Apparatus for pre-flight preparation for electric aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12079010-B2
Application number	US-202217889495-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2022
Priority date	Aug 17, 2022
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus for pre-flight preparation for an electric aircraft including at least a processor and memory communicatively connected to the processor. The memory containing instructions configuring the at least a processor to generate a plurality of aircraft conditioning data using at least a sensor. The memory containing instructions further configuring the processor to engage at least an aircraft conditioning system using power from an auxiliary power supply, The aircraft conditioning system is configured to receive the plurality of aircraft conditioning data from the at least a sensor, test the output of the at least a sensor against an expected value of the at least a sensor, and initiate the aircraft conditioning system as a function of the aircraft conditioning data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for pre-flight preparation for an electric aircraft, comprising:
at least one processor; and
a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor, the memory containing instructions configuring the at least one processor to:
generate aircraft conditioning data associated with the electric aircraft using at least one sensor, wherein the aircraft conditioning data comprises:
a humidity datum comprising a specific humidity within the electric aircraft and a dew point within a cabin of the electric aircraft,
a temperature within the electric aircraft, and
a temperature external to the electric aircraft; and

activate an aircraft conditioning system using power from an auxiliary power supply independent from a main power supply of the electric aircraft, wherein the aircraft conditioning system comprises a wing defrosting system having heating coils embedded within at least one wing of the electric aircraft, and wherein the aircraft conditioning system is configured to:
generate heat using the heating coils as a function of the temperature external to the electric aircraft, and
control a humidity level within the cabin of the electric aircraft through temperature regulating elements and as a function of the humidity datum and the temperature within the electric aircraft.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft conditioning system is further configured to pre-boot a plurality of components of the electric aircraft.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft conditioning system is further configured to engage the wing defrosting system.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary power supply is exterior to the electric aircraft.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor comprises a flight controller.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft conditioning system is engaged as a function of a flight plan.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power supply comprises an electrical connection to a power grid.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to engage the aircraft conditioning system using a machine learning model.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary power supply includes at least one battery, and wherein a heating element is adjacent the battery.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the heating element is a sheet heater between battery cells of the battery.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the heating element is a sheet heater wrapped around the battery.

12. A method for pre-flight preparation for an electric aircraft, comprising:
generating, using at least one sensor, aircraft conditioning data wherein the aircraft conditioning data comprises:
a humidity datum comprising a specific humidity within the electric aircraft and a dew point within a cabin of the electric aircraft, and
a temperature within the electric aircraft, and
a temperature external to the electric aircraft;

activating, using a processor, an aircraft conditioning system using power from an auxiliary power supply independent from a main power supply of the electric aircraft, wherein the aircraft conditioning system comprises a wing defrosting system having heating coils embedded within at least one wing of the electric aircraft,
generate, using the aircraft conditioning system, heat using the heating coils as a function of the temperature external to the electric aircraft; and
control, using the aircraft conditioning system, a humidity level within the cabin of the electric aircraft through temperature regulating elements and as a function of the humidity datum and the temperature within the electric aircraft.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising pre-booting, using the aircraft conditioning system, a plurality of components of an electric aircraft.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the auxiliary power supply is exterior to the electric aircraft.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the processor comprises a flight controller.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising engaging, using the processor, the aircraft conditioning system as a function of a flight plan.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the power supply comprises an electrical connection to a power grid.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising engaging, using the processor, the aircraft conditioning system as a function of an output of a machine learning model.

19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising heating a battery of the auxiliary power supply with a heating element.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the heating element is a sheet heater between battery cells of the battery.

Assignees

• Beta Air Llc

Inventors

• Henck Thomas
• Overfield Sarah

Classifications

• G05D1/46

  Control of position or course in three dimensions [3D] · CPC title

• B64D15/12 Primary

  by electric heating (heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas H05B3/84) · CPC title

• G01C21/20

  Instruments for performing navigational calculations (G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• B64C29/0008

  having its flight directional axis horizontal when grounded · CPC title

• G05D1/101 Primary

  specially adapted for aircraft · CPC title