# US 11,444,301 B2 · Power supply device, flying tool using same and power supply method thereof

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,444,301 B2
- Document ID: US11444301B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/562,901
- Filed: 2019-09-06
- Published: 2020-03-12
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2018-09-06
- Assignees: Industrial Technology Research Institute
- Applicants: Industrial Technology Research Institute
- Inventors: Yuh-Fwu Chou; Ho-Cheng Lin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11444301B2

## CPC

- H01M 8/04888: {of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors}
- H01M 8/04302: applied during start-up
- H01M 8/04895: {Current}
- H01M 16/006: {of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries}
- B60L 3/0046: {relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors}
- B60L 3/0053: {relating to fuel cells}
- B60L 50/75: using propulsion power supplied by both fuel cells and batteries
- B60L 58/40: for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
- B60L 2200/10: Air crafts
- H01M 2250/20: Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
- H02J 2101/30: Fuel cells
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- 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
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A power supply device disposed on an aircraft to provide a power to the aircraft is provided. The aircraft has an average required power value. The power supply device includes a secondary battery, a transformer and a fuel cell. The transformer is coupled between the secondary battery and the aircraft. The fuel cell is coupled to the aircraft and is adapted to provide a first output current to the aircraft. The transformer has an output voltage set value. When the first output end voltage of the fuel cell is lower than the output voltage set value, the transformer provides a second output current of the secondary battery to the aircraft. The output voltage set value is in a voltage range with a fuel cell output power between the maximum power value of characteristic curve of the fuel cell and the average required power value of the aircraft.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A power supply device disposed on an aircraft to provide a power to the aircraft, wherein the aircraft has an average required power value, and the power supply device comprises:
a secondary battery;
a first transformer coupled between the secondary battery and the aircraft; and
a fuel cell coupled to the aircraft and adapted to provide a first output current to the aircraft;
wherein the first transformer has an output voltage set value, and provides a second output current of the secondary battery to the aircraft when a first output end voltage of the fuel cell is lower than the output voltage set value; wherein the output voltage set value is in a voltage range with a fuel cell output power between the maximum power value of a characteristic curve of the fuel cell and the average required power value of the aircraft;
wherein the power supply device further comprises a switch coupled between an output end of the secondary battery and an output end of the fuel cell, and the switch is connected and causes the fuel cell to charge the secondary battery when the first output end voltage is equivalent to or higher than a second output end voltage at the output end of the secondary battery.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein when the aircraft is in a start-up stage, the fuel cell does not provide current to the aircraft but the secondary battery provides the second output current to the aircraft.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein when the first output end voltage provided by the fuel cell is not lower than the output voltage set value, the secondary battery does not provide a current to the aircraft.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein when the first output end voltage at the output end of the fuel cell is higher than the second output end voltage at the output end of the secondary battery, the fuel cell charges the secondary battery.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein when a SOC of the secondary battery reaches a pre-set capacity, the switch is disconnected and causes the fuel cell to stop charging the secondary battery.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein when the first output end voltage of the fuel cell is equivalent to or lower than the output voltage set value, the secondary battery provides the second output current, and the fuel cell provides the first output current to the aircraft.

### Claim 7

A power supply device disposed on an aircraft to provide a power to the aircraft, wherein the aircraft has an average required power value, and the power supply device comprises:
a secondary battery;
a first transformer coupled between the secondary battery and the aircraft; and
a fuel cell coupled to the aircraft and adapted to provide a first output current to the aircraft;
wherein the first transformer has an output voltage set value, and provides a second output current of the secondary battery to the aircraft when a first output end voltage of the fuel cell is lower than the output voltage set value;
wherein the output voltage set value is in a voltage range with a fuel cell output power between the maximum power value of a characteristic curve of the fuel cell and the average required power value of the aircraft;
wherein the power supply device further comprises:
a second transformer coupled between the fuel cell and the secondary battery, wherein the second transformer has an input voltage set value higher than the output voltage set value of the first transformer;
wherein when the first output end voltage of the fuel cell is equivalent to or higher than the input voltage set value, the fuel cell charges the secondary battery.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The power supply device according to claim 7, wherein when a SOC of the secondary battery is lower than a first pre-set capacity, the output voltage set value of the first transformer decreases; when the SOC of the secondary battery is higher than a second pre-set capacity, the input voltage set value of the second transformer increases; the second pre-set capacity is higher than the first pre-set capacity.

