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US 12,679,574 B2Granted
Hybrid electric drive systems for unmanned aircraft systems
AssigneeDragoon Technology LLC
InventorsCarlos Murphy, Jason Douglas, Sean Culbertson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hybrid powerplant can include a main power bus; an engine; a generator coupled to the engine, the generator in electrical communication with the main power bus; an energy storage; an electrical switch disposed electrically between the main power bus and the energy storage; and a controller in electrical communication with the electrical switch.
Claims8
A hybrid powerplant, comprising:
- a main power bus;
- an engine;
- a generator coupled to the engine, the generator in electrical communication with the main power bus;
- an energy storage coupled to the main power bus in parallel to the engine;
- an electrical switch disposed electrically between the main power bus and the energy storage;
- and
- a controller in electrical communication with the electrical switch,
- wherein the controller is configured to:
- command the electrical switch to close in response to determining a power demand of an electrical load is greater than a maximum power output for the generator;
- receive a power demand for an electrical load that is greater than a current power demand;
- command the electrical switch to transition from an open position to a closed position to electrically couple the energy storage to the main power bus;
- command the electrical switch to close in order to facilitate the energy storage to provide additional current capacity;
- command the engine to accelerate to a second speed from a first speed and a second engine torque from a first engine torque correlated with the power demand;
- and
- command the electrical switch to transition from the closed position to the open position to disconnect the energy storage from the main power bus.
12 more elements
A generator management unit for a hybrid powerplant, the generator management unit comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
- receiving, via the processor, a power demand for an electrical load that is greater than a current power demand being provided to the electrical load, the
- current power demand being provided by a generator operably coupled to an engine, the generator providing a first voltage, wherein the engine operates at a first speed and a first engine torque to produce the current power demand;
- commanding, via the processor, an electrical switch to transition from an open position to a closed position to electrically couple an energy storage to a main power bus, the main power bus in electrical communication with the electrical load in parallel to the energy storage;
- and
- in response to the energy storage becoming electrically coupled to the main power bus, achieving the power demand,
- commanding, via the processor, the engine to accelerate to a second speed and a second engine torque correlated with the power demand;
- and
- commanding, via the processor, the electrical switch to transition from the closed position to the open position in response to the engine operating at the second speed and the second engine torque.
8 more elements
A generator management unit for a hybrid powerplant, the generator management unit comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
- receiving, via the processor, a power demand for an electrical load that is greater than a current power demand being provided to the electrical load, the
- current power demand being provided by a generator operably coupled to an engine, the generator providing a first voltage;
- commanding, via the processor, an electrical switch to transition from an open position to a closed position to electrically couple an energy storage to a main power bus, the main power bus in electrical communication with the electrical load in parallel to the energy storage;
- in response to the energy storage becoming electrically coupled to the main power bus, achieving the power demand;
- determining, via the processor, a second power demand for charging the energy storage;
- commanding, via the processor, the engine to provide a second engine speed and a second engine torque correlated with a total power demand, the generator configured to power the electrical load and charge the energy storage in response to the engine providing the second engine speed and the second engine torque;
- and
- commanding the electrical switch to transition from the closed position to the open position in response to determining the energy storage is charged.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.