IP Library Granted Patent US 12,381,271
Granted Patent B2
US 12,381,271 · App. 18/737,373 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

High voltage battery architecture

Inventors: Saienath Poopalarajah (San Jose, CA); Pedro Roberto Paterson Carleial (Los Altos Hills, CA); Paul Frihauf (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Archer Aviation Inc.
H01M10/613B60L3/04B60L50/60B60L58/26B64D33/08H01M10/625H01M10/6554H01M10/6556H01M10/6568H01M50/204H01M50/249H01M50/583H02H7/20B60L2200/10B64C29/0008H01M2200/103H01M2220/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,381,271
App. No.
18/737,373
Granted
Aug 5, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electrical system for an aircraft, comprising at least one processor configured to: receive aircraft movement information, detect that the movement information indicates a potential crash, detect a loss of continuity in at least one low voltage wire, and blow a battery pack fuse to disconnect supply of the high voltage power to the aircraft.

Claims (58)

1. An electrical system for an aircraft, comprising: at least one processor configured to:

receive aircraft movement information;

detect that the movement information indicates a potential crash;

detect a loss of continuity in at least one low voltage wire; and

blow a battery pack fuse to disconnect supply of high voltage power to the aircraft based on detecting both the potential crash and the loss of continuity in the at least one low voltage wire, wherein the potential crash occurred before the loss of continuity.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive information from a flight control system of the aircraft;

determine a false crash detection based on detecting the aircraft movement information indicates a potential crash, detecting no loss of continuity in the at least one low voltage wire, and the flight control system information; and

receive new aircraft movement information after determining the false crash detection.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the flight control system information indicates a ground mode of the aircraft.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the movement information is aircraft acceleration information received from an accelerometer on the aircraft.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the potential crash is detected based on an acceleration of the aircraft exceeding a threshold.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is included in a battery management system of the aircraft.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least two battery packs, wherein each battery pack comprises the at least one processor, a connection to the at least one low voltage wire, and the battery pack fuse.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor corresponding to one of the at least two battery packs is configured to blow the battery pack fuses for the at least two battery packs on detecting both the potential crash and the loss of continuity in the at least one low voltage wire, wherein the potential crash occurred before the loss of continuity.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one low voltage wire is routed through a tail of the aircraft.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least two battery packs, wherein:

each battery pack comprises the at least one processor and a connection to the at least one low voltage wire; and

the at least one low voltage wire is routed through a tail of the aircraft.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the battery pack fuse is a pyro-technical fuse.

12. A method for aircraft battery management, comprising:

receiving aircraft movement information of an aircraft;

detecting that the movement information indicates a potential crash;

detecting a loss of continuity in at least one low voltage wire; and

blowing a battery pack fuse of at least one battery pack configured to supply high voltage power, to disconnect supply of the high voltage power by the at least one battery pack, based on detecting both the potential crash and the loss of continuity in the at least one low voltage wire, wherein the potential crash occurred before the loss of continuity.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving information from a flight control system of the aircraft;

determining a false crash detection based on detecting the aircraft movement information indicates a potential crash, detecting no loss of continuity in the at least one low voltage wire, and the flight control system information; and

receiving new aircraft movement information after determining the false crash detection.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the flight control system information indicates a ground mode of the aircraft.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the movement information is aircraft acceleration information received from an accelerometer on the aircraft.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the potential crash is detected based on an acceleration of the aircraft exceeding a threshold.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

the at least one battery pack comprises a first battery pack and a second battery pack, each configured to supply the high voltage power; and

blowing the battery pack fuse comprises blowing a battery pack fuse for each of the first and second battery packs based on detecting both the potential crash and the loss of continuity in the at least one low voltage wire, wherein the potential crash occurred before the loss of continuity.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein blowing the battery pack fuse comprises blowing a pyro-technical fuse.

19. An electrical system for an aircraft, comprising: at least one processor configured to:

receive aircraft movement information;

detect that the movement information indicates a potential crash;

detect a loss of continuity in at least one low voltage wire caused by a physical break in the at least one low voltage wire; and

blow a battery pack fuse to disconnect supply of high voltage power to the aircraft based on detecting both the potential crash and the loss of continuity in the at least one low voltage wire, wherein the potential crash occurred before the loss of continuity.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the movement information is aircraft acceleration information received from an accelerometer on the aircraft.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the at least one low voltage wire is routed through an area of the aircraft that does not include high voltage wiring.

22. The system of claim 19 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive information from a flight control system of the aircraft;

determine a false crash detection based on detecting the aircraft movement information indicates a potential crash, detecting no loss of continuity in the at least one low voltage wire, and the flight control system information; and

receive new aircraft movement information after determining the false crash detection.

23. An electrical system for an aircraft, comprising: at least one processor configured to:

receive aircraft movement information;

detect that the movement information indicates a potential crash;

detect a loss of continuity in at least one low voltage wire routed through an area of the aircraft that does not include high voltage wiring; and

blow a battery pack fuse to disconnect supply of high voltage power to the aircraft based on detecting both the potential crash and the loss of continuity in the at least one low voltage wire, wherein the potential crash occurred before the loss of continuity.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the area of the aircraft that does not include high voltage wiring is a tail of the aircraft.

25. The system of claim 23 , wherein the movement information is aircraft acceleration information received from an accelerometer on the aircraft.

26. The system of claim 23 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive information from a flight control system of the aircraft;

determine a false crash detection based on detecting the aircraft movement information indicates a potential crash, detecting no loss of continuity in the at least one low voltage wire, and the flight control system information; and

receive new aircraft movement information after determining the false crash detection.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE NAME OF ASSIGNEE TO ARCHER AVIATION INC. PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 67670 FRAME 635. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Mar 18, 2026
From: POOPALARAJAH, SAIENATH; CARLEIAL, PEDRO ROBERTO PATERSON; FRIHAUF, PAUL
To: ARCHER AVIATION INC.
Reel/Frame 075244/0895 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 10, 2024
From: POOPALARAJAH, SAIENATH; CARLEIAL, PEDRO ROBERTO PATERSON; FRIHAUF, PAUL
To: ARCHER AVIATION, INC.
Reel/Frame 067670/0635 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation PCTUS2023079690 · Nov 14, 2023
Provisional Application 63383660 · Nov 14, 2022
Related Publication 20240326599A1 · Oct 3, 2024
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