WO2024127323A1 - Dispositif de commande de moteur, système de propulsion d'un aéronef électrique ou hybride et procédé de fonctionnement d'un moteur - Google Patents

Dispositif de commande de moteur, système de propulsion d'un aéronef électrique ou hybride et procédé de fonctionnement d'un moteur Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2024127323A1
WO2024127323A1 PCT/IB2023/062720 IB2023062720W WO2024127323A1 WO 2024127323 A1 WO2024127323 A1 WO 2024127323A1 IB 2023062720 W IB2023062720 W IB 2023062720W WO 2024127323 A1 WO2024127323 A1 WO 2024127323A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
motor
controller
failure
battery pack
rotor
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2023/062720
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Sébastien DEMONT
Milan UTVIC
David COSTES
Aurélien CARRUPT
Original Assignee
H55 Sa
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by H55 Sa filed Critical H55 Sa
Publication of WO2024127323A1 publication Critical patent/WO2024127323A1/fr

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02P—CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS
    • H02P21/00—Arrangements or methods for the control of electric machines by vector control, e.g. by control of field orientation
    • H02P21/22—Current control, e.g. using a current control loop
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02P—CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS
    • H02P21/00—Arrangements or methods for the control of electric machines by vector control, e.g. by control of field orientation
    • H02P21/0085—Arrangements or methods for the control of electric machines by vector control, e.g. by control of field orientation specially adapted for high speeds, e.g. above nominal speed
    • H02P21/0089—Arrangements or methods for the control of electric machines by vector control, e.g. by control of field orientation specially adapted for high speeds, e.g. above nominal speed using field weakening
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02P—CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS
    • H02P3/00—Arrangements for stopping or slowing electric motors, generators, or dynamo-electric converters
    • H02P3/06—Arrangements for stopping or slowing electric motors, generators, or dynamo-electric converters for stopping or slowing an individual dynamo-electric motor or dynamo-electric converter
    • H02P3/18—Arrangements for stopping or slowing electric motors, generators, or dynamo-electric converters for stopping or slowing an individual dynamo-electric motor or dynamo-electric converter for stopping or slowing an ac motor
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
    • B64D31/00—Power plant control systems; Arrangement of power plant control systems in aircraft
    • B64D31/16—Power plant control systems; Arrangement of power plant control systems in aircraft for electric power plants
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
    • B64D35/00—Transmitting power from power plants to propellers or rotors; Arrangements of transmissions
    • B64D35/02—Transmitting power from power plants to propellers or rotors; Arrangements of transmissions specially adapted for specific power plants
    • B64D35/021—Transmitting power from power plants to propellers or rotors; Arrangements of transmissions specially adapted for specific power plants for electric power plants
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02P—CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS
    • H02P21/00—Arrangements or methods for the control of electric machines by vector control, e.g. by control of field orientation
    • H02P21/14—Estimation or adaptation of machine parameters, e.g. flux, current or voltage
    • H02P21/18—Estimation of position or speed

Definitions

  • a motor controller, a propulsion system for an electric or hybrid aircraft and a method for operating a motor Technical domain [0001]
  • the present disclosure concerns propulsion systems and methods for an electric or hybrid aircraft.
  • Electric and hybrid vehicles have become increasingly significant for the transportation of people and goods. Such vehicles can desirably provide energy efficiency advantages over combustion-powered vehicles and may cause less air pollution than combustion-powered vehicles during operation.
  • combustion-powered to electric-powered automobiles Unfortunately, many of the innovations that enabled a transition from combustion-powered to electric-powered automobiles unfortunately do not directly apply to the development of electric or hybrid aircraft.
  • the H55-18-PCT3 standards for ensuring that aircraft designs and operations satisfy threshold safety requirements.
  • the certification standards may be stringent and onerous when the degree of safety risk is high, and the certification standards may be easier and more flexible when the degree of safety risk is low.
  • the FAA advisory circular AC 25.1309-1 describes acceptable means for showing compliance with the airworthiness requirements of US Federal Aviation Regulations defines different levels of failure conditions according to their severity: - Failure Conditions with No Safety Effect. - Minor Failure Conditions. - Major Failure Conditions. - Hazardous Failure Conditions must be no more frequent than Extremely Remote. - Catastrophic Failure Conditions must be Extremely Improbable.
  • Subsystems for propelling the electric aircraft are one of the most critical subsystems in an electric or hybrid aircraft, as a loss of propulsion might lead to catastrophic scenarios.
  • there is a necessity to operate these subsystems efficiently as the range of aircrafts equipped with alternative electric propulsion concepts is still limited.
  • concepts known from the prior art allow the subsystems to be operated more efficiently, thereby providing improved performance.
  • this is often accompanied by additional components, weight, and/or complexity. All of this is undesirable, as additional weight reduces the aircraft's range, and additional components or complexity may come at further costs for certification or make the certification even more difficult.
  • subsystems for propelling the electric aircraft are one of the most critical subsystems in an electric or hybrid aircraft, as a loss of propulsion might lead to catastrophic scenarios.
  • Various solutions are known from prior art to prevent a loss of propulsion.
  • Sensing circuits are important to identify failures in the subsystems. It is essential to identify a
  • the disclosure is related to a motor controller for supplying a propulsion motor in an electric or hybrid aircraft with electrical energy.
  • a motor controller which can control a motor in case of coil failure, without adding excessive additional weight to the aircraft.
  • the solution improves the safety of the aircraft and does not add excessive additional weight to the aircraft.
  • the motor controller can be provided to control driving signals supplied to the motor in two different modes.
  • a first mode can be activated in the absence of a motor failure (under normal operation), whereas a second mode can be activated in the presence of a motor failure.
  • the driving signals supplied to the motor in the second mode can be different from the driving signal supplied to the motor in the first mode.
  • the driving signals in the second mode can generate a magnetic field in the motor such that the maximal rotation speed that the motor can reach can be higher than in the first mode.
  • the maximal torque that the motor can deliver in case of coil failure is reduced in case of coil failure, this increase of maximal rotation speed can be used to compensate partly or fully the loss of power that the motor can deliver in the second mode, after a coil failure.
  • These aims are also attained by a motor controller arranged for using a first vector control scheme for supplying a first set of driving signals
  • the motor controller can be configured with an input end and an output end.
  • the input end may be connected to an electrical energy source that supplies a DC voltage and a related current.
  • a battery pack or a plurality of battery packs may provide electrical energy.
  • Other energy sources, such as fuel cells might be used alternatively or in addition to the battery pack(s).
  • the motor controller can provide a driving signals to an electric motor for propelling an aircraft.
  • the driving signal can be used to generate a rotating magnetic field in the motor that varies in amplitude and frequency for generating torque at an output shaft of the motor.
  • the motor controller can provide at one output end a driving signal in the form of an AC voltage and an AC current. In fact, driving signal can be referred to as driving voltage/current.
  • the diving signal may vary in amplitude and frequency.
  • the fundamental frequency is the lowest significant frequency of the driving signal.
  • the fundamental frequency can range from 0 Hz to some tenth up to some hundred Hertz, depending on the operational setpoint of the motor controller and the motor connected to the motor controller.
  • the fundamental frequency range typically corresponds to a frequency at which a motor connected to the motor controller can be operated.
  • the motor controller may be arranged for supplying said second set of driving signals with a second fundamental frequency higher than the nominal rated frequency of the motor.
  • the motor controller may be arranged for supplying said second set of driving signals using a field-weakening mode.
  • Output ends of the motor controller can have multiple phase lines.
  • Each of the phase lines can carry a driving signal with a phase different from other driving signals on other phase lines.
  • the motor controller can provide a symmetrical three- phase system at its output end.
  • the motor can be configured with multiple input terminals, whereas the number of input terminals can correspond to the number of phase lines provided by the motor controller.
  • the motor can be a three- phase induction machine, a three- or multiphase permanent magnet machine or equivalent. Other types of motors might be used instead.
  • the motor can be provided with a nominal power, current, voltage and frequency in which the motor may be operated. A nameplate typically indicates said nominal rating.
  • the motor can be operated within the range of the nominal rating in the absence of a motor failure. In case of motor failure, the motor may be operated outside of its nominal rating.
  • the motor can have a stator with a plurality of field coils.
  • the motor can comprise a rotor that rotates when a magnetic field is generated by the field coils powered by the driving signal(s).
  • a motor failure in the meaning of the present disclosure can be for example a failure in one of the field coils of the motor. For instance, an insulation breakdown in one of the field coils may be considered as such a failure.
  • Other failure types such as a bearing failure or saturation/demagnetization in the magnetic material comprised in the motor, and/or open-circuit failures of a coil might also be considered as a motor failure. Such alternative failure scenarios might result in a failure in or a loss of one of the field coils.
  • phase lines can be interrupted using a switching device inserted between the output end of the motor controller and the motor.
  • the switching device can be part of the motor controller or part of the motor. It might comprise a plurality of mechanical or semiconductor switches.
  • the motor controller or alternative control means are configured to control the state (conductive vs. non-conductive) of the switching device.
  • the motor controller can control the driving signal(s) using at least two vector control schemes.
  • a first vector control scheme can be used under normal operational conditions, particularly in the absence of a failure in the motor.
  • the motor is powered with a first driving signal or a set of first driving signals, having a first fundamental frequency.
  • a second control scheme can be applied in case of a motor failure, particularly in case of a failure in at least one of the field coils.
  • the second vector control scheme can control the second driving signal or the
  • the second vector control scheme can be adapted to weaken the magnetic field in the rotor of the motor by allowing the rotor to reach a higher speed in the event of a failure in at least one of the field coils.
  • the second fundamental frequency subsequent to a failure of a first field coil or the plurality of field coils can be higher than the rated frequency of the motor.
  • the motor may be operated outside of its nominal rating in the scenario of a motor failure.
  • the rated speed can also be considered as the critical speed for the field weakening, and may or may not be comparable to the rated speed of a 3-phase induction machine.
  • the first and/or second vector control scheme may be based on a sensorless vector control, meaning that the first and second set of driving signals can be controlled without the presence of a motor encoder determining the position and/or speed of the rotor.
  • the position and/or speed of the rotor can be primarily estimated/calculated by combining a motor model and a measurement of currents/voltages at the output end of the motor controller.
  • the first and second set of driving signals can be controlled by reading a rotary encoder/encoder, which can be provided by the motor to measure a speed and/or a position of the rotor.
  • the motor controller can detect a failure in at least one of the plurality of field coils.
  • the motor controller can comprise a sensor configured to detect a failure in at least one of the plurality of field coils.
  • the motor controller can be configured to detect the failure in one or more of the plurality of field coils from a temperature, voltage, an electrical current, or a magnetic field measured by said sensor.
  • the sensor can be comprised in the motor controller. Alternatively or in addition, the sensor can be provided in the motor, whereas the motor controller is configurated to read the sensor value to detect the failure in at least one of the plurality of field coils.
  • the driving signals or the first and/or second set of driving signals may be regulated responsive to an output from the sensor, e.g.
  • the failure of one or more of the plurality of field coils can be detected by the motor controller by determining at least one electrical quantity of the driving signal supplied to the motor.
  • the at least one electrical quantity can be a current, a voltage or a frequency which may be different from the first and/or second fundamental frequency.
  • Other electrical quantities, such as resistance, impedance, etc. can be used.
  • the electrical quantities might differ case a motor failure from the electrical quantities under normal operation.
  • a failure in the motor can lead to higher currents, to lower currents, and/or or harmonics that may be injected into the driving signal(s) in case of a failure of one of the field coils.
  • the motor controller can detect such so-called abnormalities. H55-18-PCT3
  • the driving signal or the first and/or second set of driving signals be regulated responsive to the detection of the failure, e.g. by applying the second vector control scheme.
  • the motor controller as previously said, can be configured with a plurality of phase lines connectable to the motor and can be configured to supply the motor with the first and second set of driving signals.
  • the motor controller can be configured to no longer supply the first or second set of driving signals to at least one of the plurality of phase lines in response to a detection of failure in one field coil.
  • the motor controller can be configured to control the above mentioned switching device so as to interrupt at least one of the plurality of phase lines in response to a detection of failure in said first field coil. For example, the defect field coil in the motor may be switched off after such a detection, so that it is no longer supplied with a driving signal.
  • the motor controller can be configured to regulate the second set of driving signals of the motor controller using the second vector control scheme subsequent to the interruption of at least one of the plurality of phase lines.
  • the motor controller can be configured to regulate the second set of driving signals of the motor controller using the second vector control scheme subsequent to the interruption of at least one of the plurality of phase lines.
  • the disclosure is not limited to two different vector control schemes or a set of two different sets of driving signals only. Further vector control schemes or sets of driving signals might be implemented in the motor controller, whereas the further control schemes or further sets of driving signals might be activated by the motor H55-18-PCT3 controller or applied to the motor in case of other failure scenarios, such as a failure in more than one of the field coil, or failures in one bearing for example.
  • the motor controller can comprise a control circuit, which can implement the first and second vector control scheme and may be configured to detect a failure in one or more of the plurality of field coils by determining the sensor value and/or by determining the electrical quantities.
  • the control circuit can include digital components, such as a processor, a FPGA circuit, and/or any combination of digital and/or analog components.
  • the control circuit can be configured to control the driving signal or the first and second set of driving signals.
  • the terms control structure and control circuit can be used interchangeably in the course of the present disclosure.
  • a propulsion system for an electric or hybrid aircraft is disclosed.
  • the propulsion system comprises: - a motor having a plurality of field coils and a rotor; - a motor controller as previously described.
