may be, for example, catastrophic, dangerous, major, minor, or no safety impact. A catastrophic condition may refer to a condition that may result in multiple deaths or losses of the aircraft. A hazardous condition may reduce the ability of the aircraft or the ability of the operator to handle adverse conditions to the extent that there will be a substantial reduction in safety margin or functional capability, a physical distress/excessive workload on the flight crew such that the operator can no longer be relied upon to accurately or fully perform the required task, or a serious or fatal injury to a small number of aircraft occupants (other than the operator), or fatal injury to ground personnel or the general public. The prevailing conditions may reduce the aircraft or operator's ability to cope with adverse operating conditions to the extent that there will be a significant reduction in safety margin or functional capability, a significant increase in operator workload, conditions that impair operator efficiency or cause significant discomfort to aircraft occupants (other than the operator), which may include injury, major occupational disease, major environmental damage, or major property damage. Mild conditions may not significantly reduce system safety such that the action required by the operator is well within its capabilities, and may include a slight reduction in safety margin or functional capability, a slight increase in workload (such as daily flight plan changes), some physical discomfort to aircraft occupants (other than the operator), a slight occupational illness, slight environmental damage, or slight property damage. A condition of no security impact may refer to a condition of no impact on security.

The aircraft may be designed such that the different subsystems of the aircraft are constructed to have robustness and potentially any subsystem redundancy corresponding to their responsibilities and any associated certification criteria. In the event that a potential failure of subsystem responsibility may be catastrophic, the subsystem may be designed to be simple and robust, and thus may be able to meet difficult certification criteria. For example, a subsystem may be composed of non-programmable, non-stateful components (e.g., analog or non-programmable combinational logic electronic components) rather than programmable components (e.g., processors, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), or Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs)) or stateful components (e.g., sequential logic electronic components) and activate indicators such as lights rather than more complex displays. On the other hand, in the event that (i) a subsystem of the aircraft redundantly monitors parameters with another subsystem of the aircraft that is comprised of non-programmable, non-stateful components, or (ii) a potential failure of the responsibilities of the subsystems may not be catastrophic, the subsystems may be at least partially digital and designed to be complex, feature rich, and more easily updated and still be able to meet the associated certification criteria. The subsystem may include, for example, a processor that outputs information to a complex display for presentation.

In some implementations, some or all of the catastrophic conditions monitored by the aircraft may be monitored with at least one subsystem that does not include a programmable or stateful component, as authentication of a programmable or stateful component may require statistical analysis of the responsible subsystem, which may be very expensive and complex to authenticate. Moreover, such embodiments may be counterintuitive, at least because the electric or hybrid aerial vehicle may include one or more relatively advanced programmable or stateful components that are capable of operating the electric or hybrid aerial vehicle, it may be undesirable to include one or more subsystems that do not include any programmable components or any stateful components in the aerial vehicle, as the one or more relatively advanced programmable or stateful components may be readily capable of performing the functions of the one or more subsystems that do not include any programmable components or any stateful components.

An aircraft surveillance system may include a first subsystem and a second subsystem. The first subsystem may be supported by the aircraft housing and include non-programmable, non-stateful components, such as analog or non-programmable combinational logic electronic components. A non-programmable, non-stateful component may monitor a component supported by an aircraft casing and output a first alert to notify of a catastrophic condition associated with the component. The non-programmable, non-stateful component may, for example, activate an indicator or audible alarm to output a first alarm to a passenger on the housing. The indicator or audible alarm may remain inactive unless the indicator outputs the first alarm. Additionally or alternatively, the non-programmable, non-stateful component may output a first alert to a computer on or remote from the aircraft or an operator of the aircraft via the telemetry system (e.g., to automatically trigger an action to attempt to respond to or address a catastrophic condition, such as stopping charging or activating a fire extinguisher, parachute, or emergency landing procedure or other emergency response feature). Further, a non-programmable, non-stateful component may not be able to control the component or at least not control certain functions of the component, such as controlling a mode or triggering operation of the component.

The second subsystem may be supported by the aircraft housing and include a processor (or another programmable or stateful component) and a communication bus. The processor may monitor the component based on communications on the communication bus and output a second alert to notify of a catastrophic condition or a next catastrophic condition associated with the component. The processor may, for example, activate an indicator or audible alarm to output a second alarm to the occupant of the enclosure. Additionally or alternatively, the processor may output a second alert to a computer on or remote from the aircraft or an operator of the aircraft via the telemetry system (e.g., to automatically trigger an action in an attempt to address the catastrophic condition, such as activating a fire extinguisher, parachute, or emergency landing procedure). A processor may control the components. The non-programmable, non-stateful components of the first subsystem may no longer be able to communicate via the communication bus.

Examples of this design and its benefits are described next in the context of a battery management system. It is noted that this design may additionally or alternatively be applied to other systems of the vehicle that perform functions other than battery management, such as motor control.

Battery management examples

Battery packs comprising a plurality of battery cells, such as lithium ion battery cells, may be used in electric automobiles, electric aircraft, and other electric self-powered vehicles. The cells may be connected in series or in parallel to deliver the appropriate voltage and current.

The battery cells in the battery pack may be managed and controlled by a Battery Management System (BMS). The BMS may be a circuit that manages the rechargeable battery cells by controlling charge and discharge cycles of the rechargeable battery cells, preventing them from operating outside their safe operating areas, balancing charge between cells, and the like. The BMS may also monitor battery parameters, such as the temperature, voltage, current, internal resistance, or pressure of the battery cells, and report an abnormality. The BMS may be provided as discrete electronic components by various manufacturers.

Damage to the battery cells can be a very serious accident that can lead to fire, explosion or interruption of the power supply circuit. Thus, any damage to a battery in a vehicle, such as an electric aircraft, is expected to be immediately and reliably reported to the pilot or pilot of the vehicle. Reliable monitoring of the battery cells by the BMS may be critical to the safety of the electric aircraft.

However, the BMS may rarely fail, which may cause problems with respect to the battery cells that are not correctly reported. For example, in some cases, an overvoltage or overtemperature condition affects not only the battery cells, but also their BMS, such that failure of a battery cell is not detected or correctly reported. Even if the BMS is operating correctly, the connection bus between the BMS and the cockpit can be defective and prevent the alarm signal from being transmitted.

To prevent such a risk, the battery cells may be monitored using the second redundant BMS. If two BMSs are of the same type, a defect or conceptual defect affecting one BMS may also affect a redundant BMS such that the gain in reliability is limited. The present disclosure at least provides a method for improving reliability of battery cell failure detection in electric vehicles, such as electric aircraft. Redundant monitoring of each cell parameter may be performed using two different circuits. Since the second redundant monitoring circuit may include non-programmable, non-stateful components rather than processors, sequential logic electronic components, or programmable combinational logic electronic components, its authentication may be easier and its reliability may be improved. For example, since the second redundant circuitry may be processor-free, may not include any sequential or programmable combinational logic electronic components, and may not be dependent on any software (e.g., executable program code executed by a processor), authentication thereof is easier than if the second redundant circuitry was dependent on a processor, sequential or programmable combinational logic electronic components, or software.

The second redundant monitoring circuit may provide redundant monitoring of battery parameters and redundant transmission of those parameters, or provide an alarm signal dependent on those parameters. The second battery monitoring system may transmit an analog or binary signal rather than a multivalued digital signal. The second battery monitoring circuit may provide monitoring of battery parameters and transmission of parameters or alarm signals, regardless of the charge and discharge of the battery cells. Thus, the second redundant battery monitoring circuit can be made simple, easily verifiable, and reliable.

Fig. 3 shows a battery monitoring system. The system may be used in electric vehicles, such as electric aircraft, large unmanned or unmanned aerial vehicles, electric cars, etc., to monitor the status of the battery cells 1 in one of the plurality of battery packs and report the status or generate an alarm signal in case of failure.

The battery cells 1 may be connected in series or in parallel to deliver a desired voltage and current. Fig. 3 shows battery cells connected in series. In an electric aircraft, the total number of battery cells 1 may exceed 100 cells. Each of the battery cells 1 may be constituted by a plurality of basic battery cells connected in parallel.

The first battery monitoring circuit may control and monitor the state of each battery cell 1. The first battery management circuit may include a plurality of BMSs 2, each of which BMS2 manages and controls one of the battery cells 1. The BMS2 may be each composed of an integrated circuit (e.g., an application specific integrated circuit) mounted on one Printed Circuit Board (PCB) of the PCB 20. One of the PCBs 20 may be used for each battery cell 1. Fig. 4 shows exemplary components in one of the BMS 2.

