Control system and control method, and aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12428146-B2
Application number	US-202318190148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2023
Priority date	Mar 30, 2022
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

A control system 70 includes: a VTOL rotor 20 and a cruise rotor 29 configured to generate a thrust; a power unit that has a power generation device 40 a configured to generate power and supply the power to the rotors, and a battery 32 configured to store power which is supplied from the power generation device, and supply stored power to the rotors; and a control unit 91 configured to calculate a charging time of the battery based on a required amount of power storage that should be stored in the battery when the aircraft flies in a predetermined flight condition, and a state of the battery, and determine a charge start time of the battery based on the charging time and a flight time it takes to reach the predetermined flight condition. With this, it is possible to suppress a deterioration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system that is configured to control a power unit configured to charge a battery by a power generation device, the control system comprising:
a propulsion system configured to generate a thrust for causing an aircraft to fly;
a power unit that has
a power generation device configured to generate power and supply the power to the propulsion system, and
a battery configured to store power which is supplied from the power generation device, and supply stored power to the propulsion system; and

a control unit configured to
calculate a charging time of the battery based on a required amount of power storage that should be stored in the battery when the aircraft flies in a predetermined flight condition, and a state of the battery, and
determine a charge start time of the battery based on the charging time and a flight time it takes to reach the predetermined flight condition, wherein

the state of the battery is a remaining amount of power and a temperature of the battery, and
the control unit is configured to
determine charging power and a charging speed of the battery based on the required amount of power storage and the state of the battery, and
determine the charging time based on the charging power and the charging speed.

2. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit is configured to control an operation of the power generation device based on the charge start time and the charging power of the battery.

3. The control system according to claim 2 , wherein
the control unit is configured to determine the required amount of power storage from a sum of a required amount of power feeding which is required to be fed to the propulsion system when the aircraft flies in the predetermined flight condition, and an amount of power storage for an emergency situation which is required to be stored to avoid the emergency situation.

4. The control system according to claim 2 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect the flight condition of the aircraft, wherein
the control unit is configured to calculate the flight time based on a detection result of the sensor.

5. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit is configured to determine the required amount of power storage from a sum of a required amount of power feeding which is required to be fed to the propulsion system when the aircraft flies in the predetermined flight condition, and an amount of power storage for an emergency situation which is required to be stored to avoid the emergency situation.

6. The control system according to claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect the flight condition of the aircraft, wherein
the control unit is configured to calculate the flight time based on a detection result of the sensor.

7. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined flight condition is a state of landing.

8. An aircraft comprising the control system according to claim 1 .

9. A control system that is configured to control a power unit configured to charge a battery by a power generation device, the control system comprising:
a propulsion system configured to generate a thrust for causing an aircraft to fly;
a power unit that has
a power generation device configured to generate power and supply the power to the propulsion system, and
a battery configured to store power which is supplied from the power generation device, and supply stored power to the propulsion system; and

a control unit configured to
calculate a charging time of the battery based on a required amount of power storage that should be stored in the battery when the aircraft flies in a predetermined flight condition, and a state of the battery, and
determine a charge start time of the battery based on the charging time and a flight time it takes to reach the predetermined flight condition, wherein

the control unit is configured to determine the required amount of power storage from a sum of a required amount of power feeding which is required to be fed to the propulsion system when the aircraft flies in the predetermined flight condition, and an amount of power storage for an emergency situation which is required to be stored to avoid the emergency situation.

10. The control system according to claim 9 , wherein
the control unit is configured to determine the required amount of power feeding based on a flight plan.

11. The control system according to claim 10 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect a flight condition of the aircraft, wherein
the control unit is configured to determine the amount of power storage for the emergency situation based on a detection result of the sensor.

12. The control system according to claim 10 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect the flight condition of the aircraft, wherein
the control unit is configured to calculate the flight time based on a detection result of the sensor.

13. The control system according to claim 9 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect a flight condition of the aircraft, wherein
the control unit is configured to determine the amount of power storage for the emergency situation based on a detection result of the sensor.

14. The control system according to claim 13 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect the flight condition of the aircraft, wherein
the control unit is configured to calculate the flight time based on a detection result of the sensor.

15. The control system according to claim 9 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect the flight condition of the aircraft, wherein
the control unit is configured to calculate the flight time based on a detection result of the sensor.

16. The control system according to claim 9 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect the flight condition of the aircraft, wherein
the control unit is configured to calculate the flight time based on a detection result of the sensor.

17. The control system according to claim 9 , wherein the predetermined flight condition is a state of landing.

18. An aircraft comprising the control system according to claim 9 .

19. A control method that controls a power unit configured to
generate power, by a power generation device, to supply the power to a propulsion system configured to generate a thrust for causing an aircraft to fly, and
store, by a battery, power which is supplied from the power generation device, and supply stored power to the propulsion system, the control method comprising:
calculating a charging time of the battery based on a required amount of power storage that should be stored in the battery when the aircraft flies in a predetermined flight condition, and a state of the battery;
determining a charge start time of the battery based on the charging time and a flight time it takes to reach the predetermined flight condition;
determining charging power and a charging speed of the battery based on the required amount of power storage and the state of the battery; and
determining the charging time based on the charging power and the charging speed, wherein
the state of the battery is a remaining amount of power and a temperature of the battery.

20. A control method that controls a power unit configured to
generate power, by a power generation device, to supply the power to a propulsion system configured to generate a thrust for causing an aircraft to fly, and
store, by a battery, power which is supplied from the power ge

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Eto Masashi
• Ishihara Yuya

Classifications

• Y02T50/60

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

• B64D31/00 Primary

  Power plant control systems; Arrangement of power plant control systems in aircraft · CPC title

• B64D31/18

  for hybrid-electric power plants · CPC title

• B64D27/357

  using batteries · CPC title

• B64D27/33

  Hybrid electric aircraft · CPC title