Systems and methods for aircraft propulsion
A flotation system for an aircraft that includes a battery system providing power to the aircraft is presented. The flotation system can include a water propulsion system enables maneuvering of the aircraft, such as a seaplane, on the surface of water. The system can include waterjets located on floats of the aircraft that enable maneuvering of the aircraft in forward, backward, and lateral directions as well as rotational motion. The systems are quieter in operation than the main engine of the aircraft and provide precision maneuvering for docking or active stabilization of the aircraft's position.
1 . A aircraft control system for controlling propulsion of an aircraft comprising:
an aircraft having a fuselage, a flight control system, a flight propulsion system for propelled airborne flight, an electronic controller and a flotation system having a flotation surface attached to the fuselage, or wherein the flotation surface further comprises a float attached to the fuselage, or a combination thereof; and
a battery system within the flotation system, the battery system being electrically connected to a water propulsion system within the flotation system.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the water propulsion system comprises a first electric motor connected to a battery of the battery system and further comprising a power management system that controls delivery of electrical power to the water propulsion system.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the power management system is connected to the battery in the float that includes a first float and a second float attached to the fuselage, and wherein the battery further comprises a first battery in the first float and a second battery in the second float.
4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a cockpit in the aircraft wherein a pilot operates the flight control system and further comprising a manual controller in the cockpit for operating the water propulsion system, the manual controller being connected to the electronic controller.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft comprises an autonomous vehicle.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft comprises one or more wings having flight control surfaces operative in response to the flight control system and one or more batteries providing electrical power to the aircraft.
7 . The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic controller is mounted to the aircraft and controls operation of the water propulsion system that includes a water jet propulsion device that propels the aircraft on the water surface.
8 . The system of claim 7 wherein the battery system further comprises one or more batteries that provide power to at least the water propulsion system and a power management system that controls delivery of electrical power to the water propulsion system, the power management system connected to a first battery in a first float and a second battery in a second float.
9 . The system of claim 1 wherein the flotation surface comprises a first float and a second float, each float being attached to the aircraft fuselage wherein the flotation surface comprises a first float flotation surface on the first float and a second float flotation surface on the second float.
10 . The system of claim 9 wherein the water propulsion device comprises a first electric motor that drives a first waterjet mounted to the first float and a second electric motor that drives a second water jet connected to the second float, the first electric motor and the second electric motor being controlled by the electronic controller and wherein a first electric motor controller connected to the first electric motor and a second electric motor controller connected to the second electric motor, each electric motor controller being connected to the electronic controller.
11 . The system of claim 10 wherein each waterjet further comprises a nozzle wherein water is propelled through the nozzle and wherein each nozzle configured to rotate by operation of a nozzle actuator relative to a respective waterjet axis in response to a control signal from the electronic controller.
12 . The system of claim 1 wherein the aircraft comprises one or more wings having flight control surfaces operative in response to the flight control system and a fuel tank that supplies fuel to an aircraft engine.
13 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a wireless communication system mounted to the aircraft wherein the wireless communication system is connected to the electronic controller such that the water propulsion system is operative in response to a remote control signal received by the wireless communication system.
14 . The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic controller has a first operating mode without operation of an aircraft engine of the aircraft such that the aircraft is propelled across the water surface solely by the water propulsion system and wherein the electronic controller has a second operating mode to control the water propulsion system during takeoff of the aircraft from the water surface and wherein the electronic controller has a third operating mode to control the water propulsion system to actively stabilize a position of the aircraft on the water surface.
15 . The system of claim 1 further comprising an aircraft position sensor that generates aircraft position data received by the electronic controller that actuates the water propulsion system to control a position of the aircraft on a water surface or further comprising a sensor that senses a condition of the water propulsion system or further comprising a battery sensor that senses a condition of a battery in the battery system that provides power to the water propulsion system or wherein the battery sensor comprises a temperature sensor.
16 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a non-volatile memory that stores a plurality of executable instructions configured to operate the electronic controller.
17 . The system of claim 1 wherein the aircraft comprises a cockpit having a flight control panel with at least one display configured to operate a graphic user interface wherein the at least one display is connected to the electronic controller to receive water propulsion data that is displayed on the at least one display and wherein the flight control system is electrically connected to the electronic controller.
18 . The system of claim 1 wherein the water propulsion system for the aircraft further comprises a reverse deflector to reverse a direction of thrust by the water propulsion system, the reverse deflector being actuated by a motor that is connected to an encoder, the flotation surface comprising at least one float having a battery within the battery system that provides power to the water propulsion system, the electronic controller including a float control unit in the at least one float and wherein a further battery is mounted in the fuselage, the battery, when installed, lowering a center of gravity of the aircraft wherein the battery is connected to a battery management system that is connected to a battery charging port connector on the float or the fuselage to connect to an external power source, and wherein the battery comprises a first battery module and a second battery module wherein each battery module is connected to the battery management system that further comprises a battery management circuit connected to a float control circuit in the float control unit wherein the battery modules are positioned along a float longitudinal axis on opposite sides of the water propulsion system in the at least one float and wherein the battery modules are mounted on a float frame such that mounting positions of the battery modules are adjustable to define a float center of gravity of the at least one float.
