Method and system for supplying power to an unmanned aerial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11225331-B2
Application number	US-201816055770-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2018
Priority date	Jul 22, 2016
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

A method for supplying power to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes converting heat generated by at least one energy component of the UAV into electrical power and supplying the electrical power to the UAV based on a flying status of the UAV and/or a discharge status of a power battery of the UAV. The power battery is a main power source of the UAV.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power supply method for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
converting heat generated by a power battery of the UAV into electrical power, the power battery including at least one of a lead-acid cell, a lithium air cell, a lithium-ion cell, a nickel-cadmium cell, or a nickel-metal hydrogen cell;
storing the electrical power converted from the heat in a supercapacitor; and
controlling the supercapacitor to supply the electrical power converted from the heat to a power-consuming component of the UAV to supplement a power output from the power battery in response to the UAV being accelerating, ascending, and/or moving against a head wind during a flight in air;
wherein the power battery is a main power source of the UAV.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the UAV accelerates, ascends, and/or moves against the head wind during the flight in air.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a discharge status of the power battery of the UAV; and
controlling the supercapacitor to supply the electrical power to the UAV to supplement the power battery in response to the discharge status of the power battery indicating at least one of:
the power battery is below a predetermined battery power threshold;
the power battery is disconnected; or
the power battery is in a preselected failure mode.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein converting the heat comprises generating the electrical power via a semiconductor thermoelectric device positioned on the UAV.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein generating the electrical power comprises:
creating a temperature difference between two surface regions of the semiconductor thermoelectric device positioned on the UAV; and
generating the electrical power with the temperature difference.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein creating the temperature difference comprises heating a first one of the two surface regions of the semiconductor thermoelectric device.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein heating the first one of the two surface regions comprises collecting heat produced by the power battery of the UAV via a heat collector and providing the collected heat to the first one of the two surface regions.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein creating the temperature difference comprises cooling a second one of the two surface regions of the semiconductor thermoelectric device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein cooling the second one of the two surface regions comprises cooling the second one of the two surface regions via a heat dissipator by absorbing heat from at least a part of the second one of the two surface regions via the heat dissipator.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein cooling the second one of the two surface regions comprises cooling the heat dissipator with air adjacent to the UAV.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein cooling the heat dissipator comprises reducing a temperature of the air via airflow created by one or more propellers of the UAV.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the supercapacitor to supply the electrical power comprises controlling the supercapacitor to supply the electrical power from the supercapacitor to a propulsion unit of the UAV.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling charging of the supercapacitor.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
controlling the supercapacitor to supply the electrical power comprises controlling the supercapacitor to supply the electrical power from the supercapacitor via a micro-controller unit (MCU); and/or
controlling the charging the supercapacitor comprises controlling the charging the supercapacitor via the MCU.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
sampling a voltage and/or a current of the supercapacitor.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein:
controlling the supercapacitor to supply the electrical power comprises controlling the supercapacitor to supply the electrical power from the supercapacitor based on a result of sampling the voltage and/or the current; and/or
controlling charging the supercapacitor comprises controlling charging the supercapacitor based on the result of sampling the voltage and/or the current.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein controlling charging the supercapacitor and controlling the supercapacitor to supply the electrical power from the supercapacitor comprise activating charging at a first time and activating supplying at a second time that is different from the first time, respectively.

18. A power supply system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
one or more processors, individually or collectively, configured to:
convert heat generated by a power battery of the UAV into electrical power, the power battery including at least one of a lead-acid cell, a lithium air cell, a lithium-ion cell, a nickel-cadmium cell, or a nickel-metal hydrogen cell;
store the electrical power converted from the heat in a supercapacitor; and
control the supercapacitor to supply the electrical power converted from the heat to a power-consuming component of the UAV to supplement a power output from the power battery in response to the UAV being accelerating, ascending, and/or moving against a head wind during a flight in air;

wherein the power battery is a main power source of the UAV.

19. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
the power supply system of claim 18 ; and
a propulsion unit coupled to the power supply system,
wherein the power supply system is configured to supply power to the propulsion unit.

Assignees

• Sz Dji Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Wentao
• Zhang Lei
• Wang Lei
• Xu Bogao

Classifications

• H02J2105/32

  for aircrafts · CPC title

• H02J7/65

  against overtemperature · CPC title

• H02J7/60 Primary

  including safety or protection arrangements · CPC title

• H02J50/001

  Energy harvesting or scavenging · CPC title

• B64U50/30

  Supply or distribution of electrical power · CPC title