Charge control system and charge control method and aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12491994-B2
Application number	US-202318186221-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2023
Priority date	Mar 25, 2022
Publication date	Dec 9, 2025
Grant date	Dec 9, 2025

Abstract

To control charging of a battery without applying an overload by power feed of a generator based on a state of charge of the battery. A charge control system includes an engine and a motor generator for supplying generated power to two motors of a VTOL rotor and a cruising rotor, a plurality of batteries including two batteries for storing the electrical power generated by the generator and supply the stored electrical power to each of the two motors, a switch for connecting or disconnecting each of the batteries to or from the generator, and a control section for controlling the switch based on a state of charge of each of the batteries to disconnect one battery with a larger charge amount out of the two batteries from the generator and connect the other battery with the smaller charge amount out of the two batteries to the generator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A charge control system for controlling charging of a plurality of batteries, the charge control system comprising:
a generator configured to supply generated power to first and second loads; a plurality of batteries connected to the generator in parallel and configured to store electrical power generated by the generator, the plurality of batteries including first and second batteries respectively connected to the first and second loads and configured to respectively supply the electrical power stored therein to the first and second loads; a plurality of switches, each of which being provided between the generator and one corresponding battery among the plurality of batteries and configured to connect or disconnect the one corresponding battery to or from the generator; and a control section configured to control the plurality of switches based on a state of charge of each of the plurality of batteries to
disconnect one battery with a larger charge amount out of the first and second batteries from the generator to supply the electrical power stored in the one battery to one load connected to the one battery out of the first and second loads, and
connect an other battery with a smaller charge amount out of the first and second batteries to the generator to charge the other battery by the electrical power generated by the generator and to supply the generated power from the generator to an other load connected to the other battery out of the first and second loads.

2 . The charge control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the control section is configured to adjust a power generation amount by the generator according to states of charge of remaining batteries except for the one battery among the plurality of batteries.

3 . The charge control system according to claim 2 , wherein
when a charge amount of the other battery matches with a charge amount of the one battery within a first threshold charge amount, the control section is configured to control a switch provided between the generator and the one battery among the plurality of switches to connect the one battery to the generator.

4 . The charge control system according to claim 3 , wherein
when a difference between a charge amount of each of the first and second batteries is larger than a first threshold charge amount, the control section is configured to disconnect the one battery from the generator.

5 . The charge control system according to claim 2 , wherein
when a difference between a charge amount of each of the first and second batteries is larger than a first threshold charge amount, the control section is configured to disconnect the one battery from the generator.

6 . An aircraft comprising:
the charge control system according to claim 2 , wherein the first and second loads are propulsion systems configured to generate thrust to fly.

7 . The charge control system according to claim 1 , wherein
when a charge amount of the other battery matches with a charge amount of the one battery within a first threshold charge amount, the control section is configured to control a switch provided between the generator and the one battery among the plurality of switches to connect the one battery to the generator.

8 . The charge control system according to claim 7 , wherein
when a difference between a charge amount of each of the first and second batteries is larger than a first threshold charge amount, the control section is configured to disconnect the one battery from the generator.

9 . An aircraft comprising:
the charge control system according to claim 7 , wherein the first and second loads are propulsion systems configured to generate thrust to fly.

10 . The charge control system according to claim 1 , wherein
when a difference between a charge amount of each of the first and second batteries is larger than a first threshold charge amount, the control section is configured to disconnect the one battery from the generator.

11 . The charge control system according to claim 10 , wherein
when the charge amount of each of the first and second batteries is larger than a second threshold charge amount, the control section is configured to disconnect the one battery from the generator.

12 . The charge control system according to claim 11 , wherein
the first and second batteries are respectively batteries with a most charge amount and a least charge amount among the plurality of batteries.

13 . The charge control system according to claim 12 , wherein
when a difference between a charge amount of a third battery with a most charge amount among remaining batteries except for the one battery among the plurality of batteries and a charge amount of the other battery is larger than the first threshold charge amount, the control section is configured to disconnect the third battery from the generator.

14 . The charge control system according to claim 13 , wherein
the control section is configured to adjust a power generation amount by the generator according to states of charge of the remaining batteries which are connected to the generator among the plurality of batteries.

15 . The charge control system according to claim 10 , wherein
the first and second batteries are respectively batteries with a most charge amount and a least charge amount among the plurality of batteries.

16 . The charge control system according to claim 15 , wherein
when a difference between a charge amount of a third battery with a most charge amount among remaining batteries except for the one battery among the plurality of batteries and a charge amount of the other battery is larger than the first threshold charge amount, the control section is configured to disconnect the third battery from the generator.

17 . The charge control system according to claim 16 , wherein
the control section is configured to adjust a power generation amount by the generator according to states of charge of the remaining batteries which are connected to the generator among the plurality of batteries.

18 . An aircraft comprising:
the charge control system according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second loads are propulsion systems configured to generate thrust to fly.

19 . The aircraft according to claim 18 , further comprising:
an attitude detection unit configured to detect an attitude of an aircraft body arranged to store the first and second loads, wherein when it is determined that the attitude of the aircraft body is stable based on a detection result of the attitude detection unit, the control section is configured to control a switch provided between the generator and the one battery among the plurality of switches to disconnect the one battery from the generator.

20 . A charge control method of controlling charging of a plurality of batteries, the charge control method comprising:
detecting a state of charge of each of a plurality of batteries connected to a generator in parallel and configured to store electrical power generated by the generator, the plurality of batteries including first and second batteries respectively connected to first and second loads and configured to respectively supply the electrical power stored therein to the first and second loads; controlling a plurality of switches, each of which being provided between the generator and one corresponding battery among the plurality of batteries and configured to connect or disconnect the one corresponding battery to or from the gene

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ishihara Yuya

Classifications

• B64D35/02

  specially adapted for specific power plants · CPC title

• B64D35/021

  for electric power plants · CPC title

• B64D27/026

  comprising different types of power plants, e.g. combination of a piston engine and a gas-turbine (Hybrid electric aircraft B64D27/33) · CPC title

• B60L58/13

  Maintaining the SoC within a determined range · CPC title

• B60L2200/10

  Air crafts · CPC title