Method of determining a remaining operating time of an electrical energy storage unit in an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025076395-A1
Application number	US-202418655535-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 6, 2024
Priority date	Aug 31, 2023
Publication date	Mar 6, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of determining a remaining operating time of an electrical energy storage unit in an aircraft, comprising: using a first sensor arrangement for measuring first performance parameters of the electrical energy storage unit; determining first performance indicators based on the first performance parameters; using at least one second sensor arrangement for measuring second performance parameters of the electrical energy storage unit; determining second performance indicators based on the second performance parameters; comparing the first performance indicators with the second performance indicators to determine consolidated performance indicators; and determining predictive remaining operating times of the electrical energy storage unit based on the consolidated performance indicators, wherein the predictive remaining operating times comprise at least a predictive nominal remaining operating time and a predictive emergency remaining operating time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of determining a remaining operating time of an electrical energy storage unit in an aircraft, comprising:
using a first sensor arrangement that is assembled with the electrical energy storage unit for measuring first performance parameters of the electrical energy storage unit; using a first computation unit that is assembled with the electrical energy storage unit for determining first performance indicators based on the first performance parameters; using at least one second sensor arrangement that is associated with the electrical energy storage unit for measuring second performance parameters of the electrical energy storage unit; using at least one second computation unit that is associated with the electrical energy storage unit for determining second performance indicators based on the second performance parameters; using a vehicle management system of the aircraft for: comparing the first performance indicators with the second performance indicators to determine consolidated performance indicators; and determining predictive remaining operating times of the electrical energy storage unit based on the consolidated performance indicators, wherein the predictive remaining operating times comprise at least a predictive nominal remaining operating time and a predictive emergency remaining operating time.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first performance parameters of the electrical energy storage unit comprise at least a first electric current, a first voltage and a first temperature of the electrical energy storage unit.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first performance indicators comprise at least a first electric current value derived from the first electric current, a first voltage value derived from the first voltage, and a first temperature value derived from the first temperature.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second performance parameters of the electrical energy storage unit comprise at least a second electric current, a second voltage, and a second temperature of the electrical energy storage unit.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the second performance indicators comprise at least a second current value derived from the second electric current, a second voltage value derived from the second voltage, and a second temperature value derived from the second temperature.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein using the first sensor arrangement for measuring the first performance parameters of the electrical energy storage unit and using the at least one second sensor arrangement for measuring the second performance parameters of the electrical energy storage unit is performed simultaneously and repeatedly at predetermined time intervals, and wherein the first performance indicators and the second performance indicators are provided with respective time stamps.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the first performance indicators with the second performance indicators to determine consolidated performance indicators comprises, for each one of the first performance indicators:
determining whether a difference between the first performance indicator and an associated one of the second performance indicators lies within a predetermined performance tolerance, if the difference between the first performance indicator and an associated one of the second performance indicators lies inside of the predetermined performance tolerance, setting the first performance indicator as consolidated performance indicator, and if the difference between the first performance indicator and an associated one of the second performance indicators lies outside of the predetermined performance tolerance, invalidating the first performance indicator and the associated one of the second performance indicators.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
using the first computation unit for determining a first state-of-charge value based on the first performance parameters; and using the vehicle management system of the aircraft for determining a second state-of-charge value based on the consolidated performance indicators.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein comparing the first performance indicators with the second performance indicators to determine the consolidated performance indicators comprises comparing the first state-of-charge value with the second state-of-charge value.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein comparing the first state-of-charge value with the second state-of-charge value comprises:
determining whether a difference between the first state-of-charge value and the second state-of-charge value lies within a predetermined state-of-charge tolerance, if the difference