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US 11,967,818 B1Granted
Tiered electronic protection systems for aerial vehicles
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsLizon Maharjan, Frederic Pierre Lacaux, Dean Joseph Brestel, Xiaoqi Wang, Andrew Lueneburg, Marc Ian Feifel
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Abstract
Described are systems and methods for monitoring, detecting, and/or protecting various systems of an aerial vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Embodiments of the present disclosure can provide a multi-tiered system to provide monitoring, detection, and/or initiation of protection protocols in response to detected faults in connection with the electronics associated with UAV systems, such as the motor drive and/or control systems that may drive the propulsion systems of the UAV.
Claims20
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
- a plurality of propulsion mechanisms;
- and
- a motor drive and control system associated with and configured to drive a respective one of the plurality of propulsion mechanisms, each motor drive and control system including:
- a direct current (DC) portion electrically coupled to an alternating current (AC) portion, wherein the AC portion generates a three-phase signal to drive the respective one of the plurality of propulsion mechanisms;
- an AC high-threshold overcurrent protection mechanism configured to monitor currents associated with each phase of the three-phase signal and trigger a high-threshold overcurrent fault condition based at least in part on the monitored currents associated with each phase of the three-phase signal;
- an AC low-threshold overcurrent protection mechanism configured to monitor the currents associated with each phase of the three-phase signal and trigger a low-threshold overcurrent fault condition based at least in part on the monitored currents associated with each phase of the three-phase signal;
- a first ground fault protection mechanism configured to monitor a DC positive current and a DC negative current and trigger a first ground fault condition based at least in part on the monitored DC positive current and the DC negative current;
- a second ground fault protection mechanism configured to monitor the DC positive current and the currents associated with each phase of the three-phase signal and trigger a second ground fault condition based at least in part on the monitored DC positive current and the currents associated with each phase of the three-phase signal;
- a current imbalance protection mechanism configured to monitor the currents associated with each phase of the three-phase signal and trigger a current imbalance fault condition based at least in part on the monitored currents associated with each phase of the three-phase signal;
- a DC open protection mechanism configured to monitor a DC bus voltage and at least one of the DC positive current or the DC negative current and trigger a DC open fault condition based at least in part on the monitored DC bus voltage and the at least one of the DC positive current or the DC negative current;
- and
- a DC overcurrent protection mechanism configured to monitor the DC positive current and trigger a DC overcurrent fault condition based at least in part on the monitored at least one of the DC positive current.
9 more elements
A protection mechanism for a motor drive and control system, comprising:
- an alternating current (AC) high-threshold overcurrent protection mechanism configured to trigger a high-threshold overcurrent fault condition based at least in part on currents associated with each phase of a three-phase signal;
- an AC low-threshold overcurrent protection mechanism configured to trigger a low-threshold overcurrent fault condition based at least in part on the currents associated with each phase of the three-phase signal;
- and
- a current imbalance protection mechanism configured to trigger a current imbalance fault condition based at least in part on the currents associated with each phase of the three-phase signal.
1 more element
A protection mechanism for a motor drive and control system, comprising:
- a first ground fault protection mechanism configured to trigger a first ground fault condition based at least in part on a direct current (DC) positive current and a DC negative current;
- a second ground fault protection mechanism configured to trigger a second ground fault condition based at least in part on the DC positive current and currents associated with each phase of a three-phase signal;
- a DC open protection mechanism configured to trigger a DC open fault condition based at least in part on a DC bus voltage and at least one of the DC positive current or the DC negative current;
- and
- a DC overcurrent protection mechanism configured to trigger a DC overcurrent fault condition based at least in part on the DC positive current.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.