### Claim 9

A flying tool, comprising: an aircraft having an average required power value; and
a power supply device disposed on the aircraft to provide a power to the aircraft and comprising:
a secondary battery;
a first transformer coupled between the secondary battery and the aircraft; and
a fuel cell coupled to the aircraft and adapted to provide a first output current to the aircraft;
wherein the first transformer has an output voltage set value, and provides a second output current of the secondary battery to the aircraft when a first output end voltage of the fuel cell is lower than the output voltage set value;
wherein the output voltage set value is in a voltage range with a fuel cell output power between the maximum power value of a characteristic curve of the fuel cell and the average required power value of the aircraft;
wherein the power supply device further comprises a switch coupled between an output end of the secondary battery and an output end of the fuel cell, and the switch is connected and causes the fuel cell to charge the secondary battery when the first output end voltage is equivalent to or higher than a second output end voltage at the output end of the secondary battery.

### Claim 10

A power supply method of a power supply device, wherein the power supply device is disposed on an aircraft and comprises a secondary battery, a first transformer and a fuel cell; the secondary battery is coupled to the aircraft through the first transformer having an output voltage set value; the power supply method comprises:
providing a first output current to the aircraft by the fuel cell; and
providing a second output current of the secondary battery to the aircraft by the first transformer when a first output end voltage of the fuel cell is lower than the output voltage set value;
wherein the output voltage set value is in a voltage range with a fuel cell output power between the maximum power value of a characteristic curve of the fuel cell and the average required power value of the aircraft;
wherein the power supply device further comprises a switch coupled between an output end of the secondary battery and an output end of the fuel cell, and the power supply method further comprises:
connecting the switch and causing the fuel cell to charge the secondary battery when the first output end voltage is equivalent to or higher than a second output end voltage at the output end of the secondary battery.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The power supply method according to claim 10, further comprising:
not providing current to the aircraft by the secondary battery when the first output end voltage provided by the fuel cell is not lower than the output voltage set value.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The power supply method according to claim 10, further comprising:
charging the secondary battery by the fuel cell when the first output end voltage at the output end of the fuel cell is higher than the second output end voltage at the output end of the secondary battery.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The power supply method according to claim 10, further comprising:
disconnecting the switch and causing the fuel cell to stop charging the secondary battery when a SOC of the secondary battery reaches a pre-set capacity.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The power supply method according to claim 10, further comprising:
providing the second output current by the secondary battery when the first output end voltage of the fuel cell is equivalent to or lower than the output voltage set value and concurrently providing the first output current to the aircraft by the fuel cell.

### Claim 15

A power supply method of a power supply device, wherein the power supply device is disposed on an aircraft and comprises a secondary battery, a first transformer and a fuel cell; the secondary battery is coupled to the aircraft through the first transformer having an output voltage set value; the power supply method comprises:
providing a first output current to the aircraft by the fuel cell; and
providing a second output current of the secondary battery to the aircraft by the first transformer when a first output end voltage of the fuel cell is lower than the output voltage set value;
wherein the output voltage set value is in a voltage range with a fuel cell output power between the maximum power value of a characteristic curve of the fuel cell and the average required power value of the aircraft;
wherein the power supply device further comprises a second transformer having an input voltage set value higher than the output voltage set value of the first transformer; the power supply method further comprising:
charging the secondary battery by the fuel cell when the first output end voltage of the fuel cell is equivalent to or higher than the input voltage set value.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The power supply method according to claim 15, further comprising:
decreasing the output voltage set value of the first transformer when a SOC of the secondary battery is lower than a first pre-set capacity;
increasing the input voltage set value of the second transformer when the SOC of the secondary battery is higher than a second pre-set capacity;
wherein the second pre-set capacity is higher than the first pre-set capacity.