# US 12,006,048 B2 · Electric power system architecture and fault tolerant VTOL aircraft using same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,006,048 B2 - Document ID: US12006048B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/379,464 - Filed: 2021-07-19 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-31 - Assignees: Joby Aero, Inc. - Applicants: Joby Aero, Inc. - Inventors: JoeBen Bevirt; Alex Stoll; Martin van der Geest; Scott MacAfee; Jason Ryan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006048B2 ## CPC - B64C 29/0033: {the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage} - B60L 3/0092: {with use of redundant elements for safety purposes} - B60L 58/18: of two or more battery modules - B60L 58/22: Balancing the charge of battery modules - B64C 13/505: {having duplication or stand-by provisions} - B64C 25/24: electric - B64D 27/24: using steam or spring force (jet aircraft B64D27/16) - B64D 27/34: All-electric aircraft - B64D 27/357: using batteries - B64D 31/10: for preventing asymmetric thrust - B64D 31/12: for equalising or synchronising power plants - B60L 2200/10: Air crafts - B60L 2220/54: Windings for different functions - B64D 2221/00: Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft - Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft - B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS - 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 - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract The power system can include: a plurality of batteries, a plurality of electric propulsion units, flight computers, and power connections. The propulsion assemblies can include a motor, a propeller, and one or more inverters. The power system can optionally include a plurality of flight actuators. However, the power system can include any other suitable set of components. The power system functions to provide aircraft propulsion and/or aircraft control authority during flight. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electric aircraft comprising: a battery pair comprising a first and second battery; a first propulsion assembly comprising: a dual-wound electric motor comprising a first and second set of windings connected to the first and second batteries, respectively; and a propeller coupled to the dual-wound electric motor; a pair of control surfaces arranged on a first side of the mid-sagittal plane of the aircraft, the pair comprising a first and a second control surface; and a first and a second flight actuator electrically connected to the first and second batteries, respectively, wherein the first and second flight actuators are mechanically connected to the first and second control surfaces, respectively. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electric aircraft of claim 1, wherein the first flight actuator is not redundantly powered by the second battery. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electric aircraft of claim 2, wherein aircraft is configured to equilibrate a state of charge (SoC) of the first and second batteries based on a weighted power distribution of the first and second sets of windings. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electric aircraft of claim 1, further comprising a second and third propulsion assembly, each comprising a respective dual-wound electric motor and a respective propeller, the first and second batteries connected to a respective set of windings of the dual-wound electric motor of each of the second and third propulsion assemblies. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electric aircraft of claim 1; further comprising: a first motor inverter electrically coupled to the first set of windings and the first control surface; and a second motor inverter electrically coupled to the second set of windings, wherein the second battery is selectively connected to the first flight actuator in a propulsive mode of the second motor inverter and a regenerative mode of the first motor inverter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electric aircraft of claim 1, wherein each battery of the battery pair is sized to be capable of independently powering the first propulsion assembly above a power threshold of the motor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electric aircraft of claim 1, wherein the first battery is arranged on the first side of the midsagittal plane and the second battery is arranged on a second side of the midsagittal plane, opposite the first side. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electric aircraft of claim 1, wherein the first battery is arranged within an inboard portion of a wing of the aircraft, wherein the second battery is arranged within an outboard portion of the wing relative to the inboard portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The electric aircraft of claim 1, further comprising: a second battery pair comprising a third and fourth battery; a second propulsion assembly comprising: a second dual-wound electric motor comprising a third and fourth set of windings connected to the third and fourth batteries, respectively; and a propeller coupled to the dual-wound electric motor; a second pair of control surfaces comprising a third and a fourth control surface symmetrically opposing the first and second control surfaces across the midsagittal plane, respectively; and a third and a fourth flight actuator electrically connected to the third and fourth batteries and mechanically connected to the third and fourth control surfaces, respectively. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electric aircraft of claim 9, wherein during a failed state of the third actuator: the third control surface is in a deployed position, and the first actuator is configured to actuate the first control surface to mirrorhe deployed position of the third control surface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The electric aircraft of claim 9, wherein the electric aircraft comprises a plurality of propulsion assemblies comprising the first and second propulsion assemblies, wherein the electric aircraft is further configured to accommodate a failure state of the first propulsion assembly by: reducing a first power provision to the second propulsion assembly; and increasing a respective power provision to each of a remainder of the plurality of propulsion assemblies. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The electric aircraft of claim 9, further comprising: a fifth control surface adjacent to the first and second control u aces and arranged on a first side of the mid-sagittal plane; and a fifth flight actuator electrically connected to the third battery and mechanically connected to the fifth control surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The electric aircraft of claim 12, wherein the first, second, and third control surfaces are ruddervators. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The electric aircraft of claim 12, wherein the third battery is larger than the fourth battery, wherein the third battery symmetrically opposes the first battery across the midsagittal plane. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The electric aircraft of claim 1, wherein the first and second control surfaces are duplicative. ### Claim 16 A method comprising: determining a flight command for an electric aircraft, the electric aircraft comprising: a battery pair comprising a first and a second battery; and a propulsion assembly comprising a propeller coupled to a dual-wound motor, the dual wound motor having a first and a second set of windings connected to the first and second batteries of the battery pair, respectively; determining a battery state for each battery of the battery pair; determining a weighted power distribution relative to the battery states of the first and second batteries, the weighted power distribution comprising a first weight associated with the first battery and a second weight associated with the second battery; based on the flight command and the first weight, supplying power from the first battery to the first set of windings of a propulsion assembly of the plurality; while supplying power to the first set of windings, regeneratively harvesting power from the propeller at the second set of windings based on the second weight; and supplying the regeneratively harvested power to a first flight actuator. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the first and second batteries are arranged on opposing sides of a midsagittal plane of the electric aircraft and are asymmetric about the midsagittal plane. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the electric aircraft further comprises: a second flight actuator, wherein the second and first flight actuators are electrically connected to the first and second batteries, respectively; and a duplicative pair of control surfaces arranged on a first side of the mid-sagittal plane of the aircraft, the pair comprising a first and a second control surface, wherein the first and second flight actuators are mechanically connected to the first and second control surfaces, respectively. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising cooperatively actuating the duplicative pair of actuators based on a flight command. ### Claim 20 A method comprising: deter mining a flight command for an electric aircraft, the electric aircraft comprising: a battery pair comprising a first and a second battery; and a plurality of propulsion assemblies, each comprising a propeller coupled to a dual-wound motor, the dual wound motor having a first and a second set of windings connected to the first and second batteries of the battery pair, respectively; a pair of control surfaces arranged on a first side of the mid-sagittal plane of the aircraft, the pair comprising a first and a second control surface; and a first and a second flight actuator electrically connected to the first and second batteries, respectively, the first and second flight actuators mechanically connected to the first and second control surfaces, respectively; determining a battery state for each battery of the battery pair; based on the battery state, load balancing the battery pair, comprising: determining a weighted power distribution relative to the battery states of the first and second batteries, the weighted power distribution comprising a first weight associated with the first battery and a second weight associated with the second battery; and based on the flight command, supplying power to a propulsion assembly of the plurality based on the first and second weights. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein supplying power to the propulsion assembly comprises: based on the first weight, supplying power from e first battery to the first set of windings of a propulsion assembly of the plurality; while supplying power to the first set of windings, regeneratively harvesting power from the propeller at the second set of windings based on the second weight; and supplying the regeneratively harvested power to the second battery.