Electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle with wind turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11485245-B2
Application number	US-202117147282-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2021
Priority date	Mar 31, 2020
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

An electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle is positioned to be in a charging position on the ground, wherein the eVTOL vehicle is capable of performing vertical take-offs and landings. The battery is charged while in the charging position on the ground using a wind turbine that includes the rotor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle, comprising:
a vertical spar;
a rotor mounted on one end of the vertical spar, wherein the rotor is configured to be operated as a wind turbine to charge a battery of the eVTOL vehicle while the eVTOL vehicle is in a charging position; and
a controller configured to position the eVTOL vehicle to be in the charging position, wherein the charging position is dynamically changeable and is based at least in part on a wind direction and a stability of the eVTOL vehicle.

2. The eVTOL vehicle recited in claim 1 , wherein positioning the eVTOL vehicle to be in the charging position includes dynamically changing a position of the eVTOL vehicle to maintain an angle between the vertical spar and the ground.

3. The eVTOL vehicle recited in claim 1 , wherein positioning the eVTOL vehicle to be in the charging position includes instructing at least one rotor of the eVTOL vehicle to provide additional lift in response to force of wind being below a threshold.

4. The eVTOL vehicle recited in claim 1 , wherein positioning the eVTOL vehicle to be in the charging position includes instructing a subset of rotors of the eVTOL vehicle to provide additional lift in response to force of wind being below a threshold.

5. The eVTOL vehicle recited in claim 1 , wherein positioning the eVTOL vehicle to be in the charging position on the ground includes extending an anchor into the ground.

6. The eVTOL vehicle recited in claim 1 , wherein:
positioning the eVTOL vehicle to be in the charging position on the ground includes extending an anchor into the ground; and
the anchor is configured to retract into the vertical spar.

7. The eVTOL vehicle recited in claim 1 , wherein positioning the eVTOL vehicle to be in the charging position on the ground includes rotating the rotor about a hinge.

8. A method, comprising:
positioning an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle to be in a charging position on the ground, wherein:
the charging position is dynamically changeable and is based at least in part on a wind direction and a stability of the eVTOL vehicle; and
the eVTOL vehicle includes:
a vertical spar; and
a rotor mounted on one end of the vertical spar, wherein the rotor is configured to be operated as a wind turbine to charge a battery; and

charging the battery while the eVTOL vehicle is in the charging position.

9. The method recited in claim 8 , wherein positioning the eVTOL vehicle to be in the charging position includes dynamically changing a position of the eVTOL vehicle to maintain an angle between the vertical spar and the ground.

10. The method recited in claim 8 , wherein positioning the eVTOL vehicle to be in the charging position includes instructing at least one rotor of the eVTOL vehicle to provide additional lift in response to force of wind being below a threshold.

11. The method recited in claim 8 , wherein positioning the eVTOL vehicle to be in the charging position includes instructing a subset of rotors of the eVTOL vehicle to provide additional lift in response to force of wind being below a threshold.

12. The method recited in claim 8 , wherein positioning the eVTOL vehicle to be in the charging position on the ground includes extending an anchor into the ground.

13. The method recited in claim 8 , wherein:
positioning the eVTOL vehicle to be in the charging position on the ground includes extending an anchor into the ground; and
the anchor is configured to retract into the vertical spar.

14. The method recited in claim 8 , wherein positioning the eVTOL vehicle to be in the charging position on the ground includes rotating the rotor about a hinge.

15. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
positioning an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle to be in a charging position on the ground, wherein:
the charging position is dynamically changeable and is based at least in part on a wind direction and a stability of the eVTOL vehicle; and
the eVTOL vehicle includes:
a vertical spar; and
a rotor mounted on one end of the vertical spar, wherein the rotor is configured to be operated as a wind turbine to charge a battery; and

charging the battery while the eVTOL vehicle is in the charging position.

16. The computer program product recited in claim 15 , wherein positioning the eVTOL vehicle to be in the charging position includes dynamically changing a position of the eVTOL vehicle to maintain an angle between the vertical spar and the ground.

17. The computer program product recited in claim 15 , wherein positioning the eVTOL vehicle to be in the charging position includes instructing at least one rotor of the eVTOL vehicle to provide additional lift in response to force of wind being below a threshold.

18. The computer program product recited in claim 15 , wherein positioning the eVTOL vehicle to be in the charging position includes instructing a subset of rotors of the eVTOL vehicle to provide additional lift in response to force of wind being below a threshold.

19. The computer program product recited in claim 15 , wherein the computer instructions for positioning the eVTOL vehicle to be in the charging position on the ground include computer instructions for extending an anchor into the ground.

20. The computer program product recited in claim 15 , wherein:
the computer instructions for positioning the eVTOL vehicle to be in the charging position on the ground include computer instructions for extending an anchor into the ground; and
the anchor is configured to retract into the vertical spar.

Assignees

• Kitty Hawk Corp

Inventors

• Thrun Sebastian
• Berry Benjamin Otto

Classifications

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title

• B60L2270/142

  acoustic · CPC title

• B64F1/12

  for anchoring aircraft · CPC title

• Y02T90/12

  Electric charging stations · CPC title