The control of the battery cells may include control of their charge and discharge cycles, preventing the battery cells from operating outside their safe operating area, or balancing the charge between different cells.

Monitoring of one of the battery cells 1 by one of the BMSs 2 may include measuring parameters of one of the battery cells 1 to detect and report its condition and possible dysfunction. The measurement of the parameters may be performed using cell parameter sensors, which may be integrated in one of the BMS2 or connected to one of the BMS 2. Examples of such parameter sensors may include a temperature sensor 21, a voltage sensor 22, or a current sensor. The analog-to-digital converter 23 may convert analog values measured by one or more parameter sensors into multi-valued digital values, such as 8 or 16 bit digital parameter values. The microcontroller 24, which may be part of each of the BMS2, may compare the value to a threshold to detect when the cell temperature, cell voltage, or cell current is out of range.

The BMS2 as the slave may be controlled by one of the plurality of first main circuits 5. In the example of fig. 3, each first main circuit 5 may control four BMSs 2. Each first main circuit 5 may control eight BMS2 or more than eight BMS 2. In other embodiments, the first main circuit 5 may control more BMSs and more battery cells. The first main circuit 5 may be connected and communicate through a digital communication bus 55.

The first main circuit 5 may also be connected to a computer 9, which computer 9 collects various digital signals and data transmitted by the first main circuit 5 and may display information related to the battery state and alarm signals on a display 13, such as a matrix display. The display 13 may be mounted in the cockpit of the vehicle so as to be visible to the driver or pilot of the vehicle. Additionally or alternatively, the computer 9 may output information to a computer remote from the aircraft or control the operation of one or more components of the aircraft as described herein.

The BMS2 may be connected to the first main circuit 5 through a digital communication bus such as a CAN bus. The bus driver 25 may interface the microcontroller 24 with the digital communication bus and provide a first electrical isolation 59 between the PCB20 and the first main circuit 5. In one example, the bus drivers of the adjacent BMS2 may be daisy-chained. For example, as shown in fig. 4, the bus driver 25 is connected to the bus driver 27 of the previous BMS and the bus driver 28 of the next BMS.

Each BMS2 and their associated microcontroller may be restarted by switching its power voltage Vcc. The interruption of Vcc may be controlled by the first main circuit 5 through the digital communication bus and the power source 26.

Fig. 6 shows exemplary components of one of the first main circuits 5. One of the first main circuits 5 may include a first driver 51 for connecting one of the first main circuits 5 with one of the BMS2 through a digital communication bus, a microcontroller 50, and a second driver 52 for connecting the first main circuit 5 therebetween and with the computer 9 through a second digital communication bus 55 such as a second CAN bus. A second galvanic isolation 58 may be provided between the first and second main circuits 5, 7 and the computer 9. The second electrical isolation 58 may be, for example, 1500 VDC, 2500 Vrms, 3750 Vrms, or other isolation magnitude. The microcontroller 50, the first driver 51 and the second driver 52 may be powered by a power supply circuit 53 and may be mounted on a PCB54, one such PCB being provided for each of the first main circuits 5.

Fig. 3 also shows a second battery monitor circuit, which may be redundant to the first battery monitor circuit. The second battery monitoring circuit may not manage the battery unit 1. For example, the second battery monitoring circuit may not control the charge or discharge cycle of the battery unit 1. The function of the second battery monitoring circuit may alternatively provide separate, redundant monitoring of each battery cell 1 in the battery pack and send those parameters or warning signals related to those parameters to a pilot or driver or a computer on-board or remote from the aircraft such as described herein. The second battery monitoring circuit is capable of monitoring the state of each of the battery cells 1 independently of the first battery monitoring circuit. The second battery monitoring circuit may comprise one of a plurality of cell monitoring circuits 3 for each battery cell. Furthermore, when one or more battery units may be fully charged and the aircraft's computer continues to charge one or more battery units, the parameter or alarm signal may be used, for example, by a second battery monitoring circuit to stop charging one or more battery units (e.g., by opening a relay to disconnect the power supply).

Fig. 5 shows exemplary components of one of the cell monitoring circuits 3. Each cell monitoring circuit 3 may include a plurality of

cell parameter sensors

30, 31, 32, 33 for measuring various parameters of one of the battery cells 1. The sensor 30 may measure a first temperature at a first location in one of the battery cells and detect an over-temperature condition; sensor 31 may measure a second temperature at a second location in the same battery cell and detect an over-temperature condition; sensor 32 may detect an under-voltage condition in the same cell; also, the sensor 33 may detect an overvoltage condition on the same battery cell. For example, an under-voltage condition may be detected when the voltage at the output of one cell is below 3.1 volts or another threshold. For example, an overvoltage condition may be detected when the voltage at the output of one battery cell is above 4.2 volts or another threshold. The threshold used may depend on, for example, the type of battery cell 1 or the number of elementary cells in the cell. Thus, each or some of the sensors 30-33 may include a sensor and an analog comparator for comparing the value delivered by the sensor with one or two threshold values and outputting a binary value in accordance with the comparison. In other embodiments, other cell parameter sensors, such as overcurrent detection sensors, may also be used.

Various parameters associated with one of the battery cells 1 may be combined using a combinational logic circuit 35, such as an AND gate (AND). The combinational logic circuit 35 may not include programmable logic. In the example of fig. 5, the binary signals output by the

sensors

30, 31 and 32 are combined into a single alarm signal by means of a boolean and gate, which can have a positive value (alarm signal) only in the case where the temperatures measured by the two temperature sensors exceed the temperature threshold and the voltage of the battery is lower than the voltage threshold. In the example of fig. 5, the detection of the overvoltage condition by the sensor 33 may not be combined with any other measures and may be used directly as an alarm signal.

The alarm signal delivered by the combination logic 35 or directly by the parameter sensors 30-33 can be transmitted to the second main circuit 7 through a line 76, which line 7 can be dedicated and distinct from the digital communication bus used by the first battery monitoring circuit. The

optocoupler

36, 37, 38 provides a third electrical isolation 60 between the component 30-38 and the second main circuit 7. The third electrical isolation 60 may provide the same isolation as the first electrical isolation 59, such as 30V isolation, or the third electrical isolation 60 may provide a different isolation than the first electrical isolation 59.

The sensors 30-33 and the combinational logic element 35 may be powered by a power supply circuit 34 that delivers a power voltage Vcc 2. The power supply circuit 34 can be reset from the second main circuit 7 using an ON/OFF (ON/OFF) signal transmitted ON the optocoupler 38.

The sensors 30-33 and the combinational logic element 35 may be mounted on a PCB. One such PCB may be provided for each battery cell 1. The sensors 30-33 and the combinational logic element 35 may be mounted on the same PCB20 as one of the BMS2 of the first battery monitoring circuit.

Fig. 7 shows exemplary components of one of the second main circuits 7. In the example of fig. 5, one of the second main circuits 7 may comprise a combinational logic element 72, which may not comprise programmable logic, for combining alarm signals from different battery cells, such as the over/under temperature alarm signals uv1, uv2,. or the over voltage signals ov1, ov2,. into a combined alarm signal, such as a total uv (under voltage condition in case of over temperature) alarm signal and a separate over voltage alarm signal ov. Those alarm signals uv, ov may be activated when any battery unit 1 monitored by one of the second main circuits 7 fails. They can be transmitted to the next and previous second

main circuits

74, 75 via optical couplers 70, 71 and line 76 and to the warning display panel 11 in the cockpit of the vehicle for displaying a warning signal to the driver or pilot. The alarm display panel 11 may include a lamp, such as a Light Emitting Diode (LED), for displaying an alarm signal.

With the disclosed design of the cell monitoring circuit 3 and the second main circuit 7, it is possible that no sleep alarm may be detected. For example, if a cable may break or the power source is not activated, the alarm panel 11 may correctly show an alarm regardless of the broken cable or the non-activated power source. This may be achieved, for example, by using inverting logic, such that the indicator may be activated if the alarm panel 11 does not receive a voltage or current on the alarm line, but deactivated if the alarm panel 11 receives a voltage or current on the alarm line.

One of the second main circuits 7 may be mounted on a PCB. One such PCB may be provided for each second main circuit 7. One of the second main circuits 7 may be mounted on the same PCB54 as one of the first main circuits 5 of the first battery monitoring circuit.

