Systems and methods for power distribution in electric aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11465764-B2
Application number	US-202017115119-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2020
Priority date	Dec 8, 2020
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

A electric aircraft power distribution system includes a first battery pack connected to at least a first load and to a common bus that connects the first battery pack in parallel to at least a second battery pack; a first electrical component electrically connected between the first battery pack and the first load and configured to disconnect the first load from the first battery pack in response to current above a first threshold current, wherein the first electrical component has a first disconnection time at the first threshold current; and a second electrical component electrically connected between the first battery pack and the common bus and configured to disconnect the first battery pack from the common bus in response to current above a second threshold current, wherein the second electrical component has a second disconnection time at the second threshold current that is higher than the first disconnection time.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power distribution system for an electric aircraft, comprising:
a first battery pack connected to at least a first load and to a common bus that connects the first battery pack in parallel to at least a second battery pack;
a first electrical component electrically connected between the first battery pack and the first load and configured to disconnect the first load from the first battery pack in response to current above a first threshold current, wherein the first electrical component has a first disconnection time at the first threshold current; and
a second electrical component electrically connected between the first battery pack and the common bus and configured to disconnect the first battery pack from the common bus in response to current above a second threshold current, wherein the second electrical component has a second disconnection time at the second threshold current that is higher than the first disconnection time.

2. The power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the first threshold current is less than the second threshold current.

3. The power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the first battery pack is electrically connected to a second load and a third electrical component is electrically connected between the first battery pack and the second load and has a third disconnection time at a third threshold current and the third disconnection time is lower than the second disconnection time.

4. The power distribution system of claim 3 , wherein the third disconnection time is equal to the first disconnection time.

5. The power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the second battery pack is connected to at least a second load, a third electrical component is electrically connected between the second battery pack and the second load and configured to disconnect the second load from the second battery pack in response to current above a third threshold current, wherein the third electrical component has a third disconnection time at the third threshold current, and a fourth electrical component is electrically connected between the first battery pack and the common bus and configured to disconnect the second battery pack from the common bus in response to current above a fourth threshold current, wherein the fourth electrical component has a fourth disconnection time at the fourth threshold current that is higher than the third disconnection time.

6. The power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first electrical component and the second electrical components is a fuse.

7. The power distribution system of claim 6 , wherein the fuse is an explosive fuse, a thermal fuse, or a magnetic fuse.

8. The power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the common bus connects positive terminals of the first and second battery packs.

9. The power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein electrical circuitry from the first battery pack to the first load and from the first battery pack to the common bus is free of any diode.

10. The power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the first load is an electric propulsion unit.

11. The power distribution system of claim 10 , wherein the electric propulsion unit comprises a propeller.

12. The power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the first battery pack comprises a plurality of batteries arranged in series, parallel, or a combination of series and parallel.

13. The power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the first battery pack is configured to generate greater than 100 volts.

14. The power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein an electric power of the first load is at least 10 kilowatts.

15. The power distribution system of claim 1 , comprising a third electrical component for selectively disconnecting the first battery pack from the first load or from the common bus.

16. The power distribution system of claim 15 , wherein the third electrical component is electrically positioned between the first battery pack and the first electrical component or the second electrical component.

17. An electric aircraft comprising the power distribution system of claim 1 .

18. The aircraft of claim 17 , wherein the aircraft is manned.

19. The aircraft of claim 17 , wherein the aircraft is a vertical take-off and landing aircraft.

20. A method for distributing power in an electric aircraft comprising providing power from a first battery pack to a first load, wherein the first battery pack is connected to a common bus that connects the first battery pack in parallel to at least a second battery pack, a first electrical component is electrically connected between the first battery pack and the first load and configured to disconnect the first load from the first battery pack in response to current above a first threshold, and a second electrical component electrically connected between the first battery pack and the common bus and configured to disconnect the first battery pack from the common bus in response to current above a second threshold, wherein the second threshold is higher than the first threshold.

Assignees

• Archer Aviation Inc

Inventors

• Melack John

Classifications

• H02J2105/32

  for aircrafts · CPC title

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• B64D27/357 Primary

  using batteries · CPC title

• H02H7/268

  for DC systems · CPC title

• B64D2221/00

  Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft · CPC title