System for monitoring energy capability of an electric aircraft and outputting warning messages

1 . A system for monitoring energy consumption of an aircraft, wherein the system comprises:

a memory; and

processing circuitry hardware in communication with the memory, wherein the processing circuitry hardware is configured to:

receive aircraft status data that indicates whether one or more fault conditions are present on the aircraft;

receive flight plan data corresponding to a flight plan of the aircraft, wherein the flight plan data includes a planned flight route and weather data corresponding to the planned flight route;

receive battery data indicative of a status of one or more batteries onboard the aircraft, wherein the battery data includes an amount of energy stored by the one or more batteries and a power output capability of the one or more batteries, wherein the amount of energy stored by the one or more batteries represents a capacity of the one or more batteries to cause one or more propulsion devices of the aircraft to perform work, wherein the power output capability of the one or more batteries comprises a current highest rate at which the one or more batteries are configured to cause the one or more propulsion devices to perform work per unit time and a highest rate at which the one or more batteries are expected to be configured to cause the one or more propulsion devices to perform work per unit time at a landing of the flight plan;

determine, based on the aircraft status data, the flight plan data, and the battery data, a first landing probability that for a vertical landing the highest rate at which the one or more batteries are expected to be configured to cause the one or more propulsion devices to perform work per unit time at the landing of the flight plan is greater than or equal to a first rate of work per unit time;

determine a second landing probability that for a conventional landing the highest rate at which the one or more batteries are expected to be configured to cause the one or more propulsion devices to perform work per unit time at the landing of the flight plan is greater than or equal to a second rate of work per unit time;

compare the first landing probability to a landing probability threshold;

compare the second landing probability to the landing probability threshold;

select, based on the first landing probability being lower than the landing probability threshold and the second landing probability being greater than the landing probability threshold, an alternate flight plan; and

configure the aircraft to perform the conventional landing in response to the selected alternate flight plan.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein to determine whether the aircraft is capable of completing the flight plan, the processing circuitry hardware is configured to:

determine, based on receiving the aircraft status data indicating the one or more fault conditions, aircraft status information indicating that the one or more fault conditions negatively affect whether the aircraft is capable of completing the flight plan; and

determine whether the aircraft is capable of completing the flight plan based on the aircraft status information.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein to determine the aircraft status information, the processing circuitry hardware is configured to determine that the one or more fault conditions comprise one or more failed mechanical components.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more fault conditions comprise one or more failed propulsion devices.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein to determine whether the aircraft is capable of completing the flight plan, the processing circuitry hardware is configured to:

determine, based on receiving the flight plan data including the planned flight route and the weather data corresponding to the planned flight route, that inclement weather is present along the planned flight route; and

determine whether the aircraft is capable of completing the flight plan based on determining that inclement weather is present along the planned flight route.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the weather data comprises present weather data corresponding to weather along the planned flight route at a present time and future weather data corresponding to weather predicted to occur along the planned flight route over a period of time following the present time, and

wherein to determine that inclement weather is present along the planned flight route, the processing circuitry hardware is configured to perform one or both of:

determine, based on the present weather data, that inclement weather is currently present along the planned flight route; or

determine, based on the future weather data, that inclement weather is predicted to be present at one or more points along the planned flight route at a time that the aircraft is expected to be located at the one or more points along the planned flight route, and

wherein the processing circuitry hardware is configured to determine whether the aircraft is capable of completing the flight plan based on determining that inclement weather is currently present along the planned flight route or based on determining that inclement weather is predicted to be present at the one or more points along the planned flight route at the time that the aircraft is expected to be located at the one or more points along the planned flight route.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft comprises an electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Vehicle (eVTOL).

8 . A method for using processing circuitry hardware in communication with a memory to monitor energy consumption of an aircraft, wherein the method comprises:

receiving, by the processing circuitry hardware, aircraft status data that indicates whether one or more fault conditions are present on the aircraft;

receiving, by the processing circuitry hardware, flight plan data corresponding to a flight plan of the aircraft, wherein the flight plan data includes a planned flight route and weather data corresponding to the planned flight route;

receiving, by the processing circuitry hardware, battery data indicative of a status of one or more batteries onboard the aircraft, wherein the battery data includes an amount of energy stored by the one or more batteries and a power output capability of the one or more batteries, wherein the amount of energy stored by the one or more batteries represents a capacity of the one or more batteries to cause one or more propulsion devices of the aircraft to perform work, wherein the power output capability of the one or more batteries comprises a current highest rate at which the one or more batteries are configured to cause the one or more propulsion devices to perform work per unit time and a highest rate at which the one or more batteries are expected to be configured to cause the one or more propulsion devices to perform work per unit time at a landing of the flight plan;

