Hybrid auxiliary power unit for aircraft
AssigneeTextron Innovations Inc.
InventorsVernon Weng-Yew Chang, Charles Bernard Beuning, Adam Blake Wolfe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An auxiliary power unit (APU) for aircraft is provided. The APU includes one or more battery modules for storing electrical power and an integrated controller adapted to operate the one or more battery modules for electrically powering aircraft subsystems for preflight readiness. A remote interface is communicatively coupled with the integrated controller and is adapted for displaying data from the APU and for receiving user instructions for transmission to the integrated controller for governing flow of electrical current between the APU and the aircraft subsystems.
Claims19
An auxiliary power unit (APU) for an aircraft, comprising:
- one or more battery modules for storing electrical power;
- and
- an integrated controller adapted to operate the one or more battery modules for electrically powering aircraft subsystems for preflight readiness,
- wherein the integrated controller is adapted to receive instructions remotely via a mobile device, and the APU provides non-essential power for responding to incoming status requests and commands from the mobile device.
A remotely operated system for preflight preparation of an aircraft, comprising:
- a plurality of preconditioning subsystems for preconditioning the aircraft in preparation for a flight;
- an auxiliary power unit (APU) having one or more battery modules for storing electrical power, the APU being electrically coupled with the plurality of preconditioning subsystems;
- an integrated controller electrically and communicatively coupled with the APU and the plurality of preconditioning subsystems for monitoring the APU and the preconditioning subsystems and for controlling flow of electrical power between the APU and the preconditioning subsystems;
- and
- a remote user-interface device communicatively coupled with the integrated controller for displaying information from the APU and the plurality of aircraft preconditioning subsystems and for receiving user input for controlling the APU and the preconditioning subsystems.
A system for remotely operating an auxiliary power unit (APU) of an aircraft, comprising:
- the APU having one or more battery modules electrically coupled with a main battery, an electrical bus junction box, and an integrated controller;
- the integrated controller having a memory for storing software and a processor for executing instructions of the software, the integrated controller further comprising an input/output data bus for transmitting and receiving data with the APU, the main battery, and the electrical bus junction box;
- and
- a remote interface communicatively coupled with the integrated controller, wherein the remote interface is adapted for displaying data from the APU and the main battery and for receiving user instructions for transmission to the integrated controller for governing flow of electrical current between the APU and the main battery and the electrical bus junction box.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.