  • the propulsion system can further comprise a variable-pitch propeller and a control means, wherein the variable-pitch propeller can be mechanically connected to an output shaft of the motor, wherein the control means can be configurated to adjust a blade pitch of the variable- pitch propeller for increasing the thrust generated by a rotation of the variable-pitch propeller, wherein the blade pitch can be adjusted in response to the detection of the failure of the one or more of the plurality of field coils by the motor controller.
  • the variable-pitch propeller can be directly mechanically connected to the motor shaft, which can function as an output shaft.
  • variable-pitch propeller can also be mechanically connected H55-18-PCT3 to an output side of a transmission, whereby an input side of the transmission can be mechanically connected to the motor shaft.
  • the torque generated by the rotor can rotate the variable-pitch propeller and thereby generating thrust.
  • a further aspect of the disclosure relates to an electric or hybrid aircraft propelled by the propulsion system as disclosed herein before.
  • the aircraft might be destined for transporting passengers and/or goods.
  • An application of the said propulsion system in an unmanned aerial vehicle, such as a drone, can also be considered.
  • a method in which a failure in the motor can be detected and the motor can subsequent to the detection be operated such that it continues to provide sufficient propulsion power.
  • the method can be implemented in or executed by a simple control circuit without a complex control architecture.
  • the disclosure thus relates to the method for operating a motor in an electric or hybrid aircraft, having a plurality of field coils, the method comprises: - supplying a motor with a first set of driving signals to the plurality of field coils having a first fundamental frequency using a first vector control scheme; - detecting a failure of a first field coil among the plurality of field coils; H55-18-PCT3 - supplying the motor with a second set of driving signals to the plurality of field coils having a second fundamental frequency using a second vector control scheme subsequent to the detection of a failure of the first field coil of said plurality of field coils, wherein the first and the second vector control scheme being different from each other, and the second fundamental frequency being higher than said first fundamental frequency.
  • the method can comprise a step of no longer supplying the first set and/or second set of driving signals to the first field coil of the plurality of field coils in response to detecting a failure of this first field coil.
  • the method can comprise a step of disconnecting the first field coil of the plurality of field coils from a motor controller in response to detecting the failure in said first field coil.
  • the method can comprise a step of regulating the second set of driving signals to residual individual field coils using the second vector control scheme in response to disconnecting said first field coil.
  • the residual individual field coils may correspond to the field coils that are continued to be supplied with the first or second set of driving signals.
  • the method can comprise a step of adjusting a blade pitch of the variable-pitch propeller subsequent to the detection of the failure of the first field coil of said plurality of field coils.
  • the adjustment can relate to increasing the angle of attack of the variable-pitch propeller for the sake of moving more air per revolution and thereby allowing the rotor of the motor to spin slower while moving an equivalent volume of air.
  • the adjustment of the blade pitch in combination with the second vector control scheme, can contribute to maintaining the velocity of the aircraft in case of a failure in at least one of the field coils.
  • H55-18-PCT3 [0077]
  • the method may be carried out by the motor controller and/or the control circuit as disclosed herein before.
  • the order of the steps carried out by the motor controller or the control circuit may be consecutive or different from the order as disclosed herein before.
  • the disclosure may be related to a data storing medium comprising a control routine arranged for causing a control circuit to carry out the method as disclosed herein before when said control routine is executed.
  • the control circuit can be included in the motor controller or can be provided by other control means, such as the control means outlined for the control system, located somewhere in the electric or hybrid aircraft, such as a central control device in the cockpit.
  • Some or all previously embodiments can be combined when it is useful and feasible from a technical standpoint.
  • a propulsion system for an electric or hybrid aircraft can comprise: - an electrical source; - a first motor comprising a stator and a rotor; - a speed or position sensor operably coupled to the rotor for measuring a speed and/or a position of the said rotor; - a motor controller as previously described (including any embodiments or any combination thereof) connected to the electrical source at the input end, connected to the speed sensor at the signal input, and connected to the first motor at the output end.
  • the first motor can be configured as a permanent-magnet synchronous motor comprising a propeller coupled to H55-18-PCT3 the rotor.
  • the propeller can be configured with a plurality of propeller blades, wherein the pitch or attack angle of said the blades can be varied to adjust the thrust.
  • the propeller is conventionally mechanically connected to the motor shaft.
  • the propulsion system can comprise a second motor mechanically coupled to the rotor of the first motor.
  • the second motor can be configured with a smaller power rating compared to the first motor.
  • the second motor can only be energized if a failure at the signal input is detected, which may be caused by the loss or the failure of the speed sensor.
  • the second motor can be configured as an induction machine, synchronous machine or a permanent-magnet synchronous motor.
  • the method can comprising the step of changing a blade pitch of the propeller coupled to the rotor during an activation of the initialization control mode for maintaining the operational speed of the rotor.
  • Adapting the blade pitch can also be useful to increase the speed of the rotor, in particular for supplying sufficient energy to the motor controller to determine the rotor position.
  • the blade pitch can preferably be adjusted during the flight of the aircraft, in particular when the blades are surrounded by the airstream.
  • the blade pitch can also be adjusted during the operation on the ground in particular when the first motor is started using the V/f- or I/f-control, such that the required torque for the motor can be reduced.
  • the motor controller with the use of the method can benefit from the airstream surrounding the propeller of the motor, and thus can the rotor position be efficiently determined for a smooth transition between the sensor-based operation mode and the sensorless operation H55-18-PCT3 mode, without negative affecting the comfort or the safety of passengers in the airplane.
  • All aspects and sub-aspects as set out herein can be combined in whole or in part when technically feasible and useful. Otherwise they remain independent from one another.
  • FIG.1A illustrates an aircraft, such as an electric or hybrid aircraft
  • Fig.1B illustrates a simplified block diagram of an aircraft
  • Fig.2 illustrates management systems for operating an aircraft
  • Fig.3 illustrates a battery monitoring system for an aircraft
  • Figs.4 and 5 illustrate implementations of battery monitoring circuits
  • Figs.6 and 7 illustrate implementations of master circuits for monitoring battery monitoring circuits
  • Figs.8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 illustrate schematic views of implementations of a power management system
  • Figs.14A and 14B illustrate a battery module usable in an aircraft
  • Figs.15A and 15B illustrate a power source formed of multiple battery modules
  • Fig.16 illustrates multiple power sources arranged and connected for powering an aircraft
  • Figs.17A and 17B illustrate multiple power sources positioned in a nose of an aircraft for powering the aircraft
  • Figs.18A and 18B illustrate multiple power sources
  • Fig.1A illustrates an aircraft 100, such as an electric or hybrid aircraft
  • 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 motor 110 can be used to propel the aircraft 100 and cause the aircraft 100 to fly and navigate.
  • the management system 120 can control and monitor the components (equipment) of the aircraft 100, such as the motor 110 and the power source 130.
  • the power source 130 can H55-18-PCT3 power the motor 110 to drive the aircraft 100 and power the management system 120 to enable operations of the management system 120.
  • the management system 120 can include one or more motor controllers as well as other electronic circuitry for controlling and monitoring various components of the aircraft 100.
  • Fig.2 illustrates components 200 of an aircraft, such as the aircraft 100 of Figs.1A and 1B.
  • the components 200 can 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, a warning panel 214, a fuse and relay 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 can monitor communications on a communication bus, such as a controller area network (CAN) bus, and communicate via the communication bus.
  • a communication bus such as a controller area network (CAN) bus
  • the first battery pack 212A and the second battery pack 212B can, for instance, communicate on the communication bus enabling the power management system 210 to monitor and control the first battery pack 212A and the second battery pack 212B.
  • the motor controller 222 can communicate on the communication bus enabling the motor management system 220 to monitor and control the motor controller 222.
  • the recorder 230 can store some or all data communicated (such as component status, temperature, or over/undervoltage information from the components or other sensors) on the communication bus to a memory device for later reference, such as for reference by the power management system 210 or the motor management system 220 or for use in troubleshooting or debugging by a maintenance worker.
  • the power management system 210 and the motor management system 220 can each output or include a user interface that presents status information and permits system configurations.
  • the power management system 210 can control a charging process (for instance, a charge timing, current level, or H55-18-PCT3 voltage level) for the aircraft when the aircraft is coupled to an external power source to charge a power source of the aircraft, such as the first battery pack 212A or the second battery pack 212B.
  • the warning panel 214 can be a panel that alerts a pilot or another individual or computer to an issue, such as a problem associated with a power source like the first battery pack 212A.
  • the fuse and relay 216 can be associated with the first battery pack 212A and the second battery pack 212B and usable to transfer power through a converter 217 (for example, a DC-DC converter) to a cockpit battery pack 218.
  • the fuse and relay 216 can protect one or more battery poles of the first battery pack 212A and the second battery pack 212B from a short or overcurrent.
  • the cockpit battery pack 218 may supply power for the communication bus.
  • the motor management system 220 can provide control commands to the motor controller 222, which can in turn be used to operate the one or more motors 224.
  • the motor controller can include an inverter for generating AC currents that are needed for operating the one or more motors.
  • the motor controller 222 may further operate according to instructions from the throttle 226 that may be controlled by a pilot of the aircraft.
  • the one or more motors can include an electric brushless motor.
  • the power management system 210 and the motor management system 220 can execute the same or similar software instructions and may perform the same or similar functions as one another.
  • the power management system 210 may be primarily responsible for power management functions while the motor management system 220 may be secondarily responsible for the power management functions.
  • the motor management system 220 may be primarily responsible for motor management functions while the power management system 210 may be secondarily responsible for the motor management functions.
  • the power management system 210 and the motor management system 220 can be assigned respective functions, for example, according to system configurations, such as one or more memory flags in memory that indicate a desired functionality.
  • the power management system 210 and the motor H55-18-PCT3 management system 220 may include the same or similar computer hardware.
  • the power management system 210 can automatically perform the motor management functions when the motor management system 220 is not operational (such as in the event of a rebooting or failure of the motor management system 220), and the motor management system 220 can automatically perform the power management functions when the power management system 210 is not operational (such as in the event of rebooting or failure of the power management system 210).
  • the power management system 210 and the motor management system 220 can take over the functions from one another without communicating operation data, such as data about one or more of the components being controlled or monitored by the power management system 210 and the motor management system 220. This can be because both the power management system 210 and the motor management system 220 may be consistently monitoring communications on the communication bus to generate control information, but the control information may be used if the power management system 210 and the motor management system 220 has primary responsibility but not if the power management system 210 and the motor management system 220 does not have primary responsibility. Additionally or alternatively, the power management system 210 and the motor management system 220 may access data stored by the recorder 230 to obtain information usable to take over primary responsibility.
  • a condition that may occur with an aircraft or its components can be assigned to one of multiple safety risk assessments, which may in turn be associated with a particular certification standard.
  • the condition can, for example, be catastrophic, hazardous, major, minor, or no safety effect.
  • a catastrophic condition may be one that likely results in multiple fatalities or loss of the aircraft.
  • a hazardous condition may reduce the capability of the aircraft or the operator ability to cope with adverse conditions to the extent that there would be a large reduction in safety margin or functional capability crew physical distress/excessive workload such that operators cannot be relied upon to perform required tasks accurately or completely or serious or fatal injury to small number of occupants of aircraft (except operators) or fatal injury to ground personnel or general public.
  • a major condition can reduce the capability of the aircraft or the operators to cope with adverse operating condition to the extent that there would be a significant reduction in safety margin or functional capability, significant increase in operator workload, conditions impairing operator efficiency or creating significant discomfort physical distress to occupants of aircraft (except operator), which can include injuries, major occupational illness, major environmental damage, or major property damage.
  • a minor condition may not significantly reduce system safety such that actions required by operators are well within their capabilities and may include a slight reduction in safety margin or functional capabilities, slight increase in workload such as routine flight plan changes, some physical discomfort to H55-18-PCT3 occupants or aircraft (except operators), minor occupational illness, minor environmental damage, or minor property damage.
  • a no safety effect condition may be one that has not effect on safety.
  • An aircraft can be designed so that different monitoring and warning subsystems, such as battery monitoring circuits, of the aircraft are constructed to have a robustness corresponding to their responsibilities and any related certification standards, as well as potentially any subsystem redundancies.
  • the subsystem can be designed to be simple and robust and thus may be able to satisfy difficult certification standards.
  • the subsystem for instance a battery, motor or motor controller monitoring circuit, can be composed of non- programmable, non-stateful components (for example, analog or non- programmable combinational logic electronic components) rather than programmable components (for example, a processor, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a complex programmable logic device (CPLD)) or stateful components (for example, sequential logic electronic components) and activate indicators such as lights rather than more sophisticated displays.
  • non- programmable, non-stateful components for example, analog or non- programmable combinational logic electronic components
  • programmable components for example, a processor, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a complex programmable logic device (CPLD)
  • stateful components for example, sequential logic electronic components
  • a monitoring and warning subsystem such as a battery monitoring circuit, a motor monitoring circuit or a motor controller monitoring circuit
  • the subsystem can be at least partly digital and designed to be complicated, feature-rich, and easier to update and yet able to satisfy associated certification standards.
  • Such a subsystem can, for instance, include a processor or other programmable components that outputs information to a sophisticated display for presentation.
  • some or all catastrophic conditions monitored for by an aircraft can be monitored for with at least one monitoring and warning subsystem that does not include a programmable component or a stateful component because certifications for programmable components or stateful components may demand statistical analysis of the responsible subsystems, which can be very expensive and complicated to certify.
  • An aircraft monitoring system can include a first monitoring and warning subsystem and a second monitoring and warning subsystem.
