Systems and methods for in-flight operational assessment
A method of in-flight operational assessment for an electric aircraft comprising detecting by a sensor an electrical parameter of an energy source. The method further includes receiving by a controller the electrical parameter from the sensor and determining a power-production capability of the energy source, using the electrical parameter. The method further includes calculating, by the controller, a projected power-consumption need of the electric aircraft and comparing the determined power-production capability of the energy source to the projected power-consumption need. The method includes generating a power production command datum as a function of the comparison of the power-production capability and the projected power-consumption need.
1 . A system, comprising:
a battery coupled to an electric aircraft;
a load coupled to the battery, the load including a plurality of components of the electric aircraft;
a sensor configured to detect an electrical parameter of the battery; and
a computing device configured to:
determine, using the electrical parameter, a power-delivery capability of the battery;
determine a projected power-consumption need of the electric aircraft as a function of a flight plan associated with the electric aircraft;
determine, as a function of the power-delivery capability, a current flight capability metric for the electric aircraft;
in response to a determination of a shortfall between the power-delivery capability and the projected power-consumption need, generate a proposed modification to an operation of a component of the plurality of components, wherein the component is a non-essential component;
calculate, as a function of the proposed modification, a resulting flight capability metric for the electric aircraft;
provide, to a display associated with the electric aircraft, a graphical representation of the proposed modification, wherein the graphical representation indicates the resulting flight capability metric;
receive, from the display, a selection of the graphical representation;
in response to receiving the selection, generate a power production command configured to achieve the resulting flight capability metric; and
provide the power production command to the component, the component configured to directly alter a power consumption level of the component based on the power production command.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the battery includes a plurality of battery components, and the computing device is further configured to determine the power-delivery capability of the battery by identifying a lowest component energy capability among the plurality of battery components.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the electric aircraft is configured as a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes at least one of a voltage sensor or a current sensor.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein determining the power-delivery capability of the battery further comprises comparing the electrical parameter to a projected evolution over time of an electrical power provided by the battery to the plurality of components.
6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein determining the power-delivery capability of the battery further comprises modifying the projected evolution as a function of the electrical parameter.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the projected power-consumption need includes an amount of energy required to perform one or more flight maneuvers associated with the flight plan and a buffer or reserve energy amount associated with the flight plan or the electric aircraft.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the projected power-consumption need include an amount of energy required to power a set of components of the plurality of components categorized as non-essential components during one or more stages of the flight plan.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the shortfall is expressed as a delta in the current flight capability metric.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the current flight capability metric and the resulting flight capability metric are landing endurance metrics.
11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the landing endurance metrics includes a hover time remaining for the electric aircraft.
12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to determine the projected power-consumption need based on an energy requirement for completing a landing stage of the flight plan.
13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the proposed modification comprises a reduction in power to a non-essential component to resolve the shortfall and enable completion of the flight plan.
14 . A method of in-flight operational assessment, the method comprising:
detecting, via a sensor, an electrical parameter of a battery of an electric aircraft, the battery configured to supply power to a load that includes a plurality of components of the electric aircraft;
determining, via an electronic processor coupled to the sensor, a power-delivery capability of the battery using the electrical parameter;
determining a projected power-consumption need of the electric aircraft as a function of a flight plan associated with the electric aircraft;
determining, as a function of the power-delivery capability, a current flight capability metric for the electric aircraft;
in response to a determination of a shortfall between the power-delivery capability and the projected power-consumption need, generating a proposed modification to an operation of a component of the plurality of components, wherein the component is a non-essential component;
calculating, as a function of the proposed modification, a resulting flight capability metric for the electric aircraft;
providing, to a display associated with the electric aircraft, a graphical representation of the proposed modification, wherein the graphical representation indicates the resulting flight capability metric;
receiving, from the display, a selection of the graphical representation;
in response to receiving the selection, generating a power production command configured to achieve the resulting flight capability metric; and
providing the power production command to the component, the component configured to directly alter a power consumption level of the component based on the power production command.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein detecting the electrical parameter includes at least one of detecting a voltage level, a current level, or an environmental parameter.
16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein determining the power-delivery capability further comprises comparing the electrical parameter to a projected evolution over time of the battery.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein determining the power-delivery capability further includes modifying the projected evolution as a function of the electrical parameter.
18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the battery includes a plurality of battery components, and
determining the power-delivery capability of the battery further includes summing power-delivery capabilities of the plurality of battery components.
19 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the power production command is generated as a function of the power-delivery capability, the projected power-consumption need, and the buffer or reserve energy amount.