IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,614,771
Granted Patent B2
US 12,614,771 · App. 18/385,221 · Granted Apr 28, 2026

Electric aircraft battery pack and methods of use

Inventors: Braedon Lohe (Essex Junction, VT); Cullen Jemison (Winooski, VT); Andrew Giroux (Georgia, VT); Tom Hughes (South Burlington, VT)
Assignee: BETA AIR LLC
H01M10/482B64D27/34B64D27/357B64D31/16G01R31/3835G01R31/396H01M2220/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,614,771
App. No.
18/385,221
Granted
Apr 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electric aircraft battery pack that includes an integrated battery management component, which determines if a power supply connection between the battery pack and the electric aircraft should be terminated due to a failure, defect, or malfunction of the battery pack, such as a failure of a battery module of the battery pack.

Claims (41)

1 . A battery management component for an electric aircraft, the battery management component comprising:

a battery module configured to provide energy to an electric aircraft via a power supply connection;

a module monitor unit mechanically connected and communicatively connected to the battery module, wherein the module monitor unit is configured to transmit a measurement datum of the battery module;

a pack monitoring unit communicatively connected to the module monitor unit, wherein the pack monitoring unit comprises a controller configured to:

identify a byproduct of a battery module failure of the battery module as a function of the measurement datum, wherein the byproduct of the battery module failure is a gaseous discharge of at least one of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, and carbon monoxide,

determine an event element if the byproduct of the battery module failure are outside of a predetermined threshold, and

generate an action command if the event element is determined; and

a voltage disconnect communicatively connected to the battery module, wherein the voltage disconnect is configured to terminate a power supply connection between the battery module and the electric aircraft in response to receiving the action command from the pack monitoring unit.

2 . The battery management component of claim 1 , wherein the module monitor unit is further configured to provide load-sharing between a plurality of battery cells of the battery module during charging of the battery module.

3 . The battery management component of claim 1 , wherein the pack monitoring unit comprises a memory component configured to store the measurement datum from the module monitor unit.

4 . The battery management component of claim 1 , wherein the module monitor unit comprises a sensor configured to detect a condition characteristic of the battery module, wherein the module monitor unit is configured to generate the measurement datum as a function of the condition characteristic.

5 . The battery management component of claim 1 , wherein the battery module comprises a battery cell.

6 . The battery management component of claim 1 , wherein battery management component comprises a plurality of pack monitoring units, wherein the pack monitoring units are physically isolated from each other for redundancy.

7 . A method of battery pack management, the method comprising:

providing a battery management component for an electric aircraft, the battery management component comprising:

a battery module configured to provide energy to an electric aircraft via a power supply connection;

a module monitor unit mechanically connected and communicatively connected to the battery module, wherein the module monitor unit is configured to transmit a measurement datum of the battery module, and

a pack monitoring unit communicatively connected to the module monitor unit, wherein the pack monitoring unit comprises a controller;

identifying, by the controller, a byproduct of a battery module failure of the battery module as a function of the measurement datum, wherein the byproduct of the battery module failure is a gaseous discharge of at least one of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, and carbon monoxide;

determining, by the controller, an event element if the byproduct of the battery module failure are outside of a predetermined threshold; and

generating, by the controller, an action command if the event element is determined,

terminating, by a voltage disconnect, a power supply connection between the battery module and the electric aircraft in response to receiving the action command from the pack monitoring unit.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the module monitor unit is further configured to provide load-sharing between a plurality of battery cells of the battery module during charging of the battery module.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the pack monitoring unit comprises a memory component configured to store the measurement datum from the module monitor unit.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the module monitor unit comprises a sensor configured to detect a condition characteristic of the battery module, wherein the module monitor unit is configured to generate the measurement datum as a function of the condition characteristic.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the battery module comprises a battery cell.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein battery management component comprises a plurality of pack monitoring units, wherein the pack monitoring units are physically isolated from each other for redundancy.

13 . A battery management component for an electric aircraft, the battery management component comprising:

a battery module configured to provide energy to an electric aircraft via a power supply connection;

a module monitor unit mechanically connected and communicatively connected to the battery module, wherein the module monitor unit is configured to transmit a measurement datum of the battery module;

a pack monitoring unit communicatively connected to the module monitor unit, wherein the pack monitoring unit includes a controller configured to:

identify a byproduct of a battery module failure of the battery module as a function of the measurement datum, wherein byproduct of the battery module failure is at least one of aqueous alkaline solution, ionomer, and liquid electrolytes with redox shuttle and ionomer,

determine an event element if the byproduct of the battery module failure are outside of a predetermined threshold, and

generate an action command if the event element is determined; and

a voltage disconnect communicatively connected to the battery module, wherein the voltage disconnect is configured to terminate a power supply connection between the battery module and the electric aircraft in response to receiving the action command from the pack monitoring unit.

14 . The battery management component of claim 13 , wherein the module monitor unit is further configured to provide load-sharing between a plurality of battery cells of the battery module during charging of the battery module.

15 . The battery management component of claim 13 , wherein the pack monitoring unit comprises a memory component configured to store the measurement datum from the module monitor unit.

16 . The battery management component of claim 13 , wherein the module monitor unit comprises a sensor configured to detect a condition characteristic of the battery module, wherein the module monitor unit is configured to generate the measurement datum as a function of the condition characteristic.

17 . The battery management component of claim 13 , wherein the battery module comprises a battery cell.

18 . The battery management component of claim 13 , wherein battery management component includes a plurality of pack monitoring units, wherein the pack monitoring units are physically isolated from each other for redundancy.

19 . The battery management component of claim 13 , wherein byproduct of the battery module failure further includes a gaseous discharge of at least one of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, and carbon monoxide.

Continuity (2)
Continuation 17529653 · Nov 18, 2021
Related Publication 20240061051A1 · Feb 22, 2024
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