  • the second subsystem such as a second battery monitoring circuit
  • the second subsystem can be supported by an aircraft housing and include non-programmable, non- stateful components, such as analog or non-programmable combinational logic electronic components.
  • the non-programmable, non-stateful components can monitor a component (such as battery cells in a battery pack) supported by the aircraft housing and output a second alert to notify of a catastrophic condition associated with the component.
  • the non- programmable, non-stateful components can, for instance, activate an indicator or an audible alarm for a passenger aboard the housing to output the first alert.
  • the indicator or audible alarm may remain inactive unless the indicator is outputting the first alert.
  • the non-programmable, non-stateful components can output the second alert to a computer aboard or remote from the aircraft (for example, to automatically trigger actions to attempt to respond to or address the catastrophic condition, such as to stop charging or activate a fire extinguisher, a parachute, or an emergency landing procedure or other H55-18-PCT3 emergency response feature) or an operator of the aircraft via a telemetry system.
  • the non-programmable, non-stateful components may, moreover, not be able to control the component or at least control certain functionality of the component, such as to control a mode or trigger an operation of the component.
  • the first subsystem such as a first battery monitoring circuit
  • the first subsystem can be supported by the aircraft housing and include a processor (or another programmable or stateful component), as well as a communication bus.
  • the processor can monitor the component from communications on the communication bus and output a first alert to notify of a catastrophic condition or a less than catastrophic condition associated with the component.
  • the processor can, for instance, activate an indicator or audible alarm for a passenger aboard the housing to output the first alert.
  • the processor can output the first alert to a computer aboard or remote from the aircraft (for example, to automatically trigger actions to attempt to address the catastrophic condition, such as to activate a fire extinguisher, a parachute, or an emergency landing procedure) or an operator of the aircraft via a telemetry system.
  • the processor may control the component.
  • the non-programmable, non-stateful components of the second subsystem additionally may not be able to communicate via the communication bus. It may not include any programmable communication circuit for allowing communication via such a bus.
  • An example of such a design and its benefits are next described in the context of battery management systems. Notably, the design can be additionally or alternatively applied to other systems of a vehicle that perform functions other than battery management, such as motor and motor control. H55-18-PCT3 [00110] Battery packs including multiple battery cells, such as lithium-ion cells, can be used in electric cars, electric aircraft, and other electric self- powered vehicles. The battery cells may be connected in series or in parallel to deliver an appropriate voltage and current.
  • Battery cells in battery packs can be managed and controlled by battery management systems (BMS).
  • BMS battery management systems
  • a BMS can be a circuit that manages a rechargeable battery cell by controlling its charging and discharge cycles, preventing it from operating outside its safe operating area, balancing the charge between cells, or the like.
  • BMS can also monitor battery parameters, such as the temperature, voltage, current, internal resistance, or pressure of the battery cell, and report anomalies.
  • BMS can be provided by various manufacturers as discreet electronic components.
  • Damage to battery cells can be very serious incidents that may cause fire, explosions, or interruption of the powered circuit. Therefore, any damage to a battery in a vehicle, such as an electric aircraft, may desirably be reported immediately and reliably to the pilot or driver of the vehicle.
  • BMS Battery cells can be monitored with a second, redundant BMS.
  • both BMS are of the same type, a defect or conception flaw that affects one BMS may also affect the redundant BMS H55-18-PCT3 as well, so that the gain in reliability can be limited.
  • the present disclosure provides at least approaches to increase the reliability of the detection of malfunctions of battery cells in an electric vehicle, such as an electric aircraft. Redundant monitoring of parameters of each battery cell can be performed with two different circuits. Because a 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 certification can be easier, and its reliability may be increased.
  • the second, redundant circuit may be processorless, may not include any sequential or programmable combinational logic electronic components, and may not rely on any software (for example, executable program code that is executed by a processor), its certification is made easier than if the second, redundant circuit relied on processors, sequential or programmable combinational logic electronic components, or software.
  • the second, redundant monitoring circuit can provide for a redundant monitoring of battery parameters and for a redundant transmission of those parameters, or warning signals depending on those parameters.
  • the second battery monitoring system may transmit analog or binary signals but not multivalued digital signals.
  • the second battery monitoring circuit may not manage the charge and discharge of battery cells, but instead provide for monitoring of battery parameters, and transmission of parameters or warning signals.
  • Fig.3 illustrates a battery monitoring system.
  • This system can be used in an electric vehicle, such as an electric aircraft, a large size drone or unmanned aerial vehicle, an electric car, or the like, to monitor the state of battery cells 1 in one of multiple battery packs and report this state or generate warning signals in case of dysfunctions.
  • the battery cells 1 can be connected in series or in parallel to deliver a desired voltage and current.
  • Fig.3 shows serially connected H55-18-PCT3 battery cells. The total number of battery cells 1 may exceed 100 cells in an electric aircraft.
  • Each of the battery cells 1 can be made up of multiple elementary battery cells in parallel.
  • a first battery monitoring circuit can control and monitor the state of each battery cell 1.
  • the first battery management circuit can include multiple BMSs 2, each of the BMSs 2 managing and controlling one of the battery cells 1.
  • the BMSs 2 can each be made up of an integrated circuit (for instance, a dedicated integrated circuit) mounted on one printed circuit board (PCB) of the PCBs 20.
  • PCB printed circuit board
  • One of the PCBs 20 can be used for each of the battery cells 1 or for a group of battery cells.
  • Fig.4 illustrates example components of one of the BMSs 2.
  • the control of a battery cell can include control of its charging and discharge cycles, preventing a battery cell from operating outside its safe operating area, or balancing the charge between different cells.
  • the monitoring of one of the battery cells 1 by one of the BMSs 2 can include measuring parameters of the one of the battery cells 1, to detect and report its condition and possible dysfunctions.
  • the measurement of the parameters can be performed with battery cell parameter sensors, which can be integrated in the one of the BMSs 2 or connected to the one of the BMSs 2. Examples of such parameter sensors can include a temperature sensor 21, a voltage sensor 22, or a current sensor.
  • An analog- to-digital converter 23 can convert the analog values measured by one or more of the parameter sensors into multivalued digital values, for example, 8 or 16 bits digital parameter values.
  • the BMSs 2 as slaves can be controlled by one of multiple first master circuits 5. In the example of Fig.3, each of the first master circuits 5 can control four of the BMSs 2. Each of the first master circuits 5 can control eight of the BMSs 2, or more than eight of the BMSs 2.
  • the first master H55-18-PCT3 circuits 5 can control more BMS and more battery cells in yet other implementations.
  • the first master circuits 5 can be connected and communicate over a digital communication bus 55.
  • the first master circuits 5 can also be connected to a computer 9 that collects the various digital signals and data sent by the first master circuits 5, and may display information related to the battery state and warning signals on a display 13, such as a matrix display.
  • the display 13 may be mounted in the vehicle’s cockpit to be visible by the vehicle’s driver or pilot. Additionally or alternatively, the computer 9 can output the information to a computer remote from the aircraft or to control operations of one or more components of the aircraft as described herein.
  • the BMSs 2 can be connected to the first master circuits 5 over a digital communication bus, such as a CAN bus.
  • a bus driver 25 can interface the microcontroller 24 with the digital communication bus and provide a first galvanic isolation 59 between the PCBs 20 and the first master circuits 5.
  • the bus drivers of adjacent BMSs 2 can be daisy chained.
  • the bus driver 25 is connected to the bus driver 27 of the previous BMS and to the bus driver 28 of the next BMS.
  • Each of the BMSs 2 and their associated microcontrollers can be rebooted by switching its power voltage Vcc. The interruption of Vcc can be controlled by the first master circuits 5 over the digital communication bus and a power source 26.
  • Fig.6 illustrates example components of one of the first master circuits 5.
  • the one of the first master circuits 5 can include a first driver 51 for connecting the one of the first master circuits 5 with one of the BMSs 2 over the digital communication bus, a microcontroller 50, and a second driver 52 for connecting the first master circuits 5 between themselves and with the computer 9 over a second digital communication bus 55, such as a second CAN bus.
  • a second galvanic isolation 58 can be provided between the first and second master circuits 5, 7 and the computer 9.30ulfild galvanic isolation 58 can, for example, be 1500 VDC, 2500 Vrms, 3750 Vrms, H55-18-PCT3 or another magnitude of isolation.
  • Fig.3 further illustrates a second battery monitoring circuit, which can be redundant of the first battery monitoring circuit.
  • This second battery monitoring circuit may not manage the battery cells 1; for example, the second battery monitoring circuit may not control charge or discharge cycles of the battery cells 1.
  • the function of the second battery monitoring circuit can instead be to provide a separate, redundant monitoring of each of the battery cells 1 in the battery packs, and to transmit those parameters or warning signals related to those parameters, such as to the pilot or driver or a computer aboard or remote from the aircraft as described herein.
  • the second battery monitoring circuit can monitor the state of each of the battery cells 1 independently from the first battery monitoring circuit.
  • the second battery monitoring circuit can include one of multiple cell monitoring circuits 3 for each of the battery cells.
  • the parameters or warning signals may moreover, for example, be used by the second battery monitoring circuit to stop charging (for instance, by opening a relay to disconnect supply of power) of one or more battery cells when the one or more battery cells may be full of energy and a computer of the aircraft continues to charge the one or more battery cells.
  • Fig.5 illustrates example components of one of the cell monitoring circuits 3.
  • Each of the cell monitoring circuits 3 can include multiple cell parameter sensors 30, 31, 32, 33 for measuring various parameters of one of the battery cells 1.
  • the sensor 30 can measure a first temperature at a first location in one battery cell and detect an overtemperature condition; the sensor 31 can measure a second temperature at a second location in the same battery cell and detect an overtemperature condition; the sensor 32 can detect an undervoltage condition in the same battery cell; and the sensor 33 can detect an overvoltage condition on the same battery cell.
  • the undervoltage condition can be detected, for example, when the voltage at the output of one H55-18-PCT3 battery cell is under 3.1 Volts or another threshold.
  • the overvoltage condition might be detected, for example, when the voltage at the output of one battery cell is above 4.2 Volts or yet another threshold.
  • the thresholds used can depend, for instance, on the type of battery cell 1 or a number of elementary cells in the cell.
  • each or some of the sensors 30-33 can include a sensor as such and an analog comparator for comparing the value delivered by the sensor with one or two thresholds, and outputting a binary value depending on the result of the comparison.
  • Other battery cell parameter sensors such as an overcurrent detecting sensor, can be used in other implementations.
  • Various parameters related to one of the battery cells 1 can be combined using a combinational logic circuit 35, such as an AND gate.
  • the combinational logic circuit 35 may not include programmable logic.
  • warning signals output by the sensors 30, 31, and 32 are combined by a AND gate into a single warning signal, which can have a positive value (warning signal) if and only if the temperature measured by the two temperature sensors exceeds a temperature threshold and if the voltage of the cell is under a voltage threshold.
  • the detection of an overvoltage condition by the sensor 33, in the example of Fig.5, may not combined with any other measure and can be directly used as a warning signal.
  • the warning signals delivered by the combinational logic 35 or directly by the parameter sensors 30-33 can be transmitted to a second master circuit 7 over lines 76, which can be dedicated and different from the digital communication bus used by the first battery monitoring circuit.
  • Optocouplers 36, 37, 38 provide a third galvanic isolation 60 between the components 30-38 and the second master circuit 7.
  • the third galvanic isolation 60 can provide the same isolation as the first galvanic isolation 59, such as 30V isolation, or the third galvanic isolation 60 may provide a different isolation form the first galvanic isolation 59.
  • the sensors 30-33 and the combinational logic element 35 can be powered by a powering circuit 34 that delivers a power voltage Vcc2. H55-18-PCT3 This powering circuit 34 can be reset from the second master circuit 7 using an ON/OFF signal transmitted over the optocoupler 38.
  • the sensors 30-33 and the combinational logic element 35 can be mounted on a PCB. One such PCB can be provided for each of the battery cells 1.
  • Fig.7 illustrates example components of one of the second master circuits 7.
  • the one of the second master circuits 7 can include a combinational logic element 72, which may not include programmable logic, for combining warning signals, such as overtemperature/under- voltage warning signals uv1, uv2, ... or overvoltage signals ov1, ov2, ... from different battery cells into combined warning signals, such as a general uv (undervoltage condition in case of overtemperature) warning signal and a separate overvoltage warning signal ov.
  • warning signals such as overtemperature/under- voltage warning signals uv1, uv2, ... or overvoltage signals ov1, ov2, ... from different battery cells into combined warning signals, such as a general uv (undervoltage condition in case of overtemperature) warning signal and a separate overvoltage warning signal ov.
  • warning signals uv, ov can be active when any of the battery cells 1 monitored by the one of the second master circuits 7 has a failure. They can be transmitted over optocouplers 70, 71 and lines 76 to the next and previous second master circuits 74, 75, and to a warning display panel 11 in the cockpit of the vehicle for displaying warning signals to the driver or pilot.
  • the warning display panel 11 can include lights, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), for displaying warning signals.
  • LEDs light emitting diodes
  • the warning panel 11 can correctly show an alarm despite the broken cable or the inactive power supply. This can be accomplished, for instance, by using an inverted logic so that if the warning panel 11 does not receive a voltage or a current on an alarm line, an indicator may activate, but if the warning panel 11 does receive the voltage or the current on the alarm line, the indicator can deactivate.
  • H55-18-PCT3 The one of the second master circuits 7 can be mounted on a PCB. One such PCB can be provided for each of the second master circuits 7.
  • One of the second master circuits 7 can be mounted on the same PCB 54 as one of the first master circuits 5 of the first battery monitoring circuit.
