Systems and methods for the control and operation of a parallel motor controller architecture

A motor control system, comprising:

• a plurality of motors;
• a plurality of motor controllers configured for parallel electrical connection;
• a power switching network electrically connecting the plurality of motors to the plurality of motor controllers;
• and
• a parallel modular converter for dynamically controlling the power switching network, comprising a computer with at least one processor and a non-transitory storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed on the computer, cause the computer to:
• determine a first power load demand from a first plurality of active motors, wherein the first plurality of active motors is a subset of the plurality of motors;
• select a first combination of motor controllers of the plurality of motor controllers necessary to provide sufficient power to meet the first power load demand based at least in part on a maximum power output of the plurality of motor controllers;
• assign a first set of system-wide priorities based at least in part on the maximum power output and the first power load demand;
• configure the power switching network such that the first plurality of active motors are electrically connected to the first combination of motor controllers in accordance with the first set of system-wide priorities;
• receive from a first control unit a power request for a first motor, wherein the power request is associated with a first priority level;
• determine a first priority designation for the first priority level in relation to the first set of system-wide priorities;
• assign a second set of system-wide priorities based at least in part on the first priority designation and the first set of system-wide priorities;
• determine a second power load demand from a second plurality of active motors, wherein the second plurality of active motors comprises the first plurality of active motors and the first motor;
• select a second combination of motor controllers of the plurality of motor controllers necessary to provide sufficient power to meet the second power load demand;
• and
• configure the power switching network such that the second plurality of active motors are electrically connected to the second combination of motor controllers in accordance with the second set of system-wide priorities.

An aircraft having a motor control system, the motor control system comprising:

• a plurality of motors;
• a plurality of motor controllers configured for parallel electrical connection;
• a power switching network electrically connecting the plurality of motors to the plurality of motor controllers;
• and
• a parallel modular converter for dynamically controlling the power switching network, comprising a computer with at least one processor and a non-transitory storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed on the computer, cause the computer to:
• receive a communication including a requested mode and a requested mode power amount;
• calculate a maximum power capacity based at least in part on a total number of motor controllers and a power amount associated with each motor controller;
• calculate a current power usage based at least in part on what modes are currently running and what power is getting consumed as a result of those running modes;
• determine a current power capacity that is currently available for use by taking the difference between the maximum power capacity and the current power usage;
• run the requested mode and reduce the current power capacity to account for the running of the requested mode, only if the current power capacity is not less than the requested mode power amount, but if the current power capacity is less than the requested mode power amount, then
• determine a requested mode priority designation relative to all other running modes;
• run the requested mode at only the current power capacity and then reduce the current power capacity to account for the running of the requested mode, only if the priority of the requested mode is less than or equal to the priority of all other running modes, but if the priority of the requested mode is not less than or equal to the priority of all other currently running modes, then
• determine if there exist any lower priority modes having a priority designation only lower than the requested mode priority designation, and if there exist any lower priority modes, then;
• determine if the only lower priority modes that exist are first least priority modes having a priority designation only a single level lower than the requested mode priority designation, and if there exist any first least priority modes, then;
• determine a first least priority modes total power that is currently used by those first least priority modes, then
• partially reduce the first least priority modes total power, direct that partially reduced power to the requested mode, and set the current power capacity to zero, only if it is possible to make a partial reduction of the first least priority modes total power, if it is not possible to make a partial reduction of the first least priority modes total power, then;
• completely reduce the first least priority modes total power, direct that completely reduced power to the requested mode, and set the current power capacity to zero;
• determine if there exist second least priority modes having a priority designation between the first least priority modes designation level and the requested mode priority designation level, and if there exist any second least priority modes, then
• partially reduce the first least priority modes total power, direct that partially reduced power to the requested mode, only if it is possible to make a partial reduction of the first least priority modes total power, if it is not possible to make a partial reduction of the first least priority modes total power, then
• completely reduce the first least priority modes total power;
• determine a second least priority modes total power that is currently used by those second least priority modes;
• partially reduce the second least priority modes total power, direct that partially reduced power to the requested mode, only if it is possible to make a partial reduction of the second least priority modes total power, if it is not possible to make a partial reduction of the second least priority modes total power, then;
• completely reduce the first least priority modes total power and the second least priority modes total power, direct that combined completely reduced power to the requested mode, and set the current power capacity to zero.