determining, by the processing circuitry hardware, based on the aircraft status data, the flight plan data, and the battery data, a first landing probability that for a vertical landing the highest rate at which the one or more batteries are expected to be configured to cause the one or more propulsion devices to perform work per unit time at the landing of the flight plan is greater than or equal to a first rate of work per unit time;

determining, by the processing circuitry hardware, a second landing probability that for a conventional landing the highest rate at which the one or more batteries are expected to be configured to cause the one or more propulsion devices to perform work per unit time at the landing of the flight plan is greater than or equal to a second rate of work per unit time;

comparing, by the processing circuitry hardware, the first landing probability to a landing probability threshold;

comparing, by the processing circuitry hardware, the second landing probability to the landing probability threshold;

selecting, by the processing circuitry hardware based on the first landing probability being lower than the landing probability threshold and the second landing probability being greater than the landing probability threshold, an alternate flight plan; and

configuring the aircraft to perform the conventional landing in response to the selected alternate flight plan.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein determining whether the aircraft is capable of completing the flight plan comprises:

determining, by the processing circuitry hardware based on receiving the aircraft status data indicating the one or more fault conditions, aircraft status information indicating that the one or more fault conditions negatively affect whether the aircraft is capable of completing the flight plan; and

determining, by the processing circuitry hardware, whether the aircraft is capable of completing the flight plan based on the aircraft status information.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein determining whether the aircraft is capable of completing the flight plan comprises:

determining, by the processing circuitry hardware based on receiving the flight plan data including the planned flight route and the weather data corresponding to the planned flight route, that inclement weather is present along the planned flight route; and

determining, by the processing circuitry hardware, whether the aircraft is capable of completing the flight plan based on determining that inclement weather is present along the planned flight route.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the weather data comprises present weather data corresponding to weather along the planned flight route at a present time and future weather data corresponding to weather predicted to occur along the planned flight route over a period of time following the present time, and

wherein determining that inclement weather is present along the planned flight route comprises one or both of:

determining, by the processing circuitry hardware based on the present weather data, that inclement weather is currently present along the planned flight route; or

determining, by the processing circuitry hardware based on the future weather data, that inclement weather is predicted to be present at one or more points along the planned flight route at a time that the aircraft is expected to be located at the one or more points along the planned flight route, and

wherein the method further comprises determining, by the processing circuitry hardware, whether the aircraft is capable of completing the flight plan based on determining that inclement weather is currently present along the planned flight route or based on determining that inclement weather is predicted to be present at the one or more points along the planned flight route at the time that the aircraft is expected to be located at the one or more points along the planned flight route.

12 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing one or more processors to:

receive aircraft status data that indicates whether one or more fault conditions are present on an aircraft;

receive flight plan data corresponding to a flight plan of the aircraft, wherein the flight plan data includes a planned flight route and weather data corresponding to the planned flight route;

receive battery data indicative of a status of one or more batteries onboard the aircraft, wherein the battery data includes an amount of energy stored by the one or more batteries and a power output capability of the one or more batteries, wherein the amount of energy stored by the one or more batteries represents a capacity of the one or more batteries to cause one or more propulsion devices of the aircraft to perform work, wherein the power output capability of the one or more batteries comprises a current highest rate at which the one or more batteries are configured to cause the one or more propulsion devices to perform work per unit time and a highest rate at which the one or more batteries are expected to be configured to cause the one or more propulsion devices to perform work per unit time at a landing of the flight plan;

determine, based on the aircraft status data, the flight plan data, and the battery data, a first landing probability that for a vertical landing the highest rate at which the one or more batteries are expected to be configured to cause the one or more propulsion devices to perform work per unit time at the landing of the flight plan is greater than or equal to a first rate of work per unit time;

determine a second landing probability that for a conventional landing the highest rate at which the one or more batteries are expected to be configured to cause the one or more propulsion devices to perform work per unit time at the landing of the flight plan is greater than or equal to a second rate of work per unit time;

compare the first landing probability to a landing probability threshold;

compare the second landing probability to the landing probability threshold;

select, based on the first landing probability being lower than the landing probability threshold and the second landing probability being greater than the landing probability threshold, an alternate flight plan; and

configure the aircraft to perform the conventional landing in response to the selected alternate flight plan.

13 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the aircraft comprises an electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Vehicle (eVTOL).

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the aircraft comprises an electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Vehicle (eVTOL).

15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry hardware is further configured to, in response to modifying the flight plan, cause a user interface device to output an alert indicating the flight plan has been modified.

16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more fault conditions comprises a failed propulsion device.

17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry hardware is further configured to transmit the modified flight plan to a ground system.

18 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

in response to modifying the flight plan, causing a user interface device to output an alert indicating the flight plan has been modified.

19 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more fault conditions comprises a failed propulsion device.

20 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

transmitting the modified flight plan to a ground system.