Apparatus for determining a most limiting parameter of an electric aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12288471-B2
Application number	US-202217824546-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2022
Priority date	May 25, 2022
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 2025

Abstract

In an aspect an apparatus for determining a most limiting parameter of an electric aircraft is presented. An apparatus includes at least a processor and a memory communicatively connected to the at least a processor. A memory contains instructions configuring at least a processor to receive aircraft data from a sensing device. A sensing device is configured to measure a parameter of an electric aircraft and generate aircraft data. At least a processor is configured to determine a most limiting parameter of an electric aircraft as a function of aircraft data. At least a processor is configured to communicate a most limiting parameter to a pilot indicator in communication with the at least a processor and memory communicatively connected to the at least a processor. A pilot indicator is configured to display a most limiting parameter to a user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus of an electric aircraft configured to determine a most limiting parameter in the electric aircraft, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory communicatively connected to the processor, the memory containing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
receive aircraft data from a sensing device of the electric aircraft, wherein the sensing device is configured to measure a parameter of at least one component or system of the electric aircraft and generate the aircraft data;
determine, based at least in part on the aircraft data and based on one or more flight parameters, the most limiting parameter of the electric aircraft, wherein the most limiting parameter is related to a component of the electric aircraft having a greatest impact on a flight range of the electric aircraft;
generate, based at least in part on the most limiting parameter, an alert comprising the most limiting parameter and an action; and
cause the alert to be displayed via a pilot indicator to a user of the electric aircraft.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further configure the processor to:
compare the aircraft data to at least a flight confidence parameter; and
determine the most limiting parameter of the electric aircraft from a list of potential limiting parameters.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more flight parameters include one or more of a fuel level, a generator temperature, a generator health, a battery pack temperature, a battery pack charge, a battery pack health, a rotor temperature, a motor temperature, an inverter temperature, torque output, altitude, heating systems, lighting systems, time of flight remaining, or range of flight remaining.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive training data correlating the aircraft data to the most limiting parameter;
train a most limiting parameter machine learning model with the training data, wherein the most limiting parameter machine learning model is configured to receive additional aircraft data as input and output the most limiting parameter; and
determine the most limiting parameter as a function of the most limiting parameter machine learning model.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a flight mode of the electric aircraft; and
determine the most limiting parameter of the electric aircraft as a function of the flight mode of the electric aircraft.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the action comprises one or more of:
generating a power saving flight plan based on the most limiting parameter, the power saving flight plan including one or more of turning off lighting systems, turning of air conditioning systems, reducing speed, adjusting a flight mode, or reducing altitude; or
determining a mitigating response based on the most limiting parameter, wherein the mitigating response includes one or more of reducing speeds, reducing torque, or switching the flight mode.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to display the power saving flight plan or the mitigating response through the pilot indicator.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electric aircraft comprises a hybrid aircraft.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the most limiting parameter corresponds to an amount of remaining energy, the amount being based on a combination of a fuel level for a generator and a state of charge for a battery pack.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to automatically adjust at least a part of a flight system of the electric aircraft in response to determining the action.

11. A method for determining a most limiting parameter in an electric aircraft, comprising:
receiving, by a processor of the electric aircraft, aircraft data from a sensing device of the electric aircraft, wherein the sensing device is configured to measure a parameter of at least one component or system of the electric aircraft and generate the aircraft data;
determining, by the processor and based at least in part on the aircraft data and based on one or more flight parameters, the most limiting parameter of the electric aircraft, wherein the most limiting parameter is related to a component of the electric aircraft having a greatest impact on a flight range of the electric aircraft;
generating, by the processor and based at least in part on the most limiting parameter, an alert comprising the most limiting parameter and an action; and
causing, by the processor, the alert to be displayed via a pilot indicator to a user of the electric aircraft.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more flight parameters include one or more of a fuel level, a generator temperature, a generator health, a battery pack temperature, a battery pack charge, a battery pack health, a rotor temperature, a motor temperature, an inverter temperature, torque output, altitude, heating systems, lighting systems, time of flight remaining, or range of flight remaining.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to compare the aircraft data to a flight confidence parameter using an optimization criterion.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving training data correlating the aircraft data to the most limiting parameter;
training a most limiting parameter machine learning model with the training data, wherein the most limiting parameter machine learning model is configured to receive additional aircraft data as input and output the most limiting parameter; and
determining the most limiting parameter as a function of the most limiting parameter machine learning model.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining a flight mode of the electric aircraft; and
determining the most limiting parameter of the electric aircraft as a function of the flight mode of the electric aircraft.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the action comprises one or more of:
generating a power saving flight plan based on the most limiting parameter, the power saving flight plan including one or more of turning off lighting systems, turning of air conditioning systems, reducing speed, adjusting a flight mode, or reducing altitude; or
determining a mitigating response based on the most limiting parameter, wherein the mitigating response includes one or more of reducing speeds, reducing torque, or switching the flight mode.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising causing display of the power saving flight plan or the mitigating response through the pilot indicator.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the electric aircraft comprises a hybrid aircraft.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the most limiting parameter corresponds to an amount of remaining energy, the amount being based on a combination of a fuel level for a generator and a state of charge for a battery pack.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising automatically adjusting at least a part of a flight system of the electric aircraft in response to determining the action.

Assignees

• Beta Air Llc

Inventors

• Wiegman Herman
• Henck Thomas
• Overfield Sarah
• Donnelly Richard

Classifications

• B64U70/80

  Vertical take-off or landing, e.g. using rockets (rotorcrafts B64U10/10; VTOL aircraft B64U10/20) · CPC title

• B64U50/19

  using electrically powered motors · CPC title

• G08G5/21

  located onboard the aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/55

  for a single aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/53

  for cruising · CPC title