As can be seen, the second battery monitor circuit may exclusively include non-programmable, non-stateful components (such as analog components or non-programmable combinational logic components). The second battery monitor circuit may be processor-less and may not include any sequential or programmable combinational logic. The second battery monitoring circuit may not run any computer code or be programmable. This simplicity may provide a very reliable second monitoring circuit and may provide simple authentication of the second battery monitoring circuit and the entire system including the second battery monitoring circuit.

The second battery monitoring circuit may be configured to cause any faulty line, component or power source to trigger an alarm. In one example, a "0" on a line that may be caused by the detection of a problem in a cell or by a defective sensor, line, or electronic component may be signaled as an alarm on an alarm panel; the alarm can be deactivated only if all monitored units and all monitoring components are functioning properly. For example, if a voltage comparator or temperature sensor is damaged, an alarm may be triggered.

The computer 9, the display 13 and the warning display panel 11 in the cockpit may be powered by a power source 15 in the cockpit, which power source 15 may be a cockpit battery and may be independent of other power sources used to power one or more other components.

Motor and battery system

In electrically driven aircraft, the battery pack may be selected to meet the electrical requirements of various flight modes. During short periods like take-off, the electric motor will utilize a relatively high power. During most of the time, such as in a standard flight mode, the electric motor may utilize relatively low power, but may consume high energy to enable long distance travel. Both of these power utilizations may be difficult to achieve for a single battery.

Using two battery packs with different power or energy characteristics may optimize the use of stored energy for different flight conditions. For example, the first battery pack may be used in standard flight conditions, where high power output may not be required, but high power output may be required. The second battery pack may be used alone or in addition to the first battery pack for flight conditions with high power output requirements, such as takeoff maneuvers.

The first battery pack may have a higher capacity (amount of stored energy) and lower power than the second battery pack.

Different battery packs may include different types of battery cells. For example, the first battery pack may have fewer conductors than the second battery pack. Reducing the number of conductors in each cell or between cells reduces the maximum current that can be delivered, and therefore reduces the maximum power of the battery pack, but increases the number of battery cells that can be loaded per unit volume weight, and therefore increases capacity.

In another embodiment, different battery packs may have the same type of battery cells.

Different battery packs may include the same type of battery cells, or different types of battery cells, but with different arrangements. For example, the second battery pack may have a higher proportion of parallel connections than the first battery pack relative to the total number of connections, which enables the second battery pack to deliver a higher current, but a lower voltage, than the first battery pack.

The power supply system may charge the second battery pack from the first battery pack. This may allow the second battery pack to be recharged during flight after the second battery pack is used for flight conditions where high power output is required. Therefore, the second battery pack may be small, which may save space and weight. Furthermore, this may allow different battery packs to be used for different flight conditions, which optimizes the use of the battery packs.

The power supply system can also charge the second battery pack via at least one motor (which can also be referred to as a transducer, respectively) acting as a generator. This may allow the second battery pack to be recharged during flight or after the second battery pack has been used in flight conditions with high power output requirements. Therefore, the second battery pack may be small, which may save space and weight. Additionally, different battery packs may allow for regenerative braking energy. The braking energy recovered by the generator motor during landing or descent may generate high current that may not be recoverable by the battery pack for long distance travel. For example, by using the second battery pack adapted to receive high power output in a short time, more braking energy can be recovered via the second battery pack than the first battery pack.

The power supply system may further comprise a third battery pack comprising a super capacitor. Since the super capacitor can receive and output a large instantaneous power or high energy in a short duration, the third battery pack can further improve the power supply system in some cases. The supercapacitor may, for example, have a capacitance of 0.1F, 0.5F, 1F, 5F, 10F, 50F, 100F or more, or within a range defined by one of the aforementioned capacitance values.

Fig. 8 to 13 show a plurality of power supply systems.

Fig. 8 shows a power supply system comprising a first battery pack 91, a second battery pack 92, a circuit 90 and at least one motor 94.

The first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 may each store electric energy for driving at least one motor 94. The first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 may have different electrical characteristics. First battery pack 91 may have a higher energy capacity per kilogram than second battery pack 92, and first battery pack 91 may have a higher power capacity (watt-hours) than second battery pack 92. Furthermore, first battery pack 91 may have a lower maximum, rated or peak power than second battery pack 92; first battery pack 91 may have a lower maximum, rated, or peak current than second battery pack 92; alternatively, first battery pack 91 may have a lower maximum, nominal, or peak voltage than second battery pack 92, and more than one or even all of the electrical characteristics of first battery pack 91 and second battery pack 92 may be different. However, only one of the mentioned electrical characteristics may be different, or at least one other characteristic different from the mentioned electrical characteristics may be different. The first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 may have the same electrical characteristics.

The types or material compositions of the battery cells of the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 may be different. The types or material compositions of the battery cells of the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 may be the same, but the amount of copper or the arrangement of conductors may be different. In one example, the first battery pack 91 or the second battery pack 92 may be a lithium ion (Li-ion) battery or a lithium-ion polymer (Li-Po) battery. Second battery pack 92 may include a supercapacitor (sometimes referred to as a supercapacitor, ultracapacitor, or Goldcap).

First battery pack 91 may include relatively high energy density battery cells that may store high amounts of watt-hours per kilogram. The first battery pack 91 may include low power battery cells. The first battery pack 91 may provide DC voltage/current/power or may be connected to the circuit 90 via a (two-phase or DC) power line.

Second battery pack 92 may include relatively low energy density battery cells. The second battery pack 92 may include relatively high power battery cells. The second battery pack 92 may provide DC voltage/current/power or be connected to the circuit 90 via a (two-phase or DC) power line.

The first battery pack 91 may form an integrated unit of mechanically coupled battery packs, or the first battery pack 91 may be an electrically connected first battery pack. Similarly, the second battery pack 92 may form an integrated unit of mechanically coupled battery packs, or the second battery pack 92 may be a second set of battery packs that are electrically connected. Some or all of the battery packs of each of the first battery pack 91 or the second battery pack 92 may be stored in one or more regions of the aircraft housing, such as within the wing or nose of the aircraft.

The total energy capacity of first battery pack 91 may exceed the total energy capacity of second battery pack 92. For example, the ratio of the total energy capacity of first battery pack 91 to the total energy capacity of second battery pack 92 may be 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 10:1, 20:1, 40:1, or 100:1, or within a range defined by two of the aforementioned ratios.

The power supply system may comprise an external charging interface for charging the first battery pack 91 or the second battery pack 92 when the aircraft is on the ground and connected to a charging station external to the aircraft.

Each, some or one of the at least one motor may be an electric motor. The at least one motor 94 may be connected to the circuit 90. The at least one motor 94 may receive electrical energy/power from the first battery pack 91 or the second battery pack 92 via the electrical circuit 90 to drive the at least one motor 94. For example, the at least one motor 94 may be a three-phase motor, such as a brushless motor, that is connected to the circuit 90 via three-phase AC power lines. However, the at least one motor 94 may alternatively be a different type of motor, such as any type of DC motor or single phase AC motor. The at least one motor 94 may move a vehicle, such as an airborne vehicle, such as an aircraft. The at least one motor 94 may drive a propeller (generating thrust) or a rotor (generating lift). Furthermore, the at least one motor 94 may also function as a generator. As further described herein, the power supply system or at least one motor 94 may include two or more electric motors.

Different ones of the at least one motor 94 may have the same or different characteristics. The at least one motor 94 may be a motor having a first set of windings connected to a first controller 96 and a second set of windings connected to a second controller 97, as shown for example in fig. 12. This may allow the at least one motor 94 to be used as both a generator and a motor, or the at least one motor 94 may be powered from the first controller 96 and the second controller 97. The at least one motor 94 may include a first motor 98 and a second motor 99, as shown, for example, in fig. 11 and 13. The first and

second motors

98 and 99 may be mechanically connected such that the rotors of the first and

second motors

98 and 99 are mechanically coupled, for example, for powering both the same propeller or rotors (as shown in fig. 11 and 13). The first and

second motors

98 and 99 may, for example, drive the same shaft that rotates the propeller or rotor. However, the first and

second motors

98 and 99 may not be mechanically coupled and may drive two different propellers or rotors. The at least one motor 94 may include more than two motors M1, M2, … Mi connected to each other, or a plurality of interconnected motors.

