# US 11,027,719 B2 · Distributed power generation for a vehicle system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,027,719 B2 - Document ID: US11027719B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/207,604 - Filed: 2018-12-03 - Published: 2020-06-04 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-03 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Christian Xavier Stevenson; Brandon Wayne Miller; Christopher James Kroger; Patrick Michael Marrinan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027719B2 ## CPC - B60L 58/21: having the same nominal voltage - B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators - B60L 53/65: involving identification of vehicles or their battery types - H02P 9/14: by variation of field (H02P9/08, H02P9/10 take precedence) - B60L 2200/10: Air crafts - B60L 2220/42: with use of more than one motor - Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A method and system for distributed power generation is provided. The method includes determining an operational cycle for the system; determining an average energy requirement of the system based on the operational cycle; configuring a plurality of energy sources each corresponding to the load device to produce a peak efficiency corresponding to the average energy requirement of the system; and coupling the energy source to provide energy to the load device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for distributed power generation in a system, the method comprising: determining an operational cycle for the system comprising determining a first operational cycle relative to a first load device and determining a second operational cycle relative to a second load device; determining an average energy requirement of the system based on the operational cycle; configuring a plurality of energy sources corresponding to each of the first load device and the second load device to produce a peak efficiency corresponding to the average energy requirement of the system; and coupling the plurality of energy sources to provide energy to the first and second load devices. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: distributing energy from the plurality of energy sources to the first and second load devices. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein distributing energy from the plurality of energy sources to the first and second load devices includes distributing energy at the peak efficiency corresponding to the average energy requirement for the system based on the first and second operational cycles. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first load device comprises an average power requirement between 50% and 85% of a maximum power requirement of the system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a first average energy requirement corresponding to the first operational cycle of the first load device; and determining a second average energy requirement corresponding to the second operational cycle of the second load device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising: configuring a first energy source of the plurality of energy sources to produce a first peak efficiency corresponding to the first average energy requirement; and configuring a second energy source of the plurality of energy sources to produce a second peak efficiency corresponding to the second average energy requirement. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein coupling the plurality of energy sources to the first and second load devices includes coupling the first energy source of the plurality of energy sources to the first load device, the first load device decoupled from the second energy source of the plurality of energy sources, the second energy source of the plurality of energy sources coupled to the second load device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining an overall power requirement of the system. ### Claim 9 A system for power distribution in a vehicle, the system comprising: a first energy source coupled to a first load device, wherein the first load device defines a first operational cycle, and wherein the first energy source defines a peak efficiency corresponding to the first operational cycle of the first load device; and a second energy source coupled to a second load device, wherein the second load device defines a second operational cycle, and wherein the second energy source defines a peak efficiency corresponding to the second operational cycle of the second load device; wherein the first energy source and the second energy source are each configured to produce a peak efficiency corresponding to an average energy requirement of the system based on an overall power requirement of the system; wherein the first load device and the second load device each comprise a propulsion system; and wherein the second load device defines a second average power requirement specific to providing forward thrust of the system corresponding to a cruise condition. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the first energy source is coupled to the first load device, the first energy source being electrically de-coupled from the second load device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, further comprising: a third energy source coupled to a third load device, wherein the third load device defines a third operational cycle, and wherein the third energy source defines a peak efficiency corresponding to the third operational cycle of the third load device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the first load device defines a first average power requirement specific to providing vertical liftoff and landing of the system corresponding to a takeoff condition. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the third load device comprises one or more of an avionics system or a cabin control system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the first load device comprises a first average power requirement between 50% and 85% of a maximum power requirement of the system, wherein the system defines the maximum power requirement based at least on a sum of the first and second average power requirements of the first and second load devices. ### Claim 15 A system for power distribution in a vehicle, the system comprising: a first energy source coupled to a first load device, wherein the first load device defines a first operational cycle, and wherein the first energy source defines a peak efficiency corresponding to the first operational cycle of the first load device; a second energy source coupled to a second load device, wherein the second load device defines a second operational cycle, and wherein the second energy source defines a peak efficiency corresponding to the second operational cycle of the second load device; and a third energy source coupled to a third load device, wherein the third load device defines a third operational cycle, and wherein the third energy source defines a peak efficiency corresponding to the third operational cycle of the third load device; and wherein the first energy source and the second energy source are each configured to produce a peak efficiency corresponding to an average energy requirement of the system based on an overall power requirement of the system. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the third load device comprises one or more of an avionics system or a cabin control system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein each of the first and second load devices is coupled to two or fewer of the first and second energy sources. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the first and second energy sources are coupled in a serial arrangement to the first and second load devices. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the first and second energy sources are coupled in a parallel arrangement to the first and second load devices. ### Claim 20 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle comprises one or more of a land-based vehicle, a sea-based vehicle, or an aircraft.