  • the second battery monitoring circuit can include exclusively non-programmable, non-stateful components (such as, analog components or non-programmable combinational logic components).
  • the second battery monitoring circuit can be processorless, 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 can provide for a very reliable second monitoring circuit, and for a simple certification of the second battery monitoring circuit and an entire system that include the second battery monitoring circuit.
  • the second battery monitoring circuit can be built so that any faulty line, components, or power source triggers an alarm.
  • an “0” on a line which may be caused by the detection of a problem in a cell or by a defective sensor, line, or electronic component, can be signalled as an alarm on the warning panel; the alarm may only be removed when all the monitored cells and all the monitoring components are functioning properly. For example, if the voltage comparator or temperature sensor is broken, an alarm can be triggered.
  • the computer 9, the display 13, and the warning display panel 11 in the cockpit can be powered by a power source 15 in the cockpit, which may be a cockpit battery and can be independent of other power sources used to power one or more other components.
  • a first monitoring and warning subsystem could be used for detecting an warning catastrophic, or hazardous, failure conditions of a motor or motor controller, while a second subsystem could be used for redundant monitoring of those catastrophic or hazardous failure conditions, and/or for monitoring and warning about less serious failure conditions, such as major, minor or no safety risk conditions of an electric motor or motor controller.
  • the first monitoring and warning subsystem can be composed of non-programmable, non-stateful components and thus easier to certify, while the second monitoring and warning subsystem can comprise a processor or other programmable components, and output information to a sophisticated display 13, via a computer 9, for presentation.
  • Motor and Battery System Battery packs including multiple battery cells, such as lithium-ion cells, can be used in electric cars, electric aircraft, and other electric self- powered vehicles. The battery cells can be connected in series or in parallel to deliver an appropriate voltage and current. [00140] In electrically driven aircraft, the battery packs can be chosen to fulfil the electrical requirements for various flight modes. During short time periods like take off, the electrical motor can utilize a relatively high power.
  • the electrical motor can utilize a relatively lower power, but may consume a high energy for achieving long distances of travel. It can be difficult for a single battery to achieve these two power utilizations.
  • the use of two battery packs with different power or energy characteristics can optimize the use of the stored energy for different flight conditions.
  • a first battery pack can be used for standard flight situations, where high power output may not be demanded, but a high energy output may be demanded.
  • a second battery pack can be used, alone or in addition to the first battery pack, for flight situations with high power output demands, such as take-off manoeuvring.
  • An electrical powering system can charge the second battery pack from the first battery pack.
  • the electrical powering system can also charge the second battery pack by at least one motor which works as generator (the motor may also accordingly be referred to as a transducer). This can allow recharging of the second battery pack during the flight or after the second battery pack has been used in a high power output demanding flight situation. Therefore, the second battery pack can be small, which can save space and weight. In addition, the different battery packs can allow the recovery of braking energy.
  • the electrical powering system can also include a third battery pack, which includes a supercapacitor. Because supercapacitors can receive and output large instantaneous power or high energy in a short duration of time, the third battery pack can further improve the electrical powering system in some instances.
  • a supercapacitor may, for example, have a capacitance of 0.1 F, 0.5 F, 1 F, 5 F, 10 F, 50 F, 100 F, or greater or within a range defined by one of the preceding capacitance values.
  • Figs.8 to 13 illustrate multiple electrical power systems.
  • Fig.8 shows an electrical powering system that includes a first battery pack 91, a second battery pack 92, a circuit 90, and at least one motor 94. H55-18-PCT3
  • the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 can each store electrical energy for driving the at least one motor 94.
  • the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 can have different electrical characteristics.
  • the first battery pack 91 can have a higher energy capacity per kilogram than the second battery pack 92, and the first battery pack 91 can have a higher power capacity (watt hours) than the second battery pack 92. Moreover, the first battery pack 91 can have a lower maximum, nominal, or peak power than the second battery pack 92; the first battery pack 91 can have a lower maximum, nominal, or peak current than the second battery pack 92; or, the first battery pack 91 can have a lower maximum, nominal, or peak voltage than the second battery pack 92. More than one or even all of the mentioned electrical characteristics of the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 can be different. However, only one of the mentioned electrical characteristics may be different or at least one other characteristic than the mentioned electrical characteristics may be different.
  • the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 can have the same electrical characteristics. [00148] The type or the material composition of the battery cells of the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 can be different. The type or the material composition of the battery cells of the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 can be the same, but an amount of copper or an arrangement of conductors can be different. In one example, the first battery pack 91 or the second battery pack 92 can be a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery or a lithium-ion polymer (Li-Po) battery. The second battery pack 92 may include a supercapacitor (sometimes referred to as a supercap, ultracapacitor, or Goldcap).
  • a supercapacitor sometimes referred to as a supercap, ultracapacitor, or Goldcap
  • the first battery pack 91 can include relatively high energy- density battery cells that can store a high amount of watt-hours per kilogram.
  • the first battery pack 91 can include low power battery cells.
  • the first battery pack 91 can provide a DC voltage/current/power or can be connected by a (two phase or DC) power line with the circuit 90.
  • H55-18-PCT3 [00150]
  • the second battery pack 92 can include relatively low energy- density battery cells.
  • the second battery pack 92 can include relatively high power battery cells.
  • the second battery pack 92 can provide a DC voltage/current/power or is connected by a (two phase or DC) power line with the circuit 90.
  • the first battery pack 91 can form an integrated unit of mechanically coupled battery modules or the first battery pack 91 may be an electrically connected first set of battery modules.
  • the second battery pack 92 can form an integrated unit of mechanically coupled battery modules or the second battery pack 92 may be an electrically connected second set of battery modules.
  • Some or all of the battery modules of each of first battery pack 91 or the second battery pack 92 can be stored in one or more areas of a housing of an aircraft, such as a within a wing or nose of the aircraft.
  • the first battery pack 91 can have a total energy capacity that exceeds a total energy capacity of the second battery pack 92.
  • a ratio of the total energy capacity of the first battery pack 91 and the total energy capacity of the second battery pack 92 can 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 foregoing ratios.
  • the electrical powering system can include 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 outside of the aircraft.
  • Each, some, or one of the at least one motor can be an electrical motor.
  • the at least one motor 94 can be connected to the circuit 90.
  • the at least one motor 94 can receive over the circuit 90 electrical energy/power from the first battery pack 91 or the second battery pack 92 to drive the at least one motor 94.
  • the at least one motor 94 can be a three phase motor, such as a brushless motor, which is connected via a three phase AC power line with the circuit 90.
  • the at least one motor H55-18-PCT3 94 can instead be a different type of motor, such as any type of DC motor or a one phase AC motor.
  • the at least one motor 94 can move a vehicle, such as an airborne vehicle like an aircraft.
  • the at least one motor 94 can drive a (thrust-generating) propeller or a (lift-generating) rotor.
  • the at least one motor 94 can also function as a generator.
  • the electrical powering system or the at least one motor 94 can include two or more electrical motors as described further herein.
  • the different motors of the at least one motor 94 can have the same or different characteristics.
  • the at least one motor 94 can be a motor with a first set of windings connected with a first controller 96 and with a second set of windings connected with a second controller 97, as shown for example in Fig.12. This can allow use of the at least one motor 94 as generator and motor at the same time or to power the at least one motor 94 from the first controller 96 and the second controller 97.
  • the at least one motor 94 can include a first motor 98 and a second motor 99 as shown for example in Figs.11 and 13.
  • the first and the second motor 98 and 99 can be mechanically connected such that the rotors of the first and second motor 98 and 99 are mechanically coupled, for instance for powering both the same propeller or rotor (as shown in Figs.11 and 13).
  • the first and the second motor 98 and 99 can, for example, drive the same axis which rotates the propeller or rotor.
  • the first and second motor 98 and 99 may not be mechanically coupled and may drive two distinct propellers or rotors.
  • the at least one motor 94 can include more than two motors M1, M2, ... Mi which are mutually connected, or multiple mutually connected motors.
  • the circuit 90 can be connected with the first battery pack 91, the second battery pack 92, and the at least one motor 94.
  • the circuit 90 can include a controller 93 connected with the first battery pack 91, the second battery pack 92, and the at least one motor 94.
  • the controller 93 can, for example, be connected over a two phase or DC power line with the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 or connected over a three phase power line with the at least one motor 94.
  • the controller 93 can transform, convert, or control the power received from the first battery pack 91 or the second battery pack 92 into motor driving signals for driving the at least one motor 94.
  • the controller 93 can include a power converter 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 (power converter working as inverter).
  • the power converter can treat different input DC voltages (if the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 have different DC voltages).
  • the power converter can 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 battery pack 92 (power converter working as rectifier).
  • the controller 93 can create the motor driving signals for the at least one motor 94 based on user input.
  • the controller 93 can include more than one controller.
  • the controller 93 can include, for instance, a first controller 96 for powering the at least one motor 94 from at least one of the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 and a second controller 97 for powering the at least one motor 94 from at least one of the first battery pack 91 or the second battery pack 92.
  • the features described for the controller 93 can apply to the first controller 96 or the second controller 97. Examples of such a circuit are shown in the Figs.10 to 13.
  • the first controller 96 powers the at least one motor 94 from the first battery pack 91 and the second controller 97 powers the at least one motor 94 from the second battery pack 92.
  • the first controller 96 and the second controller 97 can power the at least one motor 94 as shown in Fig.10 or the at least one motor 94 with different driving windings (or poles) as shown in Fig.12.
  • the first controller 96 can drive a first motor 98 and the second controller 97 can drive a second motor 99.
  • the first controller 96 and the second controller 97 can be flexible and drive the first motor 98 or the second motor 99 depending on a switching state of a switch 101 as shown in Fig.13.
  • the first controller 96 and the second controller 97 can be different.
  • the input DC voltage of the first controller 96 and the second controller 97 from the first battery pack H55-18-PCT3 91 and the second battery pack 92 can be different.
  • the first controller 96 and the second controller 97 can instead be identical.
  • the circuit 90 can select from at least two of the following connection modes.
  • the first battery pack 91 can be electrically connected over the controller 93 with the at least one motor 94, while the second battery pack 92 may be electrically disconnected from the at least one motor 94.
  • power can flow between the at least one motor 94 and the first battery pack 91, but may not flow between the at least one motor 94 and the second battery pack 92.
  • the second battery pack 92 can be electrically connected over the controller 93 with the at least one motor 94, while the first battery pack 91 may be electrically disconnected from the at least one motor 94.
  • the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 can be electrically connected over the controller 93 with the at least one motor 94.
  • the third connection mode power can flow between the at least one motor 94 and the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92.
  • Electrical switches can be used to perform this selection between different connection modes, and the electrical switches can be between the controller 93 and first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92, in the controller 93, or between the controller 93 and the at least one motor 94.
  • the first battery pack 91 can be connected with the first motor 98 and not the second motor 99 (fourth connection mode) or with the second motor 99 and not the first motor 98 (fifth connection mode) or with the first motor 98 and the second motor 99 (sixth connection mode).
  • the second battery pack 92 can be connected with the first motor 98 and not the second motor 99 (seventh connection mode) or with the second motor 99 and not the first motor 98 (eighth connection mode) or with the first motor 98 and the second motor 99 (ninth connection state).
  • the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 can be connected with the first motor 98 and not the second motor 99 H55-18-PCT3 (tenth connection mode) or with the second motor 99 and not the first motor 98 (eleventh connection mode) or with the first motor 98 and the second motor 99 (twelfth connection state).
  • the numbering of the connection modes can be arbitrarily chosen. If there may additionally be a third battery pack, there can be correspondingly more potential connection modes between the at least one motor and the three battery packs.
  • the circuit 90 can select from at least two of the following drive modes. In a first drive mode, the at least one motor 94 can be driven by the first battery pack 91 (without using the power of the second battery pack 92).
  • the circuit 90 can be in the first connection mode.
  • the circuit 90 can also be in the third connection mode, while no power flows from the second battery pack 92 to the at least one motor 94.
  • This standard drive mode can be used when the power consumption of the least one motor 94 may be low, such as during steady flight conditions, gliding flight, or landing of an aircraft.
  • the at least one motor 94 can be driven by the second battery pack 92 (without using the power of the first battery pack 91).
  • the circuit 90 can be in the second connection mode.
  • the circuit 90 can also be in the third motor connection mode, while no power flows from the first battery pack 91 to the at least one motor 94.
  • This second drive mode can be used when the power consumption of the at least one motor 94 may be high, such as during manoeuvring, climb flight, or take off.
  • a third drive mode (which may be referred to as a very high energy drive mode)
  • the at least one motor 94 can be simultaneously driven by the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92.
  • the circuit 90 can be in the third connection mode. This third drive mode can be used when the power consumption of the least one motor 94 may be high, such as during manoeuvring, climb flight, or take off.
  • the circuit 90 can include a detector for detecting the power requirements of a present flight mode. The detection can be performed H55-18-PCT3 from user input or sensor measurements, such as by measuring the current in the motor input line. The circuit 90 can select the drive mode or the connection mode based at least on the detection result of this detector. [00163] The selection between connection modes can depend at least on the charging level of the different battery packs. For example, a high- power battery pack can be used instead, or in addition to, a high energy- density battery pack when the charge of the high energy-density battery pack is low.
  • the electrical powering systems of Figs.8 to 13 can be configured such that the second battery pack 92 can be charged from the first battery pack 91, such as via the circuit 90. Moreover, the electrical powering systems can be configured such that the second battery pack 92 can be charged from the first battery pack 91 while the first battery pack 91 powers or drives the at least one motor 94. [00165] In Figs.9 to 11, the circuit 90 can electrically connect the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 for charging.