The circuit 90 may be connected to a first battery pack 91, a second battery pack 92, and at least one motor 94.

The circuit 90 may include a controller 93 connected to a first battery pack 91, a second battery pack 92, and at least one motor 94. The controller 93 may be connected to the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92, for example, by two-phase or DC power lines, or to at least one motor 94 by three-phase power lines. The controller 93 may convert, or control the power received from the first battery pack 91 or the second battery pack 92 into a motor driving signal for driving the at least one motor 94. The controller 93 may include a power converter (a power converter functioning as an inverter) for converting the DC current of the first battery pack 91 or the second battery pack 92 into a (three-phase) (AC) current for the at least one motor 94. The power converter may handle different input DC voltages (if first battery pack 91 and second battery pack 92 have different DC voltages). If the at least one motor 94 is used as a generator, the power converter may convert the current generated from each phase of the at least one motor 94 into a DC current for loading the first battery pack 91 or the second battery pack 92 (power converter used as a rectifier). The controller 93 may generate motor drive signals for the at least one motor 94 based on user input.

The controller 93 may include more than one controller. Controller 93 may include, for example, a first controller 96 for powering at least one motor 94 from at least one of first battery pack 91 and second battery pack 92, and a second controller 97 for powering at least one motor 94 from at least one of first battery pack 91 or second battery pack 92. The features described for the controller 93 may be applied to the first controller 96 or the second controller 97. Examples of such circuits are shown in fig. 10 to 13. In fig. 10 to 12, a first controller 96 supplies power from the first battery pack 91 to the at least one motor 94, and a second controller 97 supplies power from the second battery pack 92 to the at least one motor 94. The first and second controllers 96, 97 may power at least one motor 94 as shown in fig. 10, or power at least one motor 94 with different drive windings (or poles) as shown in fig. 12.

As shown in fig. 11 and 13, the first controller 96 may drive the first motor 98, and the second controller 97 may drive the second motor 99. The first controller 96 and the second controller 97 may be flexible and, as shown in fig. 13, drive the first motor 98 or the second motor 99 according to the switching state of the switch 101. The first controller 96 and the second controller 97 may be different. For example, the input DC voltages from first controller 96 and second controller 97 of first battery pack 91 and second battery pack 92 may be different. However, the first controller 96 and the second controller 97 may alternatively be the same.

The circuit 90 may be selected from at least two of the following connection modes. In the first connection mode, the first battery pack 91 can be electrically connected with the at least one motor 94 through the controller 93, and the second battery pack 92 can be electrically disconnected from the at least one motor 94. In the first connection mode, power can flow between the at least one motor 94 and the first battery pack 91, but not between the at least one motor 94 and the second battery pack 92. In the second connection mode, the second battery pack 92 may be electrically connected with the at least one motor 94 through the controller 93, and the first battery pack 91 may be electrically disconnected from the at least one motor 94. In the second connection mode, power may flow between the at least one motor 94 and the second battery pack 92, but may not flow between the at least one motor 94 and the first battery pack 91. In the third connection mode, the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 can be electrically connected with the at least one motor 94 through the controller 93. In the third connection mode, power can flow between the at least one motor 94 and the first and second battery packs 91, 92. An electrical switch may be used to make this selection between the different connection modes, and the electrical switch may be between the controller 93 and the first and second battery packs 91, 92, in the controller 93, or between the controller 93 and the at least one motor 94. Additional modes of connection are possible if the at least one motor 94 has more than one motor. The first battery pack 91 can be connected to the first motor 98 instead of the second motor 99 (fourth connection mode), or to the second motor 99 instead of the first motor 98 (fifth connection mode), or to the first motor 98 and the second motor 99 (sixth connection mode). The second battery pack 92 can be connected to the first motor 98 instead of the second motor 99 (seventh connection mode), or to the second motor 99 instead of the first motor 98 (eighth connection mode), or to the first motor 98 and the second motor 99 (ninth connection state). The first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 may be connected to the first motor 98 instead of the second motor 99 (tenth connection mode), or connected to the second motor 99 instead of the first motor 98 (eleventh connection mode), or connected to the first motor 98 and the second motor 99 (twelfth connection state). The number of connection modes can be arbitrarily selected. If a third battery pack is additionally available, there can be correspondingly more possible connection modes between the at least one motor and the three battery packs.

The circuit 90 may select from at least two of the following driving modes. In the first driving mode, the at least one motor 94 may be driven by the first battery pack 91 (without using the power of the second battery pack 92). In this first drive mode (which may be referred to as a standard drive mode), the circuit 90 may be in a first connection mode. Alternatively, in the first drive mode, the circuit 90 may also be in the third connected mode with no power flowing from the second battery pack 92 to the at least one motor 94. The standard drive mode may be used when the power consumption of the at least one motor 94 may be low, such as during a stable flight condition, taxi flight, or landing of the aircraft. In the second driving mode (which may be referred to as a high-energy driving mode), the at least one motor 94 may be driven by the second battery pack 92 (without using the power of the first battery pack 91). In this second drive mode, the circuit 90 may be in a second connection mode. Alternatively, in the second drive mode, the circuit 90 may also be in the third motor connection mode with no power flowing from the first battery pack 91 to the at least one motor 94. The second drive mode may be used when the power consumption of the at least one motor 94 may be high, such as during maneuvering, climb flight, or takeoff. In a third driving mode (which may be referred to as a very high energy driving mode), the at least one motor 94 may be driven by the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 simultaneously. In this third drive mode, the circuit 90 may be in a third connection mode. This third drive mode may be used when the power consumption of the at least one motor 94 may be high, such as during maneuvering, climb flight, or takeoff.

The circuit 90 may include a detector for detecting the power requirements of the current flight mode. The detection may be performed from user input or sensor measurements, such as by measuring the current in the motor input line. The circuit 90 may select the driving mode or the connection mode based on at least the detection result of the detector.

The selection between the connection modes may depend at least on the charge levels of the different battery packs. For example, when the charge amount of the high energy density battery pack is low, a high power battery pack may be used instead of the high energy density battery pack, or in addition to the high energy density battery pack.

The power supply system of fig. 8 to 13 may be configured such that the second battery pack 92 can be charged from the first battery pack 91 via, for example, the circuit 90. Further, the power supply system may be configured such that the second battery pack 92 may be charged from the first battery pack 91 while the first battery pack 91 powers or drives the at least one motor 94.

In fig. 9 to 11, the circuit 90 may electrically connect the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 for charging. This connection may be stable or may be achieved by a switch that switches between a first battery connection mode in which the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 are electrically connected and a second battery connection mode in which the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 are electrically disconnected. As further explained herein, the first battery connection mode may be achieved by connecting the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 via the charging circuit 95 or via the controller 93 or via one or more other controllers.

In fig. 9, the circuit 90 includes a charging circuit 95 for charging the second battery pack 92 from the first battery pack 91. Charging circuit 95 may control the flow of energy from first battery pack 91 to second battery pack 92 and may transfer energy without transferring energy through controller 93. The charging circuit 95 may include a switch (not shown) for connecting the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 for charging. Such a switch may have the advantage that the charging process may be controlled by a user or a microprocessor. For example, if full power of the first battery pack 91 is desired to power the at least one motor 94, the process of charging the second battery pack 92 may be automatically interrupted. However, the charging circuit 95 may instead operate without a switch, such that the charging process automatically starts when a certain electrical parameter, like the voltage or capacitance of the second battery pack 92, falls below a certain threshold.

If the voltages of the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 may be different, the charging circuit 95 may include a DC/DC converter for converting the DC voltage of the first battery pack 91 into the DC voltage of the second battery pack 92. The second battery pack 92 may be charged from the first battery pack 91 while the at least one motor 94 is driven by the first battery pack 91, or when the at least one motor 94 is not powered, such as by the first battery pack 91.

In fig. 10, the second battery pack 92 may be charged by the first controller 96 and the second controller 97. The first battery pack 91 may provide energy and power to the first controller 96, which may convert the energy and power into electrical drive signals for the at least one motor 94. To charge the second battery pack 92, the electrical drive signal from the first controller 96 may be converted by the second controller 97 into a charging signal (DC voltage) for the second battery pack 92. The electrical drive signal from the first controller 96 for the at least one motor 94 may be used simultaneously for charging the second battery pack 92 and for driving the at least one motor 94. This may allow the second battery pack 92 to be charged from the first battery pack 91 while the at least one motor 94 may be driven by an electrical drive signal from the first controller 96. However, the second battery pack 92 may alternatively be charged by the electrical drive signal without simultaneously powering the motor.

