Electric power system architecture and fault tolerant VTOL aircraft using same
The power system can include: a plurality of batteries, a plurality of electric propulsion units, flight computers, and power connections. The propulsion assemblies can include a motor, a propeller, and one or more inverters. The power system can optionally include a plurality of flight actuators. However, the power system can include any other suitable set of components. The power system functions to provide aircraft propulsion and/or aircraft control authority during flight.
1. An electric aircraft comprising:
a battery pair comprising a first and second battery;
a first propulsion assembly comprising:
a dual-wound electric motor comprising a first and second set of windings connected to the first and second batteries, respectively; and
a propeller coupled to the dual-wound electric motor;
a pair of control surfaces arranged on a first side of the mid-sagittal plane of the aircraft, the pair comprising a first and a second control surface; and
a first and a second flight actuator electrically connected to the first and second batteries, respectively, wherein the first and second flight actuators are mechanically connected to the first and second control surfaces, respectively.
2. The electric aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the first flight actuator is not redundantly powered by the second battery.
3. The electric aircraft of claim 2 , wherein aircraft is configured to equilibrate a state of charge (SoC) of the first and second batteries based on a weighted power distribution of the first and second sets of windings.
4. The electric aircraft of claim 1 , further comprising a second and third propulsion assembly, each comprising a respective dual-wound electric motor and a respective propeller, the first and second batteries connected to a respective set of windings of the dual-wound electric motor of each of the second and third propulsion assemblies.
5. The electric aircraft of claim 1 ; further comprising:
a first motor inverter electrically coupled to the first set of windings and the first control surface; and
a second motor inverter electrically coupled to the second set of windings,
wherein the second battery is selectively connected to the first flight actuator in a propulsive mode of the second motor inverter and a regenerative mode of the first motor inverter.
6. The electric aircraft of claim 1 , wherein each battery of the battery pair is sized to be capable of independently powering the first propulsion assembly above a power threshold of the motor.
7. The electric aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the first battery is arranged on the first side of the midsagittal plane and the second battery is arranged on a second side of the midsagittal plane, opposite the first side.
8. The electric aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the first battery is arranged within an inboard portion of a wing of the aircraft, wherein the second battery is arranged within an outboard portion of the wing relative to the inboard portion.
9. The electric aircraft of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second battery pair comprising a third and fourth battery;
a second propulsion assembly comprising:
a second dual-wound electric motor comprising a third and fourth set of windings connected to the third and fourth batteries, respectively; and
a propeller coupled to the dual-wound electric motor;
a second pair of control surfaces comprising a third and a fourth control surface symmetrically opposing the first and second control surfaces across the midsagittal plane, respectively; and
a third and a fourth flight actuator electrically connected to the third and fourth batteries and mechanically connected to the third and fourth control surfaces, respectively.
10. The electric aircraft of claim 9 , wherein during a failed state of the third actuator:
the third control surface is in a deployed position, and
the first actuator is configured to actuate the first control surface to mirrorhe deployed position of the third control surface.
11. The electric aircraft of claim 9 , wherein the electric aircraft comprises a plurality of propulsion assemblies comprising the first and second propulsion assemblies, wherein the electric aircraft is further configured to accommodate a failure state of the first propulsion assembly by:
reducing a first power provision to the second propulsion assembly; and
increasing a respective power provision to each of a remainder of the plurality of propulsion assemblies.
12. The electric aircraft of claim 9 , further comprising:
a fifth control surface adjacent to the first and second control u aces and arranged on a first side of the mid-sagittal plane; and
a fifth flight actuator electrically connected to the third battery and mechanically connected to the fifth control surface.
13. The electric aircraft of claim 12 , wherein the first, second, and third control surfaces are ruddervators.
14. The electric aircraft of claim 12 , wherein the third battery is larger than the fourth battery, wherein the third battery symmetrically opposes the first battery across the midsagittal plane.
15. The electric aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the first and second control surfaces are duplicative.
16. A method comprising:
determining a flight command for an electric aircraft, the electric aircraft comprising:
a battery pair comprising a first and a second battery; and
a propulsion assembly comprising a propeller coupled to a dual-wound motor, the dual wound motor having a first and a second set of windings connected to the first and second batteries of the battery pair, respectively;
determining a battery state for each battery of the battery pair;
determining a weighted power distribution relative to the battery states of the first and second batteries, the weighted power distribution comprising a first weight associated with the first battery and a second weight associated with the second battery;
based on the flight command and the first weight, supplying power from the first battery to the first set of windings of a propulsion assembly of the plurality;
while supplying power to the first set of windings, regeneratively harvesting power from the propeller at the second set of windings based on the second weight; and
supplying the regeneratively harvested power to a first flight actuator.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first and second batteries are arranged on opposing sides of a midsagittal plane of the electric aircraft and are asymmetric about the midsagittal plane.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the electric aircraft further comprises:
a second flight actuator, wherein the second and first flight actuators are electrically connected to the first and second batteries, respectively; and
a duplicative pair of control surfaces arranged on a first side of the mid-sagittal plane of the aircraft, the pair comprising a first and a second control surface, wherein the first and second flight actuators are mechanically connected to the first and second control surfaces, respectively.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising cooperatively actuating the duplicative pair of actuators based on a flight command.
20. A method comprising:
deter mining a flight command for an electric aircraft, the electric aircraft comprising:
a battery pair comprising a first and a second battery; and
a plurality of propulsion assemblies, each comprising a propeller coupled to a dual-wound motor, the dual wound motor having a first and a second set of windings connected to the first and second batteries of the battery pair, respectively;
a pair of control surfaces arranged on a first side of the mid-sagittal plane of the aircraft, the pair comprising a first and a second control surface; and
a first and a second flight actuator electrically connected to the first and second batteries, respectively, the first and second flight actuators mechanically connected to the first and second control surfaces, respectively;
determining a battery state for each battery of the battery pair;
based on the battery state, load balancing the battery pair, comprising:
determining a weighted power distribution relative to the battery states of the first and second batteries, the weighted power distribution comprising a first weight associated with the first battery and a second weight associated with the second battery; and
based on the flight command, supplying power to a propulsion assembly of the plurality based on the first and second weights.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein supplying power to the propulsion assembly comprises:
based on the first weight, supplying power from e first battery to the first set of windings of a propulsion assembly of the plurality;
while supplying power to the first set of windings, regeneratively harvesting power from the propeller at the second set of windings based on the second weight; and
supplying the regeneratively harvested power to the second battery.