  • the connection can be steady or realized by a switch which 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.
  • the first battery connection mode can be realized by connecting the first battery pack 91 and the second battery pack 92 over a charging circuit 95 or over the controller 93 or over one or more other controllers.
  • the circuit 90 the charging circuit 95 for charging the second battery pack 92 from the first battery pack 91.
  • the charging circuit 95 can control energy flow from the first battery pack 91 to the second battery pack 92 and may transfer the energy without transferring the energy through the controller 93.
  • the charging circuit 95 can include a switch (not shown) for connecting the first battery pack 91 with the second battery pack 92 for charging.
  • a switch may have the advantage that H55-18-PCT3 the charging process can be controlled by a user or by a microprocessor. For example, if the 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 automatically be interrupted.
  • the charging circuit 95 can instead work switchless so that the process of charging automatically starts when a certain electrical parameter, like the voltage or capacitance of the second battery pack 92, falls below a certain threshold.
  • the charging circuit 95 can 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 can be charged from the first battery pack 91 at the same time that the at least one motor 94 is driven by the first battery pack 91 or at a time that the at least one motor 94 is not powered, such as by the first battery pack 91.
  • the second battery pack 92 can be charged over the first controller 96 and the second controller 97.
  • the first battery pack 91 can provide energy and power for the first controller 96, which can convert this energy and power into the electrical driving signals for the at least one motor 94.
  • the electrical driving signals from the first controller 96 can be converted by the second controller 97 into the charging signal (DC voltage) for the second battery pack 92.
  • the electrical driving signals for the at least one motor 94 from the first controller 96 can be used for charging the second battery pack 92 and for driving the at least one motor 94 at the same time. This can allow the second battery pack 92 to charge from the first battery pack 91 at the same time that the at least one motor 94 may be driven by the electrical driving signals from the first controller 96.
  • the second battery pack 92 can however instead be charged by the electrical drive signals without powering the motor at the same time.
  • the H55-18-PCT3 first battery pack 91 can be mechanically connected with the second battery pack 92 for transferring mechanical energy to charge the second battery pack 92 from the first battery pack 91.
  • mechanical charging can be realized by driving the first motor 98 from the first battery pack 91 (over the first controller 96) and generating energy from the second motor 99 which is mechanically connected to the first motor 98 and working as generator.
  • the energy generated by the second motor 99 can be used to charge the second battery pack 92 (by converting the generated motor signals of the second motor 99 via the second controller 97 into the charging signal (DC voltage) of the second battery pack 92). This can allow the second battery pack 92 to charge from the first battery pack 91 at the same time that the at least one motor 94 is driven by the energy from the first battery pack 91.
  • mechanical charging can be realized by driving the at least one motor 94 from the first battery pack 91 (such as over the first controller 96) with the first set of windings of the at least one motor 94 and generating energy from the at least one motor 94 over the second set of windings of the at least one motor 94 which can function as a generator.
  • the energy generated by the second set of windings can be used to charge the second battery pack 92 by converting the generated motor signals of the at least one motor 94 via the second controller 97 into the charging signal (DC voltage) of the second battery pack 92.
  • This can allow the second battery pack 92 to charge from the first battery pack 91 at the same time that the at least one motor 94 is driven by the energy from the first battery pack 91.
  • this can enable the second battery pack 92 to charge from the first battery pack 91 without utilizing separate circuitry, such as a DC/DC converter, which would increase a weight of the aircraft.
  • Fig.13 shows a switch 101 which can select from different battery packs or connection modes as described herein.
  • the design of Fig.13 can give the flexibility to choose among electrical charging or mechanical charging.
  • the second battery pack 92 can be charged by the at least one motor 94 which can work as a generator.
  • the generation can be driven by braking energy, such as during descent or landing of the aircraft.
  • the second battery pack 92 can as a result recover energy without affecting the functioning of the first battery pack 91 for long distances.
  • the at least one motor 94 may work as a generator, the generation can be driven from the first battery pack 91 to charge the second battery pack 92.
  • the second battery pack 92 can be charged by the at least one motor 94 working as a generator while the same motor or another motor of the at least one motor 94 can be driven by the energy from the first battery pack 91, such as for instance described with respect to Figs.11, 12, and 13.
  • the electrical powering system can include a third battery pack (not shown).
  • the second battery pack 92 and the third battery pack can have different electrical characteristics.
  • the second battery pack 92 can, for instance, have a higher energy capacity than the third battery pack.
  • the second battery pack 92 can have a higher energy density than the third battery pack.
  • the second battery pack 92 can have a lower maximum, nominal, or peak power than the third battery pack.
  • the second battery pack 92 can have a lower maximum, nominal, or peak current than the third battery pack.
  • the second battery pack 92 can have a lower maximum, nominal, or peak voltage than the third battery pack.
  • the type or the material composition of the battery cells of the second battery pack 92 and H55-18-PCT3 the third battery pack can be different or the same.
  • the third battery pack can include a supercapacitor.
  • the third battery pack can increase a maximum power that may be delivered or recovered by the electrical powering system.
  • the power recovered by the at least one motor 94 acting as a generator from a braking action can, for example, immediately be recovered in the third battery pack up to a high recover power level.
  • the third battery pack can be charged from the first battery pack 91 or the second battery pack 92, such as even while the at least one motor 94 may be driven from the power of the first battery pack 91 or the second battery pack 92.
  • Modular Battery System [00176]
  • the power sources in an electric or hybrid aircraft can be modular and distributed to optimize a weight distribution or select a center of gravity for the electric or hybrid aircraft, as well as maximize a use of space in the aircraft.
  • the batteries in an electric or hybrid aircraft can desirably be designed to be positioned in place of a combustion engine so that the aircraft can retain a similar shape or structure to a traditional combustion powered aircraft and yet may be powered by batteries.
  • Fig.14A illustrates a battery module 1400 usable in an aircraft, such as the aircraft 100 of Figs.1A and 1B.
  • the battery module 1400 can include a lower battery module housing 1410, a middle battery module housing 1420, an upper battery module housing 1430, and a multiple battery cells 1440.
  • the multiple battery cells 1440 can together provide output power for the battery module 1400.
  • the lower battery module housing 1410, the middle battery module housing 1420, or the upper battery module housing 1430 can include slots, such as slots 1422, that are usable to mechanically couple the lower battery module housing 1410, the middle battery module housing 1420, or the upper battery module housing 1430 to one another or to another battery module.
  • Supports, such as H55-18-PCT3 supports 1424 (for example, pins or locks), can be placed in the slots to lock the lower battery module housing 1410, the middle battery module housing 1420, or the upper battery module housing 1430 to one another or to another battery module.
  • the battery module 1400 can be constructed so that the battery module 1400 is evenly cooled by air.
  • the multiple battery cells 1440 can include 16 total battery cells where the battery cells are each substantially shaped as a cylinder.
  • the lower battery module housing 1410, the middle battery module housing 1420, or the upper battery module housing 1430 can be formed of or include plastic and, when coupled together, have an outer shape substantially shaped as a rectangular prism.
  • the lower battery module housing 1410, the middle battery module housing 1420, or the upper battery module housing 1430 can together be designed to prevent a fire in the multiple battery cells 1440 from spreading outside of the battery module 1400.
  • the battery module 1400 can have a length of L1, a width of W, and a height of H1.
  • Fig.14B illustrates an exploded view of the battery module 1400 of Fig.14A.
  • a plate 1450 and a circuit board assembly 1460 of the battery module 1400 is shown.
  • the plate 1450 can be copper and may electrically connect the multiple battery cells 1440 in parallel with one another.
  • the plate 1450 may also distribute heat evenly across the multiple battery cells 1440 so that the multiple battery cells 1440 age at the same rate.
  • the circuit board assembly 1460 may transfer power from or to the multiple battery cells 1440, as well as include one or more sensors for monitoring a voltage or a temperature of one or more battery cells of the multiple battery cells 1440.
  • the circuit board assembly 1460 may or may not provide galvanic isolation to the battery module 1400 with respect to any components that may be electrically connected to the battery module 1400.
  • H55-18-PCT3 Each of the multiple battery cells 1440 can have a height of H2, such as 30 mm, 50 mm, 65 mm, 80 mm, 100 mm, 120 mm, 150 mm or within a range defined by two of the foregoing values or another value greater or less than the foregoing values.
  • Fig.15A illustrate a power source 1500A formed of multiple battery modules 1400 of Figs.14A and 14B.
  • the multiple battery modules 1400 of the power source 1500A can be mechanically coupled to one another.
  • a first side of one battery module 1400 can be mechanically coupled to a first side of another battery module 1400, and a second side of the one battery module 1400 that is opposite the first side can be mechanically coupled to a first side of yet another battery module 1400.
  • the multiple battery modules 1400 of the power source 1500A can be electrically connected in series with one another.
  • the power source 1500A can include seven of the battery modules 1400 connected to one another.
  • the power source 1500A may, for example, have a maximum power output between 1 kW and 60 kW during operation, a maximum voltage output between 10 V and 120 V during operation, or a maximum current output between 100 A and 500 A during operation.
  • the power source 1500A can include a power source housing 1510 mechanically coupled to at least one of the battery modules.
  • the power source housing 1510 can include an end cover 1512 that covers a side of the power source housing 1510.
  • the power source housing 1510 can have a length of L2, such as 3 mm, 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 40 mm, 50 mm or within a range defined by two of the foregoing values or another value greater or less than the foregoing values.
  • the width and the height of the power source housing 1510 can match the length of L1 and the width of W of the battery module 1400.
  • the power source 1500A can include power source connectors 1520.
  • the power source connectors 1520 can be used to electrically connect the power source 1500A to another power source, such as another of the power source 1500A.
  • H55-18-PCT3 [00184]
  • Fig.15B illustrates a power source 1500B that is similar to the power source 1500A of Fig.15A but with the end cover 1512 and the upper battery module housings 1430 of the battery modules 1400 removed. Because the end cover 1512 has been removed, a circuit board assembly 1514 of the power source 1500B is now exposed. The circuit board assembly 1514 can be electrically coupled to the battery modules 1400.
  • the circuit board assembly 1514 can additionally provide galvanic isolation (for instance, 2500 Vrms) for the power source 1500B with respect to any components that may be electrically connected to the power source 1500B.
  • galvanic isolation for instance, 2500 Vrms
  • the inclusion of galvanic isolation in this manner may, for instance, enable grouping of the battery modules 1400 together so that isolation may be provided to the grouping of the battery modules 1400 rather than individual modules of the battery modules 1400 or a subset of the battery modules 1400.
  • Such an approach may reduce the costs of construction because isolation can be expensive, and a single isolation may be used for multiple of the battery modules 1400.
  • Fig.16 illustrates a group 1600 of multiple power sources 1500A of Fig.15A arranged and connected for powering an aircraft, such as the aircraft 100 of Figs.1A and 1B.
  • the multiple power sources 1500A of the group 1600 can be mechanically coupled to or stacked on one another.
  • the multiple power sources 1500A of the group 1600 can be electrically connected in series or parallel with one another, such as by a first connector 1610 or a second connector 1620 that electrically connects the power source connectors 1520 of two of the multiple power sources 1500A.
  • the group 1600 can include 10 power sources (for instance, arranged in a 5 row by 2 column configuration).
  • a group may 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.
  • the grouping of the multiple power sources 1500A to form the group 1600 or another different group may allow for flexible configurations of the multiple power sources 1500A to satisfy various space or power requirements.
  • the grouping of the multiple power sources 1500A to form the group 1600 or another different group may H55-18-PCT3 permit relatively easy or inexpensive replacement of one or more of the multiple power sources 1500A in the event of a failure or other issue.
  • Fig.17A illustrates a perspective view of a nose 1700 of an aircraft, such as the aircraft 100 of Figs.1A and 1B, that includes multiple power sources 1710, such as multiple of the power source 1500A, for powering a motor 1720 that operates a propeller 1730 of the aircraft.
  • the multiple power sources 1710 can be used to additionally or alternatively power other components of the aircraft.
  • the multiple power sources 1710 can be sized and arranged to optimize a weight distribution and use of space around the nose 1700.
  • the motor 1720 and the propeller 1730 can be attached to and supported by a frame of the aircraft by supports, which can be steel tubes, and connected by multiple fasteners, which be bolts with rubber shock absorbers.
  • a firewall 1740 can provide barrier between the multiple power sources 1710 and the frame of the aircraft in the event of a first at the multiple power sources 1710.
  • An enclosure composed of glass fiber, metal, or mineral composite can be around the multiple power sources 1710 to protect from water, coolant, or fire.
  • Fig 17B illustrates a side view of the nose 1700 of Fig.17A.
  • Fig.18A illustrates a top view of a wing 1800 of an aircraft that includes multiple power sources 1810, such as multiple of the power source 1500A, for powering one or more components of the aircraft.
  • the multiple power sources 1810 can be sized and arranged to optimize a weight distribution and use of space around the wing 1800.
  • the multiple power sources 1810 can be positioned within, between, or around horizontal support beams 1820 or vertical support beams 1830 of the wing 1800.
  • a relay 1840 can further be positioned in the wing 1800 as illustrated and housed in a sealed enclosure. The relay 1840 may open if there is not a threshold voltage on a breaker panel or if a pilot opens breakers to shut down the multiple power sources 1810.
  • Fig 18B illustrates a perspective view of the wing 1800 of Fig. 18A.
  • An electric or hybrid aircraft can be powered by a multi-coil motor, such as an electric motor, in which different coils of the motor power different phases of a modulation cycle for the motor.