Instead of or in addition to electrically connecting the first battery pack 91 with the second battery pack 92 to transfer electrical energy from the first battery pack 91 to the second battery pack 92, the first battery pack 91 may be mechanically connected with the second battery pack 92 to transfer mechanical energy to charge the second battery pack 92 from the first battery pack 91.

In fig. 11, mechanical charging may be accomplished by driving a first motor 98 from a first battery pack 91 (via a first controller 96) and generating energy from a second motor 99 mechanically connected to the first motor 98 and operating as a generator. The energy generated by the second motor 99 may be used to charge the second battery pack 92 (by converting the motor signal generated by the second motor 99 into a charging signal (DC voltage) for the second battery pack 92 via the second controller 97). This may allow the second battery pack 92 to be charged from the first battery pack 91 while the at least one motor 94 is driven by energy from the first battery pack 91.

In fig. 12, mechanical charging may be accomplished by driving at least one motor 94 from a first battery pack 91 (such as by a first controller 96) with a first set of windings of the at least one motor 94 and generating energy from the at least one motor 94 with a second set of windings of the at least one motor 94 that may function as a generator. By converting the motor signal generated by the at least one motor 94 into a charging signal (DC voltage) for the second battery pack 92 via the second controller 97, the energy generated by the second set of windings can be used to charge the second battery pack 92, which can allow the second battery pack 92 to be charged from the first battery pack 91 while the at least one motor 94 is driven by energy from the first battery pack 91. Furthermore, this may enable the second battery pack 92 to be charged from the first battery pack 91 without utilizing a separate circuit, such as a DC/DC converter, that would add weight to the aircraft.

Fig. 13 shows a switch 101 that can be selected from different battery packs or connection modes, as described herein. This may allow the first battery pack 91 to be connected with the second battery pack 92 (first battery connection mode) to charge the second battery pack 92 directly from the first battery pack 91. This may allow first battery pack 91 to be connected to (i) one of first controller 96 or second controller 97, (ii) one of first motor 98 or second motor 99 and second battery pack 92 to be connected to the other of first controller 96 or second controller 97, or (iii) first motor 98 and second motor 99 to mechanically charge second battery pack 92. This may allow selection of the first motor 98 or the second motor 99 to be driven by the first battery pack 91 or the second battery pack 92.

The design of fig. 13 may provide flexibility in the choice of electrical or mechanical charging.

The second battery pack 92 may be charged by at least one motor 94 that may operate as a generator. When the at least one motor 94 operates as a generator, the generation of electricity may be driven by braking energy, such as during descent or landing of the aircraft. As a result, the second battery pack 92 can recover energy without affecting the function of the first battery pack 91 for long distances. When the at least one motor 94 can operate as a generator, the generation of electricity can be driven by the first battery pack 91 to charge the second battery pack 92. The second battery pack 92 may be charged by at least one motor 94 operating as a generator, while the same or another motor of the at least one motor 94 may be driven by energy from the first battery pack 91, such as described, for example, with respect to fig. 11, 12, and 13.

The power supply system may include a third battery pack (not shown). The second battery pack 92 and the third battery pack may have different electrical characteristics. The second battery pack 92 may, for example, have a higher energy capacity than the third battery pack. The second battery pack 92 may have a higher energy density than the third battery pack. Second battery pack 92 may have a lower maximum, rated, or peak power than the third battery pack. Second battery pack 92 may have a lower maximum, rated, or peak current than the third battery pack. Second battery pack 92 may have a lower maximum, nominal, or peak voltage than the third battery pack. The types or material compositions of the battery cells of the second battery pack 92 and the third battery pack may be different or the same. The third battery pack may include a super capacitor. The third battery pack may increase the maximum power that may be delivered or recovered by the power supply system. The power recovered from the braking action by the at least one motor 94 acting as a generator may be recovered immediately to a high recovered power level, for example, in the third battery pack. The third battery pack may be charged from the first battery pack 91 or the second battery pack 92, such as even when the at least one motor 94 may be driven by the power of the first battery pack 91 or the second battery pack 92.

Modular battery system

The power sources in the electric or hybrid aircraft may be modular and may be distributed to optimize weight distribution or to select the center of gravity of the electric or hybrid aircraft, as well as to maximize space usage in the aircraft. Furthermore, the batteries in electric or hybrid aircraft may desirably be designed to be positioned in place of the internal combustion engine so that the aircraft may maintain a similar shape or configuration as a conventional fuel powered aircraft and may also be powered by batteries. In such a design, the weight of the battery may be distributed to match the weight of the internal combustion engine to enable the electric or hybrid aircraft to fly similar to a conventional fuel powered aircraft.

Fig. 14A illustrates a battery pack 1400 that may be used in an aircraft, such as aircraft 100 of fig. 1A and 1B. The battery pack 1400 may include a lower battery pack case 1410, a middle battery pack case 1420, an upper battery pack case 1430, and a plurality of battery cells 1440. A plurality of battery cells 1440 may together provide output power for battery pack 1400. The lower, middle, or upper

battery pack housings

1410, 1420, 1430 can include slots, such as the slot 1422, that can be used to mechanically couple the lower, middle, or upper

battery pack housings

1410, 1420, 1430 to one another or to another battery pack. A support, such as a support 1424 (e.g., a pin or lock), may be placed in the slot to lock the lower, middle, or upper

battery pack housings

1410, 1420, 1430 to each other or to another battery pack.

The battery pack 1400 may be configured such that the battery pack 1400 is uniformly cooled by air. Plurality of battery cells 1440 may include a total of 16 battery cells, wherein the battery cells are each substantially shaped as a cylinder. The lower, middle, or upper

battery pack housings

1410, 1420, 1430 may be formed of or include plastic and, when coupled together, have an outer shape that is substantially a rectangular prism. The lower, middle, or upper

battery pack housings

1410, 1420, 1430 may be designed together to prevent a fire in the plurality of battery cells 1440 from spreading outside of the battery pack 1400.

Battery pack 1400 may have a length L1, a width W, and a height H1. The length of L1, the width of W, or the height of H1 may each be 50 mm, 65mm, 80mm, 100 mm, 120 mm, 150 mm, 200 mm, 250 mm, or within a range defined by two of the foregoing values or another value that is greater or less than the foregoing values.

Fig. 14B shows an exploded view of the battery pack 1400 of fig. 14A. In the exploded view, board 1450 and circuit board assembly 1460 of battery pack 1400 are shown. Plate 1450 may be copper and may electrically connect multiple cells 1440 in parallel with one another. Plate 1450 may also distribute heat evenly across multiple cells 1440, such that multiple cells 1440 age at the same rate. Circuit board assembly 1460 may transfer power to or from the plurality of battery cells 1440 and includes one or more sensors for monitoring the voltage or temperature of one or more of the plurality of battery cells 1440. Circuit board assembly 1460 may or may not provide electrical isolation of battery pack 1400 from any components that may be electrically connected to battery pack 1400. Each of the plurality of battery cells 1440 may have a height of H2, such as 30 mm, 50 mm, 65mm, 80mm, 100 mm, 120 mm, 150 mm, or within a range defined by two of the above values or another value that is greater or less than the above value.

Fig. 15A shows a power source 1500A formed from a plurality of battery packs 1400 of fig. 14A and 14B. The plurality of battery packs 1400 of the power source 1500A may be mechanically coupled to each other. A first side of one battery pack 1400 may be mechanically coupled to a first side of another battery pack 1400, and a second side of one battery pack 1400 opposite the first side may be mechanically coupled to a first side of yet another battery pack 1400. The plurality of battery packs 1400 of the power source 1500A may be electrically connected in series with each other. As shown in fig. 15A, the power source 1500A may include seven battery packs 1400 connected to each other. The power source 1500A may have a maximum power output of, for example, between 1kW and 60 kW during operation, a maximum voltage output of between 10V and 120V during operation, or a maximum current output of between 100A and 500A during operation.

The power source 1500A may include a power source housing 1510 mechanically coupled to at least one battery pack. The power source housing 1510 may include an end cap 1512 covering one side of the power source housing 1510. The power source housing 1510 may have a length L2, such as 3 mm, 5mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 40 mm, 50 mm, or within a range defined by two of the above values or another value greater or less than the above value. The width and height of the power source housing 1510 may match the length of L1 and the width of W of the battery pack 1400.

