Power distribution circuits for electrically powered aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12444938-B2
Application number	US-202318458551-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2023
Priority date	Oct 27, 2020
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

A power distribution circuit for an electrically powered aircraft includes a plurality of batteries and a plurality of electric propulsion systems. A plurality of power distribution circuits each couple a battery of the plurality of batteries to two or more electric propulsion systems. The plurality of electric propulsion systems are positioned on the aircraft to apply balanced forces to the aircraft such that in the event of a failure, the aircraft remains stable and only experiences a loss in altitude or speed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power distribution system for an electrically powered aircraft, the power distribution system comprising:
a plurality of batteries;
a plurality of electric propulsion systems;
a plurality of power distribution circuits, each coupling a respective battery of the plurality of batteries to two or more respective electric propulsion systems of the plurality of electric propulsion systems, the two or more respective electric propulsion systems positioned on the electrically powered aircraft to apply balanced forces to the electrically powered aircraft; and
a plurality of electrical busses, each electrical bus coupling a respective pair of power distribution circuits from the plurality of power distribution circuits, and wherein the each of the plurality of electrical busses couple two respective batteries of the plurality of batteries to four electric propulsion systems of the plurality of electric propulsion systems.

2. The power distribution system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of contactors, each of which is coupled to a respective battery of the plurality of batteries and a respective electrical bus of the plurality of electrical busses, and each of which is configured to decouple their respective battery from their respective electrical bus.

3. The power distribution system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of current meters, each of which is coupled to a respective battery of the plurality of batteries, and each of which is configured to measure current entering or exiting the respective battery, such that the respective battery can be decoupled from its respective electrical bus of the plurality of electrical busses when a maximum threshold current is exceeded or a minimum threshold current is not satisfied.

4. The power distribution system of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of batteries is twelve batteries, the plurality of electric propulsion systems is twelve electric propulsion systems, the plurality of power distribution circuits is twelve power distribution circuits, the plurality of electrical busses is six electrical busses, and the plurality of current meters is twelve current meters.

5. The power distribution system of claim 4 , wherein each of the twelve batteries is one battery module.

6. The power distribution system of claim 1 wherein the balanced forces applied to the electrically powered aircraft are balanced with respect to a center of gravity (CG) of the electrically powered aircraft.

7. The power distribution system of claim 1 wherein the two or more respective electric propulsion systems are diametrically opposed from one another with respect to a center of gravity (CG) of the electrically powered aircraft.

8. A power distribution system for an electrically powered aircraft, the power distribution system comprising:
a first battery;
a second battery;
a first electric propulsion system that generates a first force;
a second electric propulsion system that generates a second force, wherein the first and the second forces are balanced with respect to a center of gravity of the electrically powered aircraft;
a third electric propulsion system that generates a third force;
a fourth electric propulsion system that generates a fourth force, wherein the third and the fourth forces are balanced with respect to the center of gravity of the electrically powered aircraft;
a first power distribution circuit coupling the first battery to the first electric propulsion system and the second electric propulsion system; and
a second power distribution circuit coupling the second battery to the third electric propulsion system and the fourth electric propulsion system; and
an electrical bus coupling the first power distribution circuit and the second power distribution circuit, such that the electrical bus couples the first battery and the second battery to the first electric propulsion system, the second electric propulsion system, the third electric propulsion system, and the fourth electric propulsion system.

9. The power distribution system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a first contactor coupled to the first battery and the electrical bus, the first contactor being configured to decouple the first battery from the electrical bus; and
a second contactor coupled to the second battery and the electrical bus, the second contactor being configured to decouple the second battery from the electrical bus.

10. The power distribution system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a first current meter coupled to the first battery, the first current meter being configured to measure current entering or exiting the first battery, such that the first battery can be decoupled from the electrical bus when a maximum threshold current is exceeded or a minimum threshold current is not satisfied; and
a second current meter coupled to the second battery, the second current meter being configured to measure current entering or exiting the second battery, such that the second battery can be decoupled from the electrical bus when the maximum threshold current is exceeded or the minimum threshold current is not satisfied.

11. The power distribution system of claim 10 , wherein the first battery has a single battery module, and the second battery has a single battery module.

12. The power distribution system of claim 8 , wherein the first electric propulsion system is attached to a first wing of the electrically powered aircraft, the second electric propulsion system is attached to a second wing of the electrically powered aircraft, the third electric propulsion system is attached to the first wing of the electrically powered aircraft, and the fourth electric propulsion system is attached to the second wing of the electrically powered aircraft.

13. The power distribution system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a third power distribution circuit coupling a third battery to the first electric propulsion system and the second electric propulsion system; and
a fourth power distribution circuit coupling a fourth battery to the third electric propulsion system and the fourth electric propulsion system, wherein the first power distribution circuit and the second power distribution circuit are both primary power distribution circuits, and wherein the third power distribution circuit and the fourth power distribution circuit are both redundant power distribution circuits.

14. The power distribution system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a third power distribution circuit coupling a third battery to the first electric propulsion system and the second electric propulsion system; and
a fourth power distribution circuit coupling a fourth battery to the third electric propulsion system and the fourth electric propulsion system, wherein the first power distribution circuit and the fourth power distribution circuit are both primary power distribution circuits, and wherein the second power distribution circuit and the third power distribution circuit are both redundant power distribution circuits.

15. A method of powering an aircraft comprising:
providing electrical power to a first electric propulsion system and a second electric propulsion system via a first power distribution circuit coupled to a first battery, wherein the first electric propulsion system is attached to a left wing of the aircraft and the second electric propulsion system is attached to a right wing of the aircraft such that the first electric propulsion system and the second electric propulsion system apply respective forces that are balanced about a center of gravity of the aircraft; and
providing electric

Assignees

• Wisk Aero Llc

Inventors

• Long Geoffrey Alan
• Hom Lewis Romeo
• Kalemkeris Marko
• Burgart Michael John
• Bender Joshua
• Leite Fernando
• Gowda Arun
• Silva Tiago

Classifications

• B64D27/34

  All-electric aircraft · CPC title

• B64D27/31

  within, or attached to, wings · CPC title

• B64D27/357

  using batteries · CPC title

• B60L50/60

  using power supplied by batteries (in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75) · CPC title

• B64D2221/00

  Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft · CPC title