  • a motor 1910 can include four different field coils (sometimes also referred to as coils) for generating a torque on a rotor of the motor 1910.
  • the different field coils can 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 can be independently powered by one or more controllers.
  • the first field coil 1902, the second field coil 1904, the third field coil 1906, and the fourth field coil 1908 can be respectively powered by a first controller 1912, a second controller 1914, a third controller 1916, and a fourth controller 1918.
  • 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 can vary a current provided to individual coils of the first field coil 1902, the second field coil 1904, the third field coil 1906, and the fourth field coil 1908 to compensate for a failure of one or more (such as, one, two, or three) of the field coils.
  • 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 a coil that has failed and provide additional current to one or more coils that have not yet failed.
  • the first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, and the fourth controller 1918 can attempt to maintain a power output of the motor (for example, above a threshold) despite the failure of the one or more of the field coils.
  • the first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, or the fourth controller 1918 can determine the 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 H55-18-PCT3 or one or more individual field coils.
  • the one or more sensors can include a temperature sensor, a current sensor, or a magnetic field sensor, among other types of sensors.
  • the first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, or the fourth controller 1918 can determine the failure of one or more of the field coils from a change in the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor (for instance, a temperature drop over time or proximate different field coils may correspond to a failure of a particular field coil or a number of field coils in the motor 1910).
  • the first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, or the fourth controller 1918 may moreover attempt to operate the motor so that the temperature sensed remains constant within a tolerance.
  • the first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, or the fourth controller 1918 can determine the failure of one or more of the field coils from a change in the voltage sensed by the voltage sensor (for instance, a voltage spike may correspond to a failure of a particular field coil or a number of field coils in the motor 1910).
  • the one or more sensors includes at least one magnetic field sensor
  • the first controller 1912, the second controller 1914, the third controller 1916, or the fourth controller 1918 can determine the failure of one or more of the field coils from a change in the resonance sensed by the magnetic field sensor.
  • Figs.20, 21 and 22 illustrate a motor 94 connected to a motor controller 93 in different arrangements.
  • Fig.20 illustrates a first battery pack 91 and a second battery pack 92 connected in series for providing a DC voltage VDC at the input side H55-18-PCT3 of the motor controller 93.
  • the motor controller 93 supplies the motor 94 on the output side with electrical energy.
  • the motor 94 in the following examples is configured as a three- phase permanent-magnet synchronous machine. Other motor types, such as synchronous machines, permanent-magnet, DC machines or induction machines, might be used instead.
  • the motor 94 can propel the aircraft.
  • the motor controller 93 provides the motor 94 with three-phase alternating currents and voltages with varying amplitudes.
  • the motor controller 93 is also configured to vary the fundamental frequency of the alternating currents and voltages provided to the motor 94.
  • Fig.21 illustrates a motor controller 93 with a DC voltage VDC at the input side and a motor 94 connected at the output side.
  • the motor controller comprises multiple switches 931-933 configured to interrupt or arrange the connection between electrical circuits (not shown) comprised in the motor controller 93 and each motor phase individually.
  • the electrical circuits can comprise power semiconductors for converting the DC voltage VDC at the input side into alternating quantities, such as alternating voltages and/or currents.
  • the switches 931-933 may be mechanical contactors. Other sorts of switches, such as semiconductor switches, might be used instead.
  • a control instance (not shown) is connected to the switches 931- 933 and configured to control said switches from a non-conductive state into a conductive state and vice versa.
  • the control circuit may include digital components, including for example a processor, a FPGA circuit, and/or any combination of digital and/or analog components for controlling the switches.
  • H55-18-PCT3 [00202]
  • Fig.22 illustrates a motor controller 93 with the DC voltage Vdc at the input side and a motor 94 connected at the output side.
  • the motor controller comprises multiple switches 931-933 configured to interrupt or arrange the connection between electrical circuits (not shown) comprised in the motor controller 93 and each motor phase individually.
  • the connection between the first phase and the motor 94 is interrupted by the first switch 931, whereas the remaining phases are connected using the corresponding switches 932, 933 in the phase lines.
  • a coil failure detection circuit or software (not illustrated) is arranged for detecting a failure in any of the field coils, and for isolating that defective field coil after such a detection.
  • the coil failure detection circuit has detected a failure in the field coil of the first phase and has controlled the first switch 931 into a non-conductive state.
  • the remaining field coils in the remaining phases are functional.
  • the motor controller 93 can provide those remaining phases with electrical energy.
  • the propeller 970 is configured as a variable-pitch propeller that is mechanically connected to the rotor shaft.
  • the blade pitch can be variably adjusted to generate more or less thrust.
  • Fig.23 illustrates a simplified control diagram for a motor controller 93 connected to the motor 94.
  • the motor controller includes an inverter circuit 945 configured to convert the DC voltage vdc at the input side into three-phase alternating currents and voltages at the output side. Three phase lines interconnect the H55-18-PCT3 inverter circuit 945 of the motor controller 93 and the motor 94.
  • Each of the three phase lines includes a switch 931-933 connected in series with each phase line.
  • Each switch 931-933 is connected to the control circuit 950 and can be controlled by the control circuit 950 between a conductive and non-conductive state and vice versa.
  • each switch 931-933 is in a conductive state as no failure in one of the field coils of the motor 94 has been detected.
  • each phase line further includes a plurality of current sensors 961-963 between the inverter circuit 945 and the switches 931-933, for measuring an electrical current flowing in each of the phase lines during operation of the motor 94.
  • Each current sensor 961-963 is connected to the control circuit 950.
  • the current sensors 961-963 may be Hall effect current transducers.
  • the motor 94 may include an encoder 960 connected to the shaft of the motor for determining the rotor speed ⁇ M * and the rotor position ⁇ .
  • the encoder 960 is connected to the control circuit 950.
  • the rotor speed ⁇ M and the rotor position ⁇ can be alternatively provided and/or estimated by the control circuit 950 using a Position and Speed estimator 943.
  • the Position and Speed estimator 943 calculates and/or estimates the rotor speed ⁇ M and the rotor position ⁇ based on measured phase currents and a machine model known from prior art.
  • the control diagram illustrates key elements only for a field- oriented control of the motor 94.
  • a field-oriented controller may be implemented for example as a software program contained in a memory of the control circuit 950, as a FPGA, or with other means.
  • a software program is executed by a processor as part of the control circuit 950 during the motor H55-18-PCT3 controllers’ 93 operations and configured to control the electrical energy provided to the motor 94 in a control loop.
  • the FOC generates a three-phase voltage as a vector vS to control the three-phase stator current of the motor 94.
  • the stator currents comprise two orthogonal components that can be represented with a vector.
  • controller such as flux controller, relates in the following to a software or hardware module, dependent on how the FOC is implemented.
  • value represents electrical or physical quantities determined by measurement or set by the motor controller 93
  • variable is a result of a calculation or transformation of a value represented in the processor.
  • the three-phase stator currents of the motor 94 are converted to a two-axis coordinate system using the Clarke transformation 940.
  • This H55-18-PCT3 conversion provides the variables i ⁇ and i ⁇ from the measured AC stator currents iU - iW.
  • the variables i ⁇ and i ⁇ are time-varying quadrature current values as viewed from the perspective of the stator.
  • the rotor position ⁇ is directly measured by the encoder 960 or derived by integrating the speed determined by the encoder 960.
  • the rotor position ⁇ is calculated and/or estimated by the Position and Speed estimator 943. In the latter case, an observer can be used by the Position and Speed estimator 943.
  • the two-axis coordinate system is rotated to align with the rotor flux using a transformation angle calculated at an initial or previous iteration of the control loop.
  • the Park transformation 94 using the rotor position ⁇ , provides the id and iq variables derived from the variables i ⁇ and i ⁇ .
  • the id and iq variables are the quadrature currents transformed into the rotating coordinate system. For steady state conditions, id and iq are constant.
  • a speed setpoint ⁇ Ref corresponding to the rotor speed is set and an error signal is formed using the speed setpoint ⁇ Ref and the determined the rotor speed ⁇ M * .
  • the actual rotor speed ⁇ M can alternatively be provided by a Position and Speed estimator 943, which uses a machine model for estimating the actual rotor speed.
  • the velocity controller 948 is provided as a PI-controller and regulates its output, being the ⁇ iq variable according to the error signal.
  • the speed of the rotor cannot be increased above the rated speed of the motor 94 without losing torque due to saturation of the ferromagnetic part of the motor with the magnetic flux generated by the rotation of the rotor. In case of coil failure, when a higher rotation speed is needed in order to compensate at least in part for the loss of torque due to the defective coil, the speed of the rotor can be further increased using a specific field-weakening control.
  • a Field Weakening controller 949 controls the id variable.
  • the velocity controller 948 may decrease the q-component (variable iq, torque output) of the flux or may keep the q-component constant, whereas the Field Weakening controller reduces the d-flux component at the same time. Reducing means, that a negative d-flux component is applied to weaken the rotor magnetic field.
  • Fig.25 illustrates a graph showing quantitative values of the torque M available at the motor shaft, the rotor flux ⁇ r, and the stator voltage VS, whereas the motor is controlled by using the FOC algorithm with the field-weakening control as disclosed before in the present example implementation.
  • the FOC controls the rotor speed ⁇ beyond the rated speed ⁇ r of the motor
  • the torque M of the motor starts to decrease with the increasing rotor speed ⁇ .
  • the Field Weakening controller decreases the rotor flux ⁇ r, by applying a negative d-flux component when entering the speed region above the rated speed ⁇ r of the motor.
  • the stator voltage VS is kept constant at its maximum in the overspeed region.
  • the output of the Flux Controller 947 and the Torque Controller 946 provide the variables vd and vq, representing a voltage vector with two voltage vector components that will be set to the motor 94.
  • the two voltage component vectors may be represented in the rotating d-q axis.
  • H55-18-PCT3 [00226]
  • a new transformation angle is calculated in a subsequent iteration of the control loop, where the variables v ⁇ , v ⁇ , i ⁇ and i ⁇ are considered as inputs.
  • the new transformation angle guides the FOC as to where to place the next stator voltage vector vS.
  • the variables vd and vq provided by the Flux- and Torque Controller 947, 946 are rotated back to the stationary reference frame using the new transformation angle.
  • the inverse Park transformation 942 provides the subsequent quadrature voltage values v ⁇ and v ⁇ under consideration of the current rotor position ⁇ .
  • the subsequent quadrature voltage variables v ⁇ and v ⁇ are transformed back to three-phase voltage values using an inverse Clarke transformation in the Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) Modulator 944.
  • New PWM duty cycle values vUC-vWC are calculated in the PWM modulator based on the transformed three-phase voltage values for signalling the inverter circuit 945.
  • the inverter circuit 945 sets its pulse pattern according to the provided duty cycle values vUC-vWC.
  • This process and the corresponding control loop are executed periodically, as long as the motor controller 93 provides the motor 94 with electrical energy.
  • the FOC control as disclosed hereinbefore, is not suitable to control the motor operation, as the Clarke- and Park transformation requires the presence of a symmetrical three-phase system.
  • a failure in one of the field coils is detected by the control circuit 950, for example by determining the current in the phase lines during the operation of the motor 94.
  • the control circuit 950 can detect an imbalance H55-18-PCT3 in the three-phase system caused by the faulty field coil.
  • a fault in at least one of the field coils is detected with other means, such as a temperature or voltage sensor, as disclosed in one of the examples hereinbefore.
  • the control circuit 950 controls the switch 931-933 in the corresponding phase line from a conductive state into a non- conductive state, isolating the phase line which supplies the defective field coil.
  • the control circuit 950 controls the motor 94 using the FOC algorithm as disclosed before with slight modifications.
  • Fig.24 illustrates a torque diagram of a motor controlled by the motor controller 93 using the first and second FOC algorithm comprised in the control circuit 950 as disclosed in the example before.
  • Fig.24 illustrates the torque M of the motor over the rotor speed ⁇ . Electrical quantities, such as the absolute value of stator voltage vector vS, the power P and the absolute value of the stator current vector IS of the motor are also illustrated.
  • the electrical quantities are controlled linearly (increased or decreased) over a speed range from zero speed to the rated speed ⁇ r of the motor and having their maximum at the point of the rated speed ⁇ r.
  • the torque M of the motor is controlled to be constant in the speed range up to the rated speed ⁇ r of the motor.
  • the grey highlighted area represents the speed range, where the motor is operated in field-weakening mode subsequently to a failure in one of the field coils. This speed range starts at the rated speed ⁇ r of the motor and ends at the maximum allowable speed ⁇ Max of the motor.
  • the electrical quantities are controlled to be constant in this speed range, whereas the torque M of the motor decreases proportionally to the inverse value of the rotor speed ⁇ .
  • the absolute value of the stator voltage vector vS is proportional to the DC voltage vdc at the input side of the motor controller.
  • the power P of the motor can be controlled to be constant in the field-weakening mode while the rotor speed ⁇ is increased. Therefore the aircraft keeps its velocity while the motor is operated in field-weakening H55-18-PCT3 mode. In situations where the increase of the rotor speed ⁇ is not sufficient to maintain the velocity of the aircraft, the blade pitch of the propeller 970 can be adjusted to move more air per revolution of the rotor to compensate for the loss of velocity.
  • the adjustment of the blade pitch can be initiated by a higher level control means in response to the detection of a loss of velocity of the aircraft or in response to a failure in one of the field coils.
  • a higher level control means in response to the detection of a loss of velocity of the aircraft or in response to a failure in one of the field coils.
  • the compensation with the adjustment of the blade pitch has its limit since the motor torque is reduced when operating in field-weakening (independently from the failure in one of the field coils).