Power source 1500A may include a power source connector 1520. Power source connector 1520 may be used to electrically connect power source 1500A to another power source, such as another power source 1500A.

Fig. 15B shows a power source 1500B that is similar to the power source 1500A of fig. 15A, but in which the end cap 1512 and upper battery housing 1430 of the battery 1400 are removed. The circuit board assembly 1514 of the power source 1500B is now exposed because the end cap 1512 has been removed. The circuit board assembly 1514 can be electrically coupled to the battery pack 1400. The circuit board assembly 1514 may additionally provide electrical isolation (e.g., 2500 Vrms) of the power source 1500B from any components that may be electrically connected to the power source 1500B. Including electrical isolation in this manner may, for example, enable grouping of the battery packs 1400 together such that isolation may be provided to the grouping of the battery packs 1400 rather than individual modules of the battery packs 1400 or subsets of the battery packs 1400. This approach may reduce construction costs because isolation may be expensive and a single isolation may be used for multiple battery packs 1400.

Fig. 16 shows a group 1600 of the plurality of power sources 1500A of fig. 15A arranged and connected for powering an aircraft, such as aircraft 100 of fig. 1A and 1B. The plurality of power sources 1500A of the group 1600 can be mechanically coupled or stacked with each other. The plurality of power sources 1500A of the cluster 1600 can be electrically connected to each other in series or in parallel, such as by a first connector 1610 or a second connector 1620 electrically connecting power source connectors 1520 of two of the plurality of power sources 1500A. As shown in fig. 16, a group 1600 may include 10 power sources (e.g., arranged in a 5 row by 2 column configuration). In other examples, a group may also include a fewer or greater number of power sources, such as 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 15, 17, 20, 25, 30, 35, or 40 power sources.

Grouping the multiple power sources 1500A to form the group 1600 or another different group may allow for flexible configuration of the multiple power sources 1500A to meet various space or power requirements. Furthermore, grouping the plurality of power sources 1500A to form the group 1600 or another different group may permit one or more of the plurality of power sources 1500A to be replaced relatively easily or inexpensively in the event of a failure or other problem.

Fig. 17A illustrates a perspective view of a nose 1700 of an aircraft, such as the aircraft 100 of fig. 1A and 1B, that includes a plurality of power sources 1710, such as ones of the power sources 1500A, for powering a motor 1720 for operating a propeller 1730 of the aircraft. Multiple power sources 1710 may be used to additionally or alternatively power other components of the aircraft. The plurality of power sources 1710 may be sized and arranged to optimize weight distribution and space usage around the handpiece 1700. The motor 1720 and the propeller 1730 may be attached to and supported by the frame of the aircraft by a support, which may be a steel tube, and connected by a plurality of fasteners, which are bolts with rubber dampers. Firewall 1740 may provide a barrier between the plurality of power sources 1710 and a rack of the aircraft with a first one of the plurality of power sources 1710. An enclosure constructed of fiberglass, metal, or mineral composite material may surround the plurality of power sources 1710 to protect against water, coolant, or fire.

Fig. 17B shows a side view of the handpiece 1700 of fig. 17A.

Fig. 18A shows a top view of a wing 1800 of an aircraft that includes a plurality of power sources 1810, such as a plurality of power sources 1500A, for powering one or more components of the aircraft. The plurality of power sources 1810 may be sized and arranged to optimize weight distribution and space usage around the wing 1800. For example, multiple power sources 1810 may be positioned within, between, or around a horizontal support beam 1820 or a vertical support beam 1830 of the wing 1800. The relay 1840 may be further positioned in the wing 1800 as shown and housed in a sealed enclosure. The relay 1840 may open if there is no threshold voltage on the circuit breaker panel or if the pilot opens the circuit breaker to shut down the plurality of power sources 1810.

Fig. 18B shows a perspective view of the wing 1800 of fig. 18A.

Multi-coil motor control

The electric or hybrid aircraft may be powered by a multi-coil motor, such as an electric motor, where different coils of the motor power different phases of the modulation cycle of the motor.

As can be seen in fig. 19, the motor 1910 can include four different field coils (also sometimes referred to as coils) for generating a torque on the rotor of the motor 1910. The different field coils may include a first field coil 1902, a second field coil 1904, a third field coil 1906, and a fourth field coil 1908. Each of the different field coils may be independently powered by one or more controllers. The first, second, third, and fourth field coils 1902, 1904, 1906, and 1908 may be powered by a first controller 1912, a second controller 1914, a third controller 1916, and a fourth controller 1918, respectively. One or more of the first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, and the fourth controller 1918 may be the same controller.

The first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, and the fourth controller 1918 may vary the current provided to each of the first, second, third, and fourth field coils 1902, 1904, 1906, and 1908 to compensate for a failure of one or more of the field coils (such as one, two, or three). The first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, and the fourth controller 1918 may, for example, no longer provide current to coils that have failed and provide additional current to one or more coils that have not failed. The first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, and the fourth controller 1918 may attempt to maintain the power output of the motor (e.g., above a threshold) despite a failure of one or more of the field coils.

The first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, or the fourth controller 1918 may determine a failure of one or more of the field coils from one or more sensors monitoring the motor or one or more individual field coils, such as proximate to the motor or one or more individual field coils. The one or more sensors may include a temperature sensor, a current sensor, or a magnetic field sensor, among other types of sensors. For example, where the one or more sensors include at least one temperature sensor, the first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, or the fourth controller 1918 may determine a failure of the one or more field coils as a function of a change in temperature sensed by the temperature sensor (e.g., a decrease in temperature over time or in proximity to different field coils may correspond to a failure of a particular field coil or coils in the motor 1910). Further, the first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, or the fourth controller 1918 may attempt to operate the motor such that the sensed temperature remains constant within a tolerance. As another example, where the one or more sensors include at least one voltage sensor, the first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, or the fourth controller 1918 may determine a failure of the one or more field coils from a change in voltage sensed by the voltage sensor (e.g., a voltage spike may correspond to a failure of a particular field coil or coils in the motor 1910). As yet another example, where the one or more sensors include at least one magnetic field sensor, the first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, or the fourth controller 1918 may determine a failure of the one or more excitation coils from a change in resonance sensed by the magnetic field sensor.

Fig. 20 shows a process 2000 for operating a motor, such as motor 1900, to compensate for a failure of an excitation coil of the motor. For convenience, the process 2000 is described as being performed by the first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, or the fourth controller 1918 of fig. 19. However, the process 2000 may also or alternatively be performed by another processor or electronic circuitry, such as described herein. The process 2000 may advantageously enable a fast reaction (e.g., within seconds or even faster) to a failure of one or more failed field coils, such that the operation of the motor may be quickly adjusted to maintain the power output of the motor despite the failure of one or more field coils.

At block 2002, a failure of the field coil of the motor may be detected. For example, the first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, or the fourth controller 1918 may detect a failure of one or more of the first excitation coil 1902, the second excitation coil 1904, the third excitation coil 1906, or the fourth excitation coil 1908 based on a change in electrical coil characteristics, a change in how the excitation coils are driven, feedback from the motor 1900 regarding its operation, a change in performance of the motor 1900, or an output from a sensor.

At block 2004, a parameter may be set to indicate a failure of the field coil. For example, the first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, or the fourth controller 1918 may set a parameter in the memory device indicating that the excitation coil is failed.

At block 2006, the drive of the motor may be modulated according to the parameter. For example, the first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, or the fourth controller 1918 may adjust how to drive an excitation coil that has failed based on a stored indication that the excitation coil has failed. The first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, or the fourth controller 1918 may modulate the power input to the motor over time to compensate for a failure of the field coil and increase the power input to one or more active field coils during the modulation cycle of the motor to compensate for the failure.

The first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, or the fourth controller 1918 may supply current to all of the first, second, third, and fourth field coils 1902, 1904, 1906, and 1908 once in an order before the field coils fail, in an order before supplying current to any of the first, second, third, and fourth field coils 1902, 1904, 1906, and 1908 another time. After a field coil failure, the first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, or the fourth controller 1918 may no longer provide current to the field coil that has failed, and may increase the current provided to one or more other field coils (such as to the field coil before the failed field coil and after the failed field coil) to compensate for the failure of the field coil.

