# US 11,308,817 B2 · Optimisation method

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- Number: US 11,308,817 B2
- Document ID: US11308817B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/739,614
- Filed: 2020-01-10
- Published: 2020-07-16
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2019-01-14
- Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
- Applicants: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
- Inventors: Andrew R Mills; Maszatul M Mansor; Derek S Wall
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11308817B2

## CPC

- G08G 5/34: for flight plan modification
- H04L 41/0823: characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability (for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02)
- G08G 5/21: located onboard the aircraft
- G08G 5/26: Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations
- G08G 5/32: for flight plan preparation
- G08G 5/53: for cruising
- G08G 5/55: for a single aircraft
- H04L 41/0833: for reduction of network energy consumption
- G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93})
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A computer-implemented method of optimizing the performance of a reconfigurable power system is provided. The method comprises the steps of: receiving an operating profile for the power system; partitioning the operating profile into a plurality of sub-phases; performing a coarse optimisation routine of the power system over each sub-phase of the operating profile to derive a respective coarsely optimised configuration of the power system; performing a fine optimisation routine of each coarsely optimised configuration over its respective sub-phase of the operating profile to derive a respective finely optimised configuration for that sub-phase; and defining settings of the power system to implement the finely optimised configurations thereon.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method of optimizing performance of a reconfigurable power system, comprising the steps of:
receiving an operating profile for the reconfigurable power system;
partitioning the operating profile into a plurality of sub-phases;
performing a coarse optimisation routine of the power system over each sub-phase of the operating profile to derive a respective coarsely optimised configuration of the power system, wherein the coarse optimisation routine includes the steps of:
(a) estimating, for each sub-phase under consideration, a value of an output parameter to be optimised by varying control parameters of the power system,
(b) ranking each sub-phase under consideration based on the estimated value, and determining a highest ranking sub-phase,
(c) fixing those control parameters of the power system which allowed the power system to achieve the estimated value of the output parameter for the highest ranking sub-phase,
(d) removing the highest ranking sub-phase from consideration, and
(e) repeating steps (a)-(d) in order to fix control parameters of the power system in respect of sub-phases remaining under consideration;
performing a fine optimisation routine of each coarsely optimised configuration over its respective sub-phase of the operating profile to derive a respective finely optimised configuration for that sub-phase;
defining settings of the power system to implement the finely optimised configurations thereon; and
controlling the reconfigurable power system to perform the finely optimised configurations.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein in step (c) a control parameter fixed for the highest ranking sub-phase imposes a constraint on a control parameter of one or more other sub-phases under consideration such that the value of the constrained control parameter is fixed for those sub-phases.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein constraints imposed on the sub-phases for the coarse optimisation routine are imposed on the sub-phases for the fine optimisation routine.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, also comprising a step, performed before partitioning the operating profile, of receiving a condition of the power system and determining, based on the operating profile and the condition of the power system, whether a goal of the operating profile can be achieved.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein determining whether the goal of the operating profile can be achieved includes determining whether power available within the power system is sufficient to achieve the goal of the operating profile.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein if the determination is that the power available is insufficient, one or more loads on the system are disengaged based on predetermined priority levels of the loads.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein determining whether the goal of the operating profile can be achieved includes deriving an initial configuration of control parameters of the power system which allows the goal to be achieved, and wherein this initial configuration is the subject of the coarse optimisation routine.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the coarse optimisation routine uses a set of heuristic optimisation rules.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the fine optimisation routine uses either a deterministic heuristic method; a stochastic heuristic method; or a hybrid thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein partitioning the operating profile is based on any one or more of: a power demand tolerance; an environment allowance; an operation phase; component health information; and an availability of one or more energy storage components.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the reconfigurable power system is a reconfigurable power system in a vehicle, and wherein the operating profile is a mission profile for the vehicle.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A flight management computer configured to perform the computer-implemented method of claim 11.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

An aircraft including the flight management computer of claim 12.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

A procedure of operating a reconfigurable power system, the procedure comprising the steps of:
performing the computer-implemented method of claim 1 to optimize the performance of the reconfigurable power system; and
operating the reconfigurable power system to perform the operating profile.