19 . The system of claim 18 wherein the float control circuit generates telemetry data for the float wherein the telemetry data includes an amount of battery power and a temperature of the battery, and further includes nozzle position data, and reverse deflector position data.
20 . A aircraft control system for controlling propulsion of an aircraft comprising:
an aircraft having a fuselage, a flight control system, a propulsion system for propelled airborne flight, an electronic controller and a flotation system having a flotation surface wherein the aircraft includes one or more wings having a flight control surface operative in response to the flight control system; and
a battery system within the flotation system and electrically connected to the propulsion system to provide electrical power to the aircraft.
21 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the propulsion system comprises a first electric motor connected to a battery of the battery system and further comprising a power management system that controls delivery of electrical power to the propulsion system.
22 . The system of claim 20 , further comprising a power management system in the flotation system that is connected to a first battery of the battery system in a first float and a second battery of the battery system in a second float.
23 . The system of claim 20 , further comprising a cockpit in the aircraft wherein a pilot operates the flight control system for the propulsion system that controls flight of the aircraft and further comprising a manual controller in the cockpit for operating a water propulsion system, the manual controller being connected to the electronic controller.
24 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the aircraft comprises an autonomous vehicle.
25 . The system of claim 20 , further comprising:
a water propulsion system connected to the aircraft to propel the aircraft across a water surface, the water propulsion system connected to the electronic controller mounted to the aircraft that controls operation of a water jet propulsion device of the water propulsion system that propels the aircraft on the water surface.
26 . The system of claim 25 wherein the water propulsion device comprises a first electric motor that drives a first waterjet mounted to a first float and a second electric motor that drives a second waterjet connected to a second float, the first electric motor and the second electric motor being controlled by the electronic controller and wherein a first electric motor controller is connected to the first electric motor and a second electric motor controller is connected to the second electric motor, each electric motor controller being connected to the electronic controller.
27 . The system of claim 26 wherein each waterjet further comprises a nozzle wherein water is propelled through the nozzle and wherein each nozzle is configured to rotate, by operation of a nozzle actuator relative to a respective waterjet axis, in response to a control signal from the electronic controller.
28 . The system of claim 25 wherein the water propulsion system for the aircraft further comprises a reverse deflector to reverse a direction of thrust by the water propulsion system, the reverse deflector being actuated by a motor that is connected to an encoder, the flotation surface comprising at least one float having a battery of the battery system that provides power to the water propulsion system, the electronic controller including a float control unit in the at least one float and wherein a further battery is mounted in the fuselage, the battery in the at least one float, when installed, lowering a center of gravity of the aircraft wherein the battery in the at least one float is connected to a battery management system that is connected to a battery charging port connector on the at least one float or the fuselage to connect to an external power source, and the battery in the at least one float comprises a first battery module and a second battery module wherein each battery module is connected to the battery management system having a battery management circuit connected to a float control circuit in the float control unit wherein the battery modules are positioned along a float longitudinal axis on opposite sides of the water propulsion system and wherein the battery modules are mounted on a float frame such that mounting positions of the battery modules are adjustable to define a center of gravity of the at least one float.
29 . The system of claim 28 wherein the float control circuit generates telemetry data for the float wherein the telemetry data includes an amount of battery power and a temperature of the battery, and further includes nozzle position data, and reverse deflector position data.
30 . The system of claim 20 wherein the flotation surface comprises a first float and a second float, each float being attached to the aircraft fuselage wherein the flotation surface comprises a first float flotation surface on the first float and a second float flotation surface on the second float.
31 . The system of claim 20 wherein the aircraft comprises a fuel tank that supplies fuel to the aircraft engine.
32 . The system of claim 20 wherein the battery system further comprises one or more batteries that provide power to at least a water propulsion system and a power management system that controls delivery of electrical power to the water propulsion system, the power management system connected to a first battery in a first float and a second battery in a second float.
33 . The system of claim 20 further comprising a wireless communication system mounted to the aircraft wherein the wireless communication system is connected to the electronic controller such that the water propulsion system is operative in response to a remote control signal received by the wireless communication system.
34 . The system of claim 20 wherein the electronic controller has a first operating mode without operation of an aircraft engine of the aircraft such that the aircraft is propelled across the water surface solely by a water propulsion system and wherein the electronic controller has a second operating mode to control the water propulsion system during takeoff of the aircraft from the water surface and wherein the electronic controller has a third operating mode to control the water propulsion system to actively stabilize a position of the aircraft on a water surface.
35 . The system of claim 20 further comprising an aircraft position sensor that generates aircraft position data received by the electronic controller that actuates a water propulsion system to control a position of the aircraft on a water surface or further comprising a sensor that senses a condition of the water propulsion system or further comprising a battery sensor that senses a condition of a battery of the battery system that provides power to the water propulsion system or wherein the battery sensor comprises a temperature sensor.
36 . The system of claim 20 further comprising a non-volatile memory that stores a plurality of executable instructions configured to operate the electronic controller.
37 . The system of claim 20 wherein the aircraft comprises a cockpit having a flight control panel with at least one display configured to operate a graphic user interface wherein the at least one display is connected to the electronic controller to receive water propulsion data that is displayed on the at least one display and wherein the flight control system is electrically connected to the electronic controller.