Additionally or alternatively, the electric or hybrid aerial vehicle may change the rotational rate of the motor (e.g., revolutions per minute) or the pitch of the propellers of the aerial vehicle (e.g., increase the pitch to increase the power output) to compensate for a failure of one or more (such as one, two, or three) field coils, and attempt to maintain the power output of the motor despite the failure of one or more field coils.

Furthermore, the process 2000 may be adjusted such that the drive of the motor may be modulated in response to the detection of a failure of the excitation coil and without storing or referencing the parameters.

Exemplary embodiments

A battery monitoring system is disclosed for monitoring and transmitting parameters related to the state of a battery pack to a driver or pilot of an electric vehicle. The battery monitoring system may include a first battery monitoring circuit and a second redundant battery monitoring circuit. The first battery monitoring circuit may include a plurality of Battery Management Systems (BMS). Each BMS may manage and monitor a different subset of the battery cells in the battery pack. The first battery monitoring circuit may include a digital communication bus to provide a first warning signal to a driver or pilot of the vehicle in the event of a battery pack dysfunction. The second battery monitoring circuit may redundantly monitor the battery pack to provide at least one second warning signal to a driver or pilot of the vehicle in the event of a malfunction of the battery pack. The second battery monitor circuit may include only analog or combinational logic electronics.

The battery monitoring system of the preceding paragraph may include one or more of the following features: the second battery monitoring circuit may be a processor-less circuit. The second battery monitor circuit may include only analog or combinational logic electronics. The second battery monitoring circuit may transmit only analog or binary signals. The second battery monitor circuit may transmit signals to the driver or pilot via a communication line other than the digital communication bus. The second battery monitoring circuit may not manage charging and discharging of the battery cell. The first battery monitoring circuit may include a first electronic measurement component and the second battery monitoring circuit may include a second, different electronic measurement component. The first electronic measurement component may measure the temperature of the battery cell and the second electronic measurement component may measure the temperature of the same battery cell. The first electronic measurement component may detect an under-voltage or over-voltage condition of a battery cell, and the second electronic measurement component may detect an under-voltage or over-voltage condition of the same battery cell. The first battery monitoring circuit and the second battery monitoring circuit may share a common set of electronic measurement components for measuring the state of the battery cells. The second battery monitoring circuit may include: a plurality of identical BMSs, each of which controls and monitors one battery cell in the battery pack; and a plurality of main circuits, each of which controls the plurality of BMSs and collects parameters monitored by the plurality of BMS circuits. Each master circuit may include a CAN bus driver circuit. The second battery monitoring circuit may include a plurality of parameter sensors, each sensor generating one or more digital binary parameters based on the state of one of the battery cells. The battery monitoring system may also include a plurality of combinational logic components for combining a plurality of binary parameters associated with one battery cell. The battery monitoring system may also include a plurality of combinational logic components for combining a plurality of binary parameters associated with the plurality of battery cells and generating at least one second alarm signal if one of the battery cells is defective. The battery monitoring system may further include a plurality of Printed Circuit Board (PCB) cards, and one main circuit and one combinational logic component may be mounted on each PCB card. The second battery monitoring circuit may be constructed such that any defective electronic measurement component triggers the second alarm signal.

A power supply system is disclosed that may be used in an electric aircraft for powering a drive thrust producing propeller or a lift producing rotor. The power supply system may include: at least one motor; a first battery pack including high energy density, low power cells; a second battery pack including low energy density, high power cells; a circuit comprising a controller for powering the at least one motor from at least one of the battery packs and for generating a motor drive signal for driving the at least one motor; wherein the power supply system is configured to charge the second battery pack from the first battery pack.

The power supply system of the preceding paragraph may include one or more of the following features: the controller may charge the second battery pack from the first battery pack. The controller or circuit may transfer power from the first battery pack to the at least one motor at a first time and to the second battery pack, and optionally to the motor, at a second time. The controller or circuit may include a selector for selecting from only the first battery pack; from only the second battery pack; or to select the power supply of at least one motor from both the first and second battery packs. The circuit may include a DC-DC converter for converting current from the first battery pack to current for charging the second battery pack. The power supply system may further include: a first said motor and a second said motor; a first controller circuit for generating a motor drive signal for driving a first said motor; a second controller circuit for generating a motor drive signal for driving a second said motor. The power supply system may further include a switch module connected to the first battery pack, the second battery pack, the first controller, and the second controller for commutating current from the first battery pack to the second battery pack, the first controller, or the second controller at different times. The switching module may commutate current from the second battery pack to the first controller or the second controller at different times. At least one of the motors acts as a generator for charging one of the battery packs. The power supply system may further include a commutator for determining which of the first battery pack and the second battery pack is charged by the generator. The first battery pack and the second battery pack may include Li-ion or Li-Po cells. The power supply system may further comprise a super capacitor for powering said at least one motor, wherein said circuit is capable of powering said at least one motor from at least one of said first battery pack and said second battery pack or from said super capacitor and of charging said second battery pack from said first battery pack or from said super capacitor. At least one of the at least one motor is operable as a generator, the circuit being arranged to charge one of the first battery pack and the second battery pack from the generator when the generator is producing current. The power supply system may further comprise a motor arranged to operate at least at certain times as a motor powered by one battery pack and as a generator for charging another battery pack or supercapacitor. The power supply system may also have two said motors on a single shaft, so that at least at certain times one of the motors acts as a motor supplying power from one battery pack, while the other motor acts as a generator charging the other battery pack. An aircraft may include the power supply system.

A power supply system is disclosed that may be used in an electric aircraft for powering a drive thrust producing propeller or a lift producing rotor. The power supply system may include: at least one motor; a first battery pack including high energy density, low power cells; a second battery pack including low energy density, high power cells; and a circuit comprising a controller for powering the at least one motor from at least one of the battery packs and for generating a motor drive signal for driving the at least one motor. The power supply system is configured to charge the first battery pack or the second battery pack from at least one of the at least one motor operating as a generator.

The power supply system of the preceding paragraph may include one or more of the following features: the power supply system may charge the second battery pack from at least one of the at least one motor operating as a generator. The controller may include: a first controller for supplying power from a first battery pack to the at least one motor and for generating a motor drive signal for driving the at least one motor; and a second controller for charging the second battery pack in accordance with a generator signal generated by one of the motors operating as a generator. The second controller may supply power to the at least one motor from the second battery pack and is configured to generate a motor drive signal for driving the at least one motor. The at least one motor may include an electric motor having a rotor, a first set of windings connected to the first controller to drive the rotor of the electric motor based on a signal from the first controller, and a second set of windings connected to the second controller to generate a generator signal from the rotor of the electric motor to charge the second battery pack. The at least one motor may include a first motor connected to the first controller for driving the first motor based on a signal from the first controller, and a second motor connected to the second controller for generating a generator signal from a second motor of the electric motor to charge the second battery pack. The first motor and the second motor may be mechanically coupled. The power supply system may simultaneously drive at least one motor based on a first battery pack and charge a second battery pack from the motor operating as a generator. The power supply system may also include an ultracapacitor, and the power supply system may charge the ultracapacitor from a motor operating as a generator. The circuit may drive the at least one motor in different drive modes, and the different drive modes may include a first drive mode in which the at least one motor is driven from energy of the first battery pack. The different driving modes may include at least one of: a drive mode in which the at least one motor is driven from the power of the first battery pack and the second battery pack; a drive mode in which the at least one motor is driven from the power of the second battery pack; a drive mode in which the at least one motor is driven from the power of the first battery pack, and in which the second battery pack is charged from the power generated by the motor operating as a generator; a drive mode in which the at least one motor is driven from the power of the first battery pack, and in which the second battery pack is charged from the power generated by the motor operating as a generator; a drive mode in which the first battery pack is charged by power generated by a motor operating as a generator; a drive mode in which the second battery pack is charged by power generated by a motor operating as a generator; a drive mode in which the first battery pack and the second battery pack are charged by power generated by a motor operating as a generator. The power supply system may further comprise a super capacitor, and the different driving modes may comprise at least one of: a drive mode in which the at least one motor is driven from the power of the supercapacitor; a drive mode in which the at least one motor is driven from the power of the supercapacitor and the first or second battery pack; a drive mode in which the at least one motor is driven from the power of the first battery pack or second battery pack, and in which the ultracapacitor is charged from the power generated by the motor operating as a generator; a drive mode in which the supercapacitor is charged by power generated by a motor operating as a generator; a drive mode in which the supercapacitor and the first battery pack or the second battery pack are charged by power generated by a motor operating as a generator. The second battery pack may be charged from the power of the first battery pack. An aircraft may include the power supply system. The motor, which operates as a generator, may be driven by the braking energy of the aircraft.

