Hybrid electric aircraft including fuel pod with electrical interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12570407-B2
Application number	US-202318223210-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2023
Priority date	Apr 29, 2022
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

A fuel pod for a hybrid electric aircraft. The fuel pod includes a housing, a fuel tank, a generator and a connection mechanism. The fuel tank is contained within the housing and is configured to hold a fuel therein. The generator is contained within the housing and is connected to the fuel tank. The generator is configured to power at least one of a plurality of flight components of a hybrid electric aircraft. The connection mechanism is at the housing and is configured to removably attach the fuel pod to the hybrid electric aircraft. The connection mechanism includes an electrical interface configured to electrically link to at least one of the plurality of flight components of the hybrid electric aircraft, and a communication interface configured to communicatively link to a flight controller communicatively connected to the hybrid electric aircraft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A hybrid electric aircraft comprising:
a flight component configured to propel the hybrid electric aircraft; a battery configured to selectively power the flight component; a flight controller configured to control operation of the hybrid electric aircraft; and a fuel pod comprising:
a housing;
a fuel tank contained within the housing, wherein the fuel tank is configured to hold a fuel therein;
a generator contained within the housing and connected to the fuel tank, wherein the generator is configured to power one or more of the battery and the flight component, wherein the generator is configured to recharge the battery during operation; and
a connection mechanism at the housing, wherein the connection mechanism is configured to releasably attach the fuel pod to a surface of the hybrid electric aircraft, wherein the connection mechanism comprises:
an electrical interface configured to electrically link the fuel pod to the flight component.

2 . The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the hybrid electric aircraft comprises an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

3 . The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the fuel pod is attached to a wing of the hybrid electric aircraft.

4 . The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the fuel pod is attached to a boom of the hybrid electric aircraft.

5 . The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the battery is mounted within a fuselage of the hybrid electric aircraft.

6 . The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the fuel pod further comprises a sensor, wherein the sensor is communicatively connected to the flight controller.

7 . The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 6 , wherein the sensor is configured to detect characteristics associated with the battery.

8 . The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 6 , wherein the sensor is configured to detect an electric current emanating from the generator.

9 . The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 6 , wherein the sensor is configured to detect a flight mode of the hybrid electric aircraft.

10 . The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the flight component comprises a propulsor component.

11 . The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 10 , wherein the propulsor component comprises an electric motor.

12 . The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 10 , wherein the propulsor component comprises at least a lift component.

13 . The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 10 , wherein the propulsor component comprises a pusher component.

14 . The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the flight controller is configured to selectively engage at least one of the battery and the generator to power the flight component as a function of a flight mode of the hybrid electric aircraft.

15 . The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 14 , wherein the flight mode comprises fixed-wing based flight.

16 . The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 14 , wherein the flight mode comprises rotor-based flight.

17 . The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the flight controller is configured to selectively engage at least one of the battery and the generator to power the flight component as a function of a state of charge of the battery.

18 . The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the battery and the generator are configured to power the flight component simultaneously.

19 . The hybrid electric aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the connection mechanism further comprises an aircraft port of the hybrid electric aircraft.

Assignees

• Beta Air Llc

Inventors

• Clark Kyle B
• Wiegman Herman

Classifications

• B64D27/34

  All-electric aircraft · CPC title

• B64D27/31

  within, or attached to, wings · CPC title

• B64D31/18

  for hybrid-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

• B64C29/0008

  having its flight directional axis horizontal when grounded · CPC title