Systems, methods, and mechanical designs for inverters for eVTOL aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12358633-B2
Application number	US-202418911555-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2024
Priority date	Oct 6, 2022
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

An electrical propulsion system comprises an inverter, an electrical motor assembly, an assembly, and a rotor position sensor. The inverter comprises a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA). The electrical motor assembly comprises a stator and a rotor. The assembly is configured to rotate a propeller and comprises a moving component and a stationary component. The rotor position sensor comprises at least one sensor coupled to the PCBA, and a magnet located on the moving component. The at least one sensor is configured to detect a magnetic field of the magnet through the stationary component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical propulsion system, comprising:
an inverter comprising a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA);
an electrical motor assembly comprising a stator and a rotor;
an assembly configured to rotate a propeller comprising a moving component and a stationary component; and
a rotor position sensor comprising:
at least one sensor coupled to the PCBA, and
a magnet located on the moving component, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to detect a magnetic field of the magnet through the stationary component.

2. The electrical propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the PCBA further comprises an integrated oil temperature sensor.

3. The electrical propulsion system of claim 2 , wherein the integrated oil temperature sensor is positioned to sense temperature of cooling oil.

4. The electrical propulsion system of claim 3 , wherein the cooling oil is configured to cool at least one of a MOSFET or a power module.

5. The electrical propulsion system of claim 1 , further comprising a secondary speed sensor.

6. The electrical propulsion system of claim 5 , wherein the secondary speed sensor is connected to a control board of the electrical propulsion system.

7. The electrical propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the moving component is a gear, and wherein the magnet is located on the gear.

8. The electrical propulsion system of claim 7 , wherein the gear is configured to transfer torque from the electrical motor assembly to the propeller.

9. The electrical propulsion system of claim 7 , wherein the gear is a planetary carrier.

10. The electrical propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the stationary component comprises at least one of: a thermal plate or end bell plate.

11. An aircraft, comprising:
a boom;
at least one electrical propulsion system mounted to the boom, comprising:
a propeller;
an inverter comprising a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA);
an electrical motor assembly comprising a stator and a rotor;
an assembly configured to rotate the propeller comprising a moving component and a stationary component; and
a rotor position sensor comprising:
at least one sensor coupled to the PCBA, and
a magnet located on the moving component, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to detect a magnetic field of the magnet through the stationary component.

12. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the aircraft is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft.

13. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the PCBA further comprises an integrated oil temperature sensor.

14. The aircraft of claim 13 , wherein the integrated oil temperature sensor is positioned to sense temperature of cooling oil.

15. The aircraft of claim 14 , wherein the cooling oil is configured to cool at least one of a MOSFET or a power module.

16. The aircraft of claim 11 , further comprising a secondary speed sensor.

17. The aircraft of claim 16 , wherein the secondary speed sensor is connected to a control board of the electrical propulsion system.

18. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the moving component is a gear, and wherein the magnet is located on the gear.

19. The aircraft of claim 18 , wherein the gear is configured to transfer torque from the electrical motor assembly to the propeller.

20. The aircraft of claim 18 , wherein the gear is a planetary carrier.

21. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the stationary component comprises at least one of: a thermal plate or end bell plate.

22. A method of operating an electrical propulsion system, the method comprising:
operating an electrical motor assembly, the electrical motor assembly comprising at least a stator and a rotor;
providing electrical power to the electrical motor assembly by an inverter, the inverter comprising a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA);
operating an assembly to rotate a propeller, the assembly comprising a moving component and a stationary component; and
sensing a rotational position of the propeller using a rotor position sensor comprising:
at least one sensor integrated to the PCBA; and
a magnet located on the moving component, wherein sensing the rotational position of the propeller comprises using the at least one sensor to detect a magnetic field of the magnet through the stationary component to sense a position of the magnet.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the PCBA further comprises an integrated oil temperature sensor, and sensing a temperature by the integrated oil temperature sensor.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising sensing a temperature of cooling oil.

25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising cooling, by the cooling oil, at least one of a MOSFET or a power module.

26. The method of claim 22 , further comprising sensing a speed of the electric propulsion system by a secondary speed sensor connected to a control board of the electrical propulsion system.

27. The method of claim 22 , wherein the moving component is a gear, and wherein the magnet is located on the gear.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the gear is configured to transfer torque from the electrical motor assembly to the propeller.

29. The method of claim 27 , wherein the gear is a planetary carrier.

30. The method of claim 22 , wherein the stationary component comprises at least one of: a thermal plate or end bell plate.

Assignees

• Archer Aviation Inc

Inventors

• Graves Scott
• Baldwin Alan
• Spiteri Stephen Michael
• Wu Wei
• Tepe Alan D

Classifications

• H02K7/116

  with gears · CPC title

• H02P27/06

  using DC to AC converters or inverters (H02P27/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02P25/00

  Arrangements or methods for the control of AC motors characterised by the kind of AC motor or by structural details · CPC title

• H02M7/003

  Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections · CPC title

• H02M7/44

  by static converters · CPC title