Additional features and terminology

Although the examples provided herein may be described in the context of an aircraft, such as an electric or hybrid aircraft, one or more features may further apply to other types of vehicles that may be used to transport passengers or cargo. For example, one or more features may be used to enhance the construction or operation of an automobile, truck, boat, submarine, spacecraft, hovercraft, or the like.

As used herein, the term "programmable component" may refer, in addition to its ordinary meaning, to a component that may process executable instructions to perform operations or may be configured, after manufacture, to perform different operations in response to processing the same input to the component. As used herein, the term "non-programmable component" may refer, in addition to having its ordinary meaning, to a component that may not process executable instructions to perform operations and that may not be configured to perform different operations in response to processing the same input to the component after manufacture.

As used herein, the term "stateful component" may refer to a component that, in addition to having its ordinary meaning, may remember a previous state or event prior to a current state or event. The stateful component may therefore determine an output from the event history rather than just from the current conditions. As used herein, the term "non-stateful component," in addition to having its ordinary meaning, may also refer to a component that may not remember a previous state or event prior to a current state or event. Thus, the non-stateful component may not determine an output based on the event history, but may determine an output based on the current conditions.

Many other variations in addition to those described herein will be apparent from the present disclosure. For example, some acts, events, or functions of any algorithm described herein can be performed in a different order, added, combined, or omitted entirely (e.g., not all described acts or events are necessary for the practice of the algorithm), according to embodiments. Further, in some embodiments, actions or events may be performed concurrently, rather than sequentially, through multi-threaded processing, interrupt processing, or multiple processors or processor cores, or on other parallel architectures, for example. In addition, different tasks or processes may be performed by different machines or computing systems that are capable of working together.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and algorithm steps described herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. The described functionality may be implemented in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

The various illustrative logical blocks and modules described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a machine, microprocessor, state machine, Digital Signal Processor (DSP), Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A hardware processor may include circuitry configured to process computer-executable instructions or digital logic circuitry. In another embodiment, the processor comprises an FPGA or other programmable device that performs logic operations without processing computer-executable instructions. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. The computing environment may include any type of computer system, including but not limited to a microprocessor-based computer system, a mainframe computer, a digital signal processor, a portable computing device, a device controller, or a compute engine within an appliance, to name a few.

The steps of a method, process, or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module stored in one or more memory devices and executed by one or more processors, or in a combination of the two. A software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, media, or physical computer memory known in the art. An exemplary storage medium may be coupled to the processor such the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The storage medium may be volatile or non-volatile. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC.

Conditional language, such as "may," "for example," and the like, as used herein, unless otherwise specifically stated or understood in the context of use, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include certain features, elements, or states, while other embodiments do not. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that a feature, element, or state is in any way required by one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without originator input or prompting, whether such feature, element, or state is included or is to be performed in any particular embodiment. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and the like, are synonymous and are used inclusively, in an open-ended fashion, and do not exclude additional elements, features, acts, operations, or the like. Furthermore, the term "or" is used in its inclusive sense (and not its exclusive sense) such that, when used in connection with a list of elements, for example, the term "or" indicates one, some, or all of the elements in the list. Further, the term "each," as used herein, in addition to having its ordinary meaning, can also mean any subset of the set of elements to which the term "each" applies.

Claims

1. A power supply system usable in an electric aircraft for supplying power to drive a thrust producing propeller or a lift producing rotor, the power supply system comprising:

at least one motor (M);

a first battery pack (HE);

a second battery pack (HP);

-a circuit (1) comprising a first controller (C1) for powering the at least one motor (M) from a first battery pack and for generating a motor drive signal for driving the at least one motor (M);

a second controller (C2) for charging the second battery pack (HP) in accordance with a generator signal generated by a motor (M) operating as a generator.

2. The power supply system according to claim 1,

wherein the first battery pack (HE) comprises high energy density, low power battery cells; and

wherein the second battery pack (HP) comprises low energy density, high power battery cells.

3. The power supply system according to one of claims 1 or 2,

wherein the first battery pack (HE) battery cells are in a first arrangement; and

wherein the second battery pack (HP) comprises battery cells in a second arrangement different from the first arrangement.

4. The power supply system according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second controller (C2) is configured to power the at least one motor (M) from a second battery pack (HP) and to generate a motor drive signal for driving the at least one motor (M).

5. The power supply system according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one motor (M) comprises an electric motor (M) having a rotor, a first set of windings connected to the first controller (C1) for driving the rotor of the electric motor based on a signal from the first controller (C1), and a second set of windings connected to the second controller (C2) for generating a generator signal from the rotor of the electric motor (M) for charging the second battery pack (HP).

6. Power supply system according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the at least one motor (M) comprises a first motor (M1) connected to a first controller (C1) for driving a first motor (M1) based on a signal from the first controller (C1) and a second motor (M2) connected to a second controller (C2) for generating a generator signal from a second motor (M2) of the electric motor (M) for charging the second battery pack (HP).

7. The power supply system of one of claims 1 to 6, the at least one motor comprising a first motor powered by a first battery pack and a second motor powered by a second battery pack.

8. The power supply system of one of claims 6 or 7, wherein the first motor (M1) and the second motor (M2) are mechanically coupled.

9. The power supply system of one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the system is configured to simultaneously:

driving at least one motor (M, M1) based on a first battery pack (HE), and

the second battery pack (HP) is charged from a motor (M, M2) operating as a generator.

10. The power supply system according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the system comprises a third battery pack, which is an ultracapacitor, wherein the system is configured to charge the ultracapacitor from a motor operating as a generator.

11. Power supply system according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the circuit (1) is configured to drive at least one motor (M) in different drive modes, wherein the different drive modes comprise a first drive mode in which the at least one motor (M) is driven by the energy of a first battery pack (HE).

12. A power supply system according to claim 11, wherein the different drive modes include at least one of:

a drive mode in which the at least one motor (M) is driven by the power of the first battery pack (HE) and the second battery pack (HP),

a drive mode in which the at least one motor (M) is driven by the power of the second battery pack (HP),

a drive mode in which the at least one motor (M) is driven by the power of a first battery (HE) and in which a second battery (HP) is charged by the power generated from the motor operating as a generator,

a drive mode in which the first battery pack (HE) is charged by power generated from a motor operating as a generator,

a drive mode in which the second battery pack (HP) is charged by power generated from a motor operating as a generator,

a drive mode in which the first battery pack (HE) and the second battery pack (HP) are charged by power generated from a motor operating as a generator.

13. A power supply system according to claim 12, wherein the system comprises a third battery pack, the third battery pack being a super capacitor, wherein the different driving modes comprise at least one of:

a drive mode in which the at least one motor (M) is driven by the power of the third battery pack,

a drive mode in which the at least one motor (M) is driven by the power of the third battery pack and the first battery pack and/or the second battery pack (HP/HE),

a drive mode in which the at least one motor (M) is driven by the power of the first battery pack (HE) and/or the second battery pack (HP) and in which the third battery pack is charged by the power generated from the motor operating as a generator,

a drive mode in which the third battery pack is charged by power generated from a motor operating as a generator,

a drive mode in which the third battery pack and the first battery pack (HE) and/or the second battery pack (HP) are charged by power generated from a motor operating as a generator.

14. The power supply system of one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the motor comprises a rotor, a first set of windings and a second set of windings, and the first set of windings is operable to drive the rotor from the first battery pack and the second set of windings is operable to charge a second battery pack.

15. The power supply system according to one of the preceding claims, configured to charge the second battery pack from the power of the first battery pack.

16. An aircraft comprising a power supply system according to one of the preceding claims.

17. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the motor operating as a generator is arranged to be driven by braking energy of the aircraft.

18. A method of operating a power management system of a vehicle, the method comprising:

powering a first motor supported by the housing with a first battery pack;

powering a second motor supported by the housing by a second battery pack different from the first battery;

propelling the housing by a first motor;

propelling the housing by a second motor; and

the second battery pack is charged by a second motor acting as a generator while the first battery pack is powering the first motor.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first motor and the second motor are the same motor.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the first motor includes a rotor, a first set of windings and a second set of windings, an

The charging includes charging a second battery pack with a second set of windings while the first battery pack drives the rotor via the first set of windings.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising mechanically coupling the first motor to the second motor.