  • the motor is controlled in the field-weakening mode using the FOC control algorithm as explained before, independently from a failure in one of the field coils of the motor.
  • the control diagram of Fig.23 illustrates the typical application of a closed- loop control, in which the setpoint ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ for the torque output of the motor is provided by the velocity controller 948, and the setpoint of field- weakening current ⁇ ⁇ is provided by the Field Weakening controller 949, in dependency of the speed setpoint ⁇ Ref.
  • a feed-forward control for the torque output and the rotor flux can be H55-18-PCT3 more desirable.
  • the said setpoints ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ might be directly set or commanded without a dedicated feedback loop comprised in the control circuit.
  • Fig.26 illustrates a rotating dq-reference frame, atop a stationary ⁇ reference frame, which is usually aligned with the stator.
  • the stator current space vector ⁇ ⁇ is aligned with the stator magnetic field and rotates with the frequency of the said magnetic field.
  • the d- and q-axis current component vectors ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ ⁇ of the stator current space vector ⁇ ⁇ are situated in the dq-reference frame and were obtained by measuring the stator phase currents and applying the Clark and Park transformation to the measurements.
  • the dq-reference frame is rotating in the stationary ⁇ reference frame system with a speed that corresponds to the rotor speed ⁇ M, under steady-state conditions.
  • the magnetic stator field and the rotor rotate at the same speed in steady state.
  • the rotating dq- reference frame is chosen such that the d-axis is aligned with the rotor flux vector ⁇ ⁇ .
  • the d- and q-axis current component vectors ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ ⁇ of the stator current space vector IS are controlled by their amplitudes (absolute values) and thereby affecting the torque output or rotor flux of the motor.
  • the knowledge of the effective rotor position ⁇ ⁇ is a prerequisite, since any deviation therefrom results in a deterioration of the motor control quality.
  • the rotor position ⁇ ⁇ conventionally is determined with a rotary encoder mechanically connected to the rotor or is estimated using a H55-18-PCT3 machine model and stator voltage and current measurements.
  • the d-axis current component vector ⁇ ⁇ of the stator current space vector ⁇ ⁇ has been illustrated exemplarily.
  • the d-axis current component vector ⁇ ⁇ is maintained at zero.
  • the d-axis current component vector ⁇ ⁇ points in the opposite direction to the rotor flux vector ⁇ ⁇ , which can result in a weakening of the rotors' magnetic field.
  • Fig.27 illustrates a variant of the control diagram of Fig.23, in particular a simplified control diagram for the motor controller 93 connected to the motor 94.
  • the motor controller 93 and the motor 94 can be configurated as disclosed in one of the previous examples, and the control circuit 950 is configured as explained in the example for Fig.23, comprising the modifications as explained in the following.
  • each phase line also includes a current sensor 961-963 arranged between the inverter circuit 945 and the motor 94, for measuring an electrical current flowing in each of the phase lines during operation of the motor 94.
  • the currents can refer to the stator currents.
  • Each current sensor 961-963 is connected to the control circuit 950.
  • the current sensors 961-963 may be Hall effect current transducers. Other types of current sensors might be used instead, such as current transformers, Rogowski coils or shunt resistors.
  • the voltage in each phase line is optionally measured using voltage sensors 964-966.
  • the voltage sensors 964-966 can be configured as insulated voltage sensors to avoid a potential carryover or for protection purposes and they may be used for the sensor less control only. When a sensor-based vector control is used, the voltage sensor can be omitted.
  • the motor 94 includes a rotary encoder 960 connected to the shaft of the motor for determining the rotor speed ⁇ M and the rotor position ⁇ ⁇ .
  • the rotary encoder 960 is connected to the control circuit 950.
  • the rotor speed ⁇ M and the rotor position ⁇ ⁇ is determined and outputted H55-18-PCT3 by the Position and Speed estimator 943 based on rotary encoder signals.
  • the rotor speed ⁇ M and the rotor position ⁇ ⁇ can be calculated and/or estimated by the Position and Speed estimator 943 based on measured stator currents and voltages and a machine model, a rotor position estimator, or a rotor position observer known from the prior art.
  • the control diagram 950 illustrates key elements only for a field-oriented control of the motor 94.
  • the field- oriented controller may be implemented for example as a software program contained in a memory of the control circuit 950, such as a microcontroller, FPGA, or other means.
  • a software program is executed by a processor as part of the control circuit 950 during the motor controllers’ 93 operations and configured to control the electrical energy provided to the motor 94 in a control loop.
  • controller such as Flux Controller 947, also relates in the following to a software or hardware module, dependent on how the vector control is implemented.
  • the present control diagram lacks the velocity controller. A by the pilot demanded torque is received by the motor controller 93, e.g.
  • the Field Weakening controller 949 also lacks the input for the speed setpoint ⁇ Ref. Therefore the torque and the flux are controlled in an open-loop manner, assuming a certain torque constant.
  • the rotor speed ⁇ M is calculated in the position and speed estimator 943 and considered by the Field Weakening controller 949. In the following steady state of the motor 94 is assumed, and the rotor speed ⁇ M is synchronous to the electrical frequency of the rotating stator field, which is typical for synchronous motors in a steady state.
  • the control circuit 950 has been complemented with a feed- forward decoupling structure configured to decouple the Flux Controller 947 and the Torque Controller 946 from each other, in particular their crossed-coupled voltage terms. This structure is used, amongst other things, to compensate for unmodeled dynamics in the motor 94.
  • the feed-forward decoupling structure in principle, models the differential equations defining the synchronous motor operation (i.e. governing the current change in the dq-reference frame).
  • ⁇ ⁇ denotes the stator resistance
  • ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ ⁇ denote the d- or q-axis component of the stator inductance in the rotating dq reference frame
  • ⁇ ⁇ is the inductance of a winding in alignment with the rotor flux and ⁇ ⁇ corresponds to the self-inductance of the winding in-quadrature with the rotor flux
  • ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ ⁇ denote the d- or q-axis component of the stator voltage
  • ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ ⁇ denote the d- or q-axis component of the stator current
  • ⁇ ⁇ denotes the rotor speed or electrical frequency of the rotating stator field
  • ⁇ ⁇ denotes the rotor flux linkage.
  • d-axis and q-axis current components are not independent of each other. From equation (1) one can notice that the d- axis component ⁇ ⁇ of the stator voltages is not the only voltage term competing for control of the d-axis current component. There is also a speed-dependent term that contains the q-axis component ⁇ ⁇ of the stator currents in it. From equation (2), the q-axis component ⁇ ⁇ of the stator voltage is also competing with a voltage term containing the d-axis component ⁇ ⁇ of the stator currents.
  • equations (1) and (2) can be further simplified to: where: ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ denote the d- or q-axis component of the feed-forward stator voltage reference, apparent at the summing point at the outputs of the Flux Controller 947 and the Torque Controller 946, respectively; ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ denote the d- or q-axis component of the stator voltage reference, apparent after the summing points; ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ ⁇ denote d- or q-axis component of the stator voltage reference at the outputs of the Flux and the Torque Controller 947, 946 respectively.
  • the rotor flux linkage ⁇ ⁇ refers to the parametrized rotor flux linkage ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ .
  • the parametrized rotor flux linkage ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ can also be expressed as the back-EMF constant over the number of pole pairs of the rotor.
  • the motor parameters in particular, the d- or q-axis H55-18-PCT3 component of stator inductance ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ ⁇ , and the parametrized rotor flux linkage ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ are available in the control circuit 950 in the form of variables, whereby the underlying physical motor parameters were obtained by measurement of the motor 94, such as in an end-of-line test after final assembly.
  • the equations (1) - (4) are applicable when the rotor position ⁇ ⁇ outputted by the Position and Speed estimator 943 optimally aligns with the effective rotor position of the motor.
  • the equations as presented might not be valid anymore, and the outputs of the Flux and the Torque Controller 947, 946 might not be able to compensate for this deviation.
  • the motor can't be controlled for its maximum torque output since the d- axis of the dq-reference frame can’t be precisely aligned with the rotor flux anymore.
  • Fig.28 illustrates this circumstance in more detail, in particular by two rotating dq-reference frames rotating in the stationary ⁇ reference frame, as also explained for Fig.26.
  • the dq-reference frame illustrated in solid lines represents the reference frame effectively aligned with the rotor, and the corresponding rotor flux vector ⁇ ⁇ of the rotor.
  • the equations (1) and (2) apply correspondingly for the dq-reference frame aligned with the effective rotor position.
  • the dq-reference frame illustrated in dashed lines represents the reference frame as used for controlling the d- and q-axis components of the stator current, controlled by the control circuit of Fig. 27.
  • the effective rotor position ⁇ ⁇ deviates from the rotor position ⁇ ⁇ outputted by the Position and Speed estimator 943 by some degree, in particular by the rotor position deviation ⁇ ⁇ .
  • the differential equations (1) and (2) defining the AC motor operation include various parasitic terms that arise from the deviation between the effective rotor position ⁇ ⁇ and the rotor position ⁇ ⁇ outputted by the Position and Speed estimator.
  • the Flux and the Torque Controller might be able to ensure that the setpoint for the d- and q-axis current components are tracked.
  • the rotor position ⁇ ⁇ outputted by the Position and Speed estimator typically is almost accurate, yet there might exist a static deviation of a few degrees due to different effects. If the deviation ⁇ ⁇ is considerably small, e.g.
  • ⁇ M and the parametrized rotor flux linkage ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ are conventionally available in the control circuit with high accuracy, wherein the tolerance of the parametrized rotor flux linkage ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ can be assumed to be less than ⁇ 10%.
  • Equation (12) indicates that the deviation of the rotor position can also be determined for errors greater than 0.3rad.
  • the error between the effective rotor position and the rotor position outputted by the Position and Speed estimator can be determined by the control circuit of Fig.27, especially by setting the setpoint of the d- and q-axis component of the stator current to zero and waiting until the outputs of the Flux and Torque controller are settled. The settlement might also be detected in the control circuit internally.
  • the deviation can then be determined (for instance) at the outputs of the Flux and Torque controllers and can further be used to compensate for the static deviation, e.g.
  • the rotor flux linkage ⁇ M is determined with an accuracy greater than ⁇ 0.5%, using the following expression: [00268] While the detection method of the rotor position error requires that both the d and q-axis current references are set to zero for a short amount of time (roughly 10-100 current control time constants), calculation of the rotor flux linkage ⁇ M and comparing it with the parametrized rotor flux linkage ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ apparent in the control circuit, the parametrized rotor flux linkage ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ can be corrected to better model the effective corresponding electrical parameter of the motor.
  • the outputs of the Flux and the Torque Controller can be used to correct a deviation between the effective rotor position and the representation of the rotor position used in the control circuit of Fig.27.
  • it can be used to correct a deviation between the effective rotor flux linkage and the representation of rotor flux linkage used in the said control circuit.
  • Fig.29 illustrates a flowchart of a process for determining the static rotor position deviation ⁇ ⁇ and an effective rotor flux linkage, which can be used to correct or replace the parameterized rotor flux linkage ⁇ M,P apparent in the control circuit of Fig.27.
  • the process starts while the aircraft is grounded and the rotor (including the propeller mechanically attached thereto) is at standstill.
  • step i) the rotor is turned to a first rotational speed, which is smaller than the maximal speed of the motor but much greater than zero speed.
  • the said speed also needs to be lower than the speed, in which field- weakening is activated.
  • the setpoints of the d- and q-axis components of the stator current are set to zero, and it is waited for the settlement of the Flux and Torque controller outputs.
  • the steady state values of the controller outputs might be detected in the control circuit internally by a corresponding means.
  • the static rotor position deviation ⁇ ⁇ is determined or calculated using the value outputted at Flux Controller and Torque Controller outputs, under consideration of equation (12).
  • the rotor position deviation ⁇ ⁇ consecutively is taken to correct the rotor position ⁇ ⁇ outputted by the Position and Speed estimator of Fig.27.
  • Step i) can be repeated every time the aircraft is prepared for flight, while taxing or while flying as indicated by the dashed line, provided that the motor is not operating in field weakening. Consecutively the regular motor operation is started under the control of the control circuit using the corrected rotor position ⁇ ⁇ , such that the aircraft can take off.
  • step ii) Upon execution of step i), step ii) is initiated, all while maintaining the same conditions as in step i).
  • the effective rotor flux linkage ⁇ M is calculated using the value outputted at Torque Controller output under consideration of equation (14) or the values outputted by the Torque and Flux Controllers using equation (13).
  • the parametrized rotor flux linkage ⁇ M,P of the control circuit is corrected by the determined effective rotor flux linkage ⁇ M .
  • the control of the motor is continued by conventionally controlling the motor with the control circuit of Fig.27, once the deviation has been corrected, under consideration of the setpoints of the d- and q-axis component of the stator current, in particular, the setpoint for the torque.
  • Step ii) can be repeated during flight, e.g. every 10 minutes or even more frequently, until the aircraft is grounded.
  • the airstream passing by the propeller supports in maintaining the rotor speed.
  • the process of step i) and ii) can be processed by the control circuit in less than 10ms, thereby not influencing the flight quality of the aircraft due to the inertia of the mechanical system.
  • the process as explained, might be initiated by the control circuit itself, or by a higher-level control instance.
  • the steps i) and ii) are illustrated as being performed in separate steps, they can be processed one after the other in one single process step.
  • the feed-forward decoupling structure can also contribute to an improved performance of the motor in field-weakening operation in the absence of a failure in one (or more) of field coil(s) of the motor.
  • the feed- forward decoupling structure is not a mandatory part of the control structure as such and may be omitted.
  • the control circuit of Fig.27 shall be considered as the basis for the following explanation, in particular with respect to the related equations (3) and (4).
  • the field-weakening operation of the motor follows the dynamics of the mechanical system, i.e. the speed of the motor shaft. Therefore, the time constants of the mechanical system are 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than the time constants of the current control loop.
  • stator voltage equations in the dq-reference frame take different form than suggested in equations (1)-(2). Accounting for a position information mismatch of less than 3 electrical degrees, and expressing the stator voltages as in (3) and (4), the following expressions are yielded. This may cause a deviation, even when the static deviation has been corrected using the process as discussed in Fig.29.
  • ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ denotes the actual stator resistance
  • ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ denote the actual d- or q-axis component of the stator inductance
  • ⁇ ⁇ is the inductance of a winding actually in alignment with the rotor flux and ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ corresponds to the self-inductance of the winding where the rotor flux is effectively aligned with the in-quadrature winding
  • ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ ⁇ denote the error of the d- or q-axis component of stator inductance
  • ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ ⁇ denote the actual deviation of the d- or q-axis component of the stator voltage
  • ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ ⁇ denote error terms of the d- or q-axis component of the stator voltage, in particular an induced back-EMF due to the position deviation
  • ⁇ M denotes the actual rotor flux linkage
  • the dq-reference frame illustrated in dashed lines represents the reference frame as used for controlling the d- and q-axis components of the stator current, controlled by the control circuit of Fig.27.
  • the two reference frames are displaced by the rotor position deviation ⁇ ⁇ . It is visible that an induced back EMF component ⁇ ⁇ only exists in the actual q-axis ( ⁇ ⁇ ), advancing the rotor position for 90 degrees. However, due to the deviation in the rotor position, the control circuit will be assuming the same amount H55-18-PCT3 of the induced back EMF, yet in a displaced axis ⁇ ⁇ .
  • Equations (17) and (18) illustrate that the Flux- and Torque Controller in the d- and q-axis will ensure that all the deviations in the parameters will be compensated in terms of their influence on the current control. This fact can be used to enhance the state-of-the-art open-loop field-weakening control strategy, such that it becomes insensitive to the parameters deviations.
  • Fig.31 represents a diagram of a field-weakening block for adapting the control parameters (variables) when a field-weakening operation of the motor is required, e.g. when the motor is controlled in the constant power region, using the control circuit as illustrated in Fig.27.
  • the motor is a synchronous machine, preferably as a permanent magnet synchronous machine.
  • the rotor position ⁇ ⁇ outputted by the Position and Speed estimator and the parametrized rotor flux linkage ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ are optimally set, e.g. by the process as outlined in Fig.29.
  • this is not a prerequisite, as the enhanced open-loop algorithm, as being presented in the following paragraphs, is insensitive to the deviations, especially in the rotor flux linkage.
  • the process 951 as illustrated in Fig.31 is preferably executed on the same control device as the control circuit of Figs.23 or 27.
  • the block (S) inputs the q-axis current component setpoint ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ in dependency of a torque requested by the pilot.
  • the block (P) inputs multiple parameters, such as the parametrized rotor flux linkage ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ , the absolute value of the stator current limit ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ , further parametrized motor parameters, state-variable limits, etc..
  • the block (M) inputs measurement signals, such as the actual DC link voltage vDC, or the actual speed of the rotor ⁇ ⁇ outputted by the Position and Speed estimator, and further values determinable from the control circuit of Fig.27.
  • the output block (O) outputs the optimal (or maximal) setpoint for the d-axis component ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ of the stator current and the limit for the q-axis component ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ of the stator current in field-weakening control of the motor.
  • the outputs of the output block (O) can be used in the control circuit of Fig.27, in particular for the Field Weakening block, as it sets the setpoint for the d-axis component ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ of the stator currents, as well as a limit to the q-axis current component setpoint ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ .
  • a first value is calculated, which is further used in the course of the process 951.
  • the value den accounts for: where: ⁇ ⁇ denotes the parametrized q-axis value of the stator inductance, ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ ⁇ denote machine constants, in particular maximal expected torque of the machine, and the machine torque constant, respectively, ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ denotes the parametrized rotor flux linkage.
  • the ultimate q-axis current limit ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ also is calculated in the initialization step (I), by: [00287]
  • the maximum allowable phase voltage ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ is calculated in dependency on the actual DC link voltage ⁇ ⁇ as measured by: where: ⁇ ⁇ denotes the actual DC link voltage, ⁇ ⁇ denotes a predetermined voltage control margin, e.g.40V.
  • the critical field- weakening speed ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ is calculated by: H55-18-PCT3 ii) Wherein the constant 0.85 represents the safety margin and can be varied or set differently depending on the configuration of the motor and/or motor controller.
  • step iv) If the actual rotor speed ⁇ ⁇ is smaller than the critical field-weakening speed ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ , then no field-weakening operation is required, and the setpoint for the d-axis component ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ of the stator current is set to zero, and the limit for the q-axis component ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ of the stator current is set to the predetermined maximum allowable stator current i s,max (which depends on the motor characteristics at the highest torque and may depend on the maximum current suppliable by the motor controller to the motor). This is done in step iv).
  • step vi) the d-axis component ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ of the stator current is further determined. If the d-axis current component ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ is greater than zero, no field-weakening operation is required and the process 951 continues with step iv). However, if the d-axis current component ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ , as calculated in step v) is smaller than zero, the field-weakening operation is initiated.
  • step vii) it is determined if the calculated d-axis current component ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ is smaller than a predetermined limit ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ . If the calculated d-axis current component ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ is equal or greater than the said predetermined limit ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ , the process 951 continues with step viii) in which the q-axis component limit ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ of the stator current in field-weakening operation is calculated by: [00293] The control of the motor is continued in field-weakening operation, with the d-axis component ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ as determined in step v) and with the limit of the q-axis component ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ as determined in step viii).
  • the process 951 can consecutively continue in step i) or iii). Preferably the process 951 always restarts from i), in order to update the maximal phase voltage value. If the calculated d-axis current component ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ is equal or greater than the predetermined limit ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ , the process 951 continues with step ix), in which the q-axis current component ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ of the stator current in field-weakening control of the motor is determined by: H55-18-PCT3 where: ⁇ ⁇ denotes the parametrized q-axis inductance, ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ ⁇ denote d- or q-axis component of the stator voltage terms reference at the outputs of the Flux and the Torque Controller of Fig.27, ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ denotes the filtered d-axis feed-forward component of stator voltage as outputted at the summing point of the Torque Controller of Fig.27, (whereby both voltage components are filtered using
  • step x) the actual stator current is determined and compared to the predetermined maximum allowable stator current ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ by: [00295] If the actual stator current is smaller than the maximum allowable stator current ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ , step xi) is followed, where the existing references and determined limits of step ix) are used.
  • stator current ⁇ ⁇ is greater than the maximum allowable stator current ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ , xii)
  • q-axis component ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ of the stator current is further limited by: ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ xii)
  • the term limiting can refer to overwriting or manipulating a setpoint or value, such as overwriting the q-axis current component setpoint ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ as set in dependency of the commanded torque request, based on the q-axis current component limit ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ .
  • the solid line on the right relates to the q-axis current component setpoint under consideration of the parameter deviation using the conventional feed-forward control, whereas the nearby long dashed line illustrates the q-axis current component setpoint using the process as illustrated in Fig.31.
  • the setpoints of the d-axis and q-axis components of the stator currents using the process as illustrated in Fig.31 start to degrade at a higher motor speed and thereby better utilize the motor capabilities.
  • the axis of ordinates in graph (c) on the left denotes the maximum of the stator current in ampere, whereas the axis of ordinates on the right denotes the torque in Newtonmeter.
  • the braking chopper circuit is configured to dissipate less than 1 ⁇ 4 of the power supplied by the motor when the propeller is decelerated.
  • the final objective might be to omit the braking chopper circuit entirely and only dissipate the excess power in the motor in the form of intentionally generated losses.
  • the circumstance that the motor controller is designed to allow a unidirectional flow of energy may be a hypothetical case scenario.
  • the process as illustrated can also be useful to prevent an overcharging of the battery (when used as a DC energy source), as a flow of energy into the DC link and finally into the battery can be prevented.
  • a sensorless control mode needs to be considered, wherein the position of the rotor needs to be estimated.
  • the same control mode might be used during the start-up of the motor controller 93, in particular when the aircraft is grounded, and the exact rotor position is not known.
  • the initialization control mode is considered when the sensor signal of the rotary encoder 960 is permanently lost or disregarded for other purposes, such as a defect of the rotary encoder 960.
  • the motor controller 93 controls the motor 94 permanently with the sensorless vector control method.
  • a speed set point ⁇ Ref corresponding to the rotor speed is set and an error signal is formed using the speed set point ⁇ Ref and the determined the rotor speed ⁇ M * .
  • the velocity controller 948 is provided as a PI- controller and regulates its output, being the iq variable according to the error signal.
  • the speed of the rotor cannot be increased above the rated speed of the motor 94, due to saturation of the ferromagnetic part of the motor with the magnetic flux generated by the rotation of the rotor. However, with the use of the field weakening controller 949 the torque of the motor 94 can be exhaustively utilized in all operational ranges.
  • a field weakening controller 949 controls the id variable.
  • the velocity controller 948 increases the q-component (variable iq, torque output) of the flux, whereas the field weakening controller reduces the d-flux component at the same time.
  • Further error signals are formed using the variables id, iq and corresponding set points id * , iq * .
  • the set point id * controls the rotor magnetizing flux and the set point iq * controls the torque output of the motor 94.
  • the error signals are inputted to flux controller 947 and into the torque controller 946, wherein each is configured as PI controller. Other controller types, such as a bang-bang controller might be used instead.
  • the output of the flux controller 947 and the torque controller 946 provide the variables vd and vq, representing a voltage vector with two H55-18-PCT3 voltage vector components that will be set to the motor 94.
  • the two voltage component vectors may be represented in the rotating d-q axis.
  • a new transformation angle is calculated in a subsequent iteration of the control loop, where the variables v ⁇ , v ⁇ , i ⁇ and i ⁇ are considered as inputs.
  • the new transformation angle guides the FOC as to where to place the next voltage vector vS.
  • the variables vd and vq provided by the flux- and torque controller 947, 946 are rotated back to the stationary reference frame using the new transformation angle.
  • the inverse Park transformation 942 provides the subsequent quadrature voltage values v ⁇ and v ⁇ under consideration of the current rotor position ⁇ .
  • Controlling the motor with the use of the method is necessary to turn the rotor, for instance, during start (from a standstill to a first rotational speed, sufficient to measure the back-EMF generated by the motor). However, and in case the airplane is cruising, the application of this control method is not required, as the rotor remains turning, due to the airstream passing the propeller.
  • the position and speed estimator 943 is functioning in this case as a simple back-emf observer, only relying on the voltages that are induced by the rotating rotor into the stator coil of the motor 94.
  • the measured voltages vu-vw are transformed with the use of the Clarke transformation 940 into variables v ⁇ * , v ⁇ * in the ⁇ coordinate system and finally into variables vd * , vq * which represents quadrature voltages H55-18-PCT3 transformed to the rotating coordinate system (d-q reference frame).
  • the position and speed estimator 943 can then estimate using the variables vd * , vq * the rotor position ⁇ * and the rotor speed ⁇ M * with methods known from the prior art.
  • the motor controller 93 can feed the energy that is supplied by the motor 94 into the battery and the related currents and voltages measured in the phase lines can also be used to estimate the rotor position ⁇ * and the rotor speed ⁇ M * , also with the use of the extended back-EMF observer as disclosed in the said document. [00364] Once the rotor position ⁇ * and the rotor speed ⁇ M * is estimated using one of the before outlined possibilities, the initialization control mode is entered and/or used.
  • the one or more futures can be used to enhance construction or operation of automobiles, trucks, boats, submarines, spacecraft, hovercrafts, or the like.
  • Many other variations than those described herein will be apparent from this disclosure.
  • certain acts, events, or functions of any of the algorithms described herein can be performed in a different sequence, can be added, merged, or left out altogether (for example, not all described acts or events are necessary for the practice of the algorithms).
  • the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and algorithm steps described herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both.
  • each in addition to having its ordinary meaning, can mean any subset of a set of elements to which the term “each” is applied.

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  • Electric Propulsion And Braking For Vehicles (AREA)
  • Control Of Ac Motors In General (AREA)

Abstract

Un dispositif de commande de moteur (93) est conçu pour utiliser un premier schéma de commande de vecteur afin de fournir un premier ensemble de signaux de commande ayant une première fréquence fondamentale à une pluralité de bobines de champ d'un moteur (94) dans un avion électrique ou hybride (100), le dispositif de commande de moteur (93) étant conçu pour détecter une défaillance de l'une desdites bobines de champ et pour fournir un second ensemble de signaux de commande ayant une seconde fréquence fondamentale auxdites bobines de champ lorsqu'une telle défaillance a été détectée, le premier et le second schéma de commande de vecteur étant différents l'un de l'autre, et la seconde fréquence fondamentale étant supérieure à la première fréquence fondamentale.
PCT/IB2023/062720 2022-12-15 2023-12-14 Dispositif de commande de moteur, système de propulsion d'un aéronef électrique ou hybride et procédé de fonctionnement d'un moteur WO2024127323A1 (fr)

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CH15102022 2022-12-15
CHCH001510/2022 2022-12-15
CHCH000583/2023 2023-06-02
CH5832023 2023-06-02

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WO2024127323A1 true WO2024127323A1 (fr) 2024-06-20

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