# US 10,864,995 B2 · Hybrid auxiliary power unit for aircraft > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,864,995 B2 - Document ID: US10864995B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/927,241 - Filed: 2018-03-21 - Published: 2018-09-27 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-21 - Assignees: Textron Innovations Inc. - Applicants: Textron Aviation Inc. - Inventors: Vernon Weng-Yew Chang; Charles Bernard Beuning; Adam Blake Wolfe - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864995B2 ## CPC - B64D 41/00: Power installations for auxiliary purposes - B64D 13/06: the air being conditioned (pressurising B64D13/02) - B64D 45/00: Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for - B64F 5/40: Maintaining or repairing aircraft - B64F 5/60: Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems - G01F 9/001: {with electric, electro-mechanic or electronic means (G01F9/008 and G01F9/02 take precedence)} - G05D 1/0011: {associated with a remote control arrangement} - G07C 5/008: {communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C)} - H01M 50/204: Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells - H01M 50/249: specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains (constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64) - H01M 50/569: Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals (battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364) - H02J 1/001: {Hot plugging or unplugging of load or power modules to or from power distribution networks} - H02J 1/10: Parallel operation of DC sources - H02J 7/1423: {with multiple batteries} - H02M 7/44: by static converters - B64D 2013/0611: {combined with auxiliary power units (APU's)} - B64D 2041/002: {Mounting arrangements for auxiliary power units (APU's)} - B64D 2045/0085: {Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration} - B64D 2221/00: Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft - H01M 10/425: {Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing (printed circuits H05K1/00)} - H01M 2010/4271: {Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing} - H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane - H02J 2105/32: {for aircrafts} - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02T 50/40: Weight reduction - Y02T 50/50: On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - B64F: GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING OR REPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The APU of claim 1, wherein the APU is operable independently from cockpit preset instructions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The APU of claim 1, wherein the APU is operated manually to power subsystems that are manually controlled independently of the integrated controller. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The APU of claim 1, wherein the APU operates remotely without an operator in attendance at the aircraft. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The APU of claim 1, wherein the APU operates without producing air pollution. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The APU of claim 1, wherein electrical power is directed via the integrated controller from the APU to one or more of the aircraft subsystems during an emergency or unexpected loss of an electrical power source. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The APU of claim 1, wherein the integrated controller determines an amount of time and operating profile for preconditioning a cabin of the aircraft based on an available charge capacity of the one or more battery modules, an outside air temperature, a current temperature of the cabin, a target temperature for the cabin, and a target time for reaching the target temperature. ### Claim 8 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. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The remotely operated system of claim 8, wherein the APU provides electrical power to the integrated controller. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The remotely operated system of claim 8, wherein the APU and the integrated controller are located onboard the aircraft. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The remotely operated system of claim 8, wherein the APU produces sound and pollution at lower levels than are produced by a gas-powered APU and the APU is operable without personnel an operator in attendance. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The remotely operated system of claim 8, wherein the integrated controller provides a preconditioning profile for adjusting a temperature onboard the aircraft based on a current temperature, an outside air temperature, a target temperature, a target time to reach the target temperature, and a state-of-charge of the APU. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The remotely operated system of claim 12, wherein the target temperature and the target time are received at the integrated controller via the remote user-interface device. ### Claim 14 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. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more battery modules are electrically coupled to an engine starter-generator via the electrical bus junction box. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the integrated controller regulates output voltage during charging of the one or more battery modules to prevent excessive current and subsequent overheating of the engine starter-generator. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the APU provides electrical current to reduce a load of the engine starter-generator during critical flight stages. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the integrated controller determines when the main battery is depleted and recharges the main battery from the one or more battery modules of the APU. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the integrated controller preheats the main battery by discharging the one or more battery modules of the APU to power a battery heater.