Power supply device, flying tool using same and power supply method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11444301-B2
Application number	US-201916562901-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2019
Priority date	Sep 6, 2018
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

A power supply device disposed on an aircraft to provide a power to the aircraft is provided. The aircraft has an average required power value. The power supply device includes a secondary battery, a transformer and a fuel cell. The transformer is coupled between the secondary battery and the aircraft. The fuel cell is coupled to the aircraft and is adapted to provide a first output current to the aircraft. The transformer has an output voltage set value. When the first output end voltage of the fuel cell is lower than the output voltage set value, the transformer provides a second output current of the secondary battery to the aircraft. The output voltage set value is in a voltage range with a fuel cell output power between the maximum power value of characteristic curve of the fuel cell and the average required power value of the aircraft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power supply device disposed on an aircraft to provide a power to the aircraft, wherein the aircraft has an average required power value, and the power supply device comprises:
a secondary battery;
a first transformer coupled between the secondary battery and the aircraft; and
a fuel cell coupled to the aircraft and adapted to provide a first output current to the aircraft;
wherein the first transformer has an output voltage set value, and provides a second output current of the secondary battery to the aircraft when a first output end voltage of the fuel cell is lower than the output voltage set value; wherein the output voltage set value is in a voltage range with a fuel cell output power between the maximum power value of a characteristic curve of the fuel cell and the average required power value of the aircraft;
wherein the power supply device further comprises a switch coupled between an output end of the secondary battery and an output end of the fuel cell, and the switch is connected and causes the fuel cell to charge the secondary battery when the first output end voltage is equivalent to or higher than a second output end voltage at the output end of the secondary battery.

2. The power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein when the aircraft is in a start-up stage, the fuel cell does not provide current to the aircraft but the secondary battery provides the second output current to the aircraft.

3. The power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein when the first output end voltage provided by the fuel cell is not lower than the output voltage set value, the secondary battery does not provide a current to the aircraft.

4. The power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein when the first output end voltage at the output end of the fuel cell is higher than the second output end voltage at the output end of the secondary battery, the fuel cell charges the secondary battery.

5. The power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein when a SOC of the secondary battery reaches a pre-set capacity, the switch is disconnected and causes the fuel cell to stop charging the secondary battery.

6. The power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein when the first output end voltage of the fuel cell is equivalent to or lower than the output voltage set value, the secondary battery provides the second output current, and the fuel cell provides the first output current to the aircraft.

7. A power supply device disposed on an aircraft to provide a power to the aircraft, wherein the aircraft has an average required power value, and the power supply device comprises:
a secondary battery;
a first transformer coupled between the secondary battery and the aircraft; and
a fuel cell coupled to the aircraft and adapted to provide a first output current to the aircraft;
wherein the first transformer has an output voltage set value, and provides a second output current of the secondary battery to the aircraft when a first output end voltage of the fuel cell is lower than the output voltage set value;
wherein the output voltage set value is in a voltage range with a fuel cell output power between the maximum power value of a characteristic curve of the fuel cell and the average required power value of the aircraft;
wherein the power supply device further comprises:
a second transformer coupled between the fuel cell and the secondary battery, wherein the second transformer has an input voltage set value higher than the output voltage set value of the first transformer;
wherein when the first output end voltage of the fuel cell is equivalent to or higher than the input voltage set value, the fuel cell charges the secondary battery.

8. The power supply device according to claim 7 , wherein when a SOC of the secondary battery is lower than a first pre-set capacity, the output voltage set value of the first transformer decreases; when the SOC of the secondary battery is higher than a second pre-set capacity, the input voltage set value of the second transformer increases; the second pre-set capacity is higher than the first pre-set capacity.

9. A flying tool, comprising: an aircraft having an average required power value; and
a power supply device disposed on the aircraft to provide a power to the aircraft and comprising:
a secondary battery;
a first transformer coupled between the secondary battery and the aircraft; and
a fuel cell coupled to the aircraft and adapted to provide a first output current to the aircraft;
wherein the first transformer has an output voltage set value, and provides a second output current of the secondary battery to the aircraft when a first output end voltage of the fuel cell is lower than the output voltage set value;
wherein the output voltage set value is in a voltage range with a fuel cell output power between the maximum power value of a characteristic curve of the fuel cell and the average required power value of the aircraft;
wherein the power supply device further comprises a switch coupled between an output end of the secondary battery and an output end of the fuel cell, and the switch is connected and causes the fuel cell to charge the secondary battery when the first output end voltage is equivalent to or higher than a second output end voltage at the output end of the secondary battery.

10. A power supply method of a power supply device, wherein the power supply device is disposed on an aircraft and comprises a secondary battery, a first transformer and a fuel cell; the secondary battery is coupled to the aircraft through the first transformer having an output voltage set value; the power supply method comprises:
providing a first output current to the aircraft by the fuel cell; and
providing a second output current of the secondary battery to the aircraft by the first transformer when a first output end voltage of the fuel cell is lower than the output voltage set value;
wherein the output voltage set value is in a voltage range with a fuel cell output power between the maximum power value of a characteristic curve of the fuel cell and the average required power value of the aircraft;
wherein the power supply device further comprises a switch coupled between an output end of the secondary battery and an output end of the fuel cell, and the power supply method further comprises:
connecting the switch and causing the fuel cell to charge the secondary battery when the first output end voltage is equivalent to or higher than a second output end voltage at the output end of the secondary battery.

11. The power supply method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
not providing current to the aircraft by the secondary battery when the first output end voltage provided by the fuel cell is not lower than the output voltage set value.

12. The power supply method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
charging the secondary battery by the fuel cell when the first output end voltage at the output end of the fuel cell is higher than the second output end voltage at the output end of the secondary battery.

13. The power supply method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
disconnecting the switch and causing the fuel cell to stop charging the secondary battery when a SOC of the secondary battery reaches a pre-set capacity.

14. The power supply method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
providing the second output current by the secondary battery when the first output end voltage of the fuel cell is equivalent to or lower than the output voltage set value and concurrently providing the first output current to the aircraft by the fuel cell.

Assignees

• Ind Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Chou Yuh-Fwu
• Lin Ho-Cheng

Classifications

• H02J2101/30

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• B64U50/19

  using electrically powered motors · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title

• B60L58/40

  for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells · CPC title

• B60L50/75 Primary

  using propulsion power supplied by both fuel cells and batteries · CPC title