Aircraft battery containment pods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016107756-A1
Application number	US-201414517101-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 17, 2014
Priority date	Oct 17, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A battery containment pod including a body formed of a lightweight material. The body has an aerodynamic exterior shape and an interior cavity formed in the lightweight material, the size and shape of the interior cavity designed to accommodate one or more battery packs. A smooth exterior coating covers the exterior shape of the body, and an attachment structure formed in or on the body allows the body to be coupled to a flight vehicle. Other implementations are disclosed and claimed.

First claim

1 . A battery containment pod comprising:
a body formed of a lightweight material, the body having an aerodynamic exterior shape and an interior cavity formed in the lightweight material, the size and shape of the interior cavity designed to accommodate one or more battery packs; a smooth exterior coating covering the exterior shape of the body; and an attachment structure formed in or on the body to allow the body to be coupled to a flight vehicle.

2 . The pod of claim 1 wherein the lightweight material is extruded polystyrene.

3 . The pod of claim 1 wherein the exterior coating is a bi-axially oriented polyethylene terephthalate.

4 . The pod of claim 1 , further comprising a thermally insulating fire-resistant material lining the interior cavity.

5 . The pod of claim 1 wherein the aerodynamic exterior shape is axisymmetric.

6 . The pod of claim 5 wherein the cross-sectional shape of the axisymmetric exterior shape is a NACA 0023 airfoil.

7 . The pod of claim 1 wherein the exterior shape of the body is such that the body generates no lift.

8 . The pod of claim 1 , further comprising a pylon coupled to the attachment structure, wherein the pylon can be used to couple the pod to a wing spar of the flight vehicle.

9 . The pod of claim 8 , further comprising a safety cable to couple the battery packs, when present, to the pylon and an electrical cable extending from the interior cavity to at least the exterior surface to couple the battery packs, when present, to a corresponding electrical connector in the pylon.

10 . The pod of claim 1 , further comprising a strip of abrasion-resistant material positioned on the exterior coating on a lower part of the body.

11 . The pod of claim 10 wherein the abrasion-resistant material is a metal or an aramid fiber material.

12 . The pod of claim 1 wherein the body includes a channel formed therein to connect the internal cavity to the exterior of the pod.

13 . The pod of claim 12 , further comprising a heat pipe positioned in the channel and extending from the internal cavity to the exterior of the pod.

14 . A flight vehicle comprising:
a fuselage; a wing including a spar structurally coupled to the fuselage; a battery containment pod, the battery containment pod including:
a body formed of a lightweight material, the body having an aerodynamic exterior shape and an interior cavity formed in the lightweight material, the size and shape of the interior cavity de-signed to accommodate one or more battery packs,
a smooth exterior coating covering the exterior shape of the body, and
an attachment structure formed in or on the body; and
a pylon coupled to the attachment structure and to the spar.

15 . The flight vehicle of claim 14 wherein the lightweight material is extruded polystyrene.

16 . The flight vehicle of claim 14 wherein the exterior coating is a bi-axially oriented polyethylene terephthalate.

17 . The flight vehicle of claim 14 , further comprising a thermally insulating fire-resistant material lining the interior cavity.

18 . The flight vehicle of claim 14 wherein the aerodynamic exterior shape is axisymmetric.

19 . The flight vehicle of claim 18 wherein the cross-sectional shape of the axisymmetric exterior shape is a NACA 0023 airfoil.

20 . The flight vehicle of claim 14 wherein the exterior shape of the body is such that the body generates no lift.

21 . The flight vehicle of claim 14 , further comprising a safety cable to couple the battery packs, when present, to the pylon and an electrical cable extending from the interior cavity to at least the exterior surface to couple battery packs, when present, to a corresponding electrical connector in the pylon.

22 . The flight vehicle of claim 14 , further comprising a strip of abrasion-resistant material positioned on the exterior coating on a lower part of the body.

23 . The flight vehicle of claim 22 wherein the abrasion-resistant material is a metal or an aramid fiber material.

24 . The flight vehicle of claim 14 wherein the body includes a channel formed therein to connect the internal cavity to the exterior of the pod.

25 . The flight vehicle of claim 24 , further comprising a heat pipe positioned in the channel and extending from the internal cavity to the exterior of the pod.

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Liske Kyle
• Nubbe Matthew A

Classifications

• B64C7/02 Primary

  Nacelles · CPC title

• B64D27/24

  using steam or spring force (jet aircraft B64D27/16) · CPC title

• B64D27/357

  using batteries · CPC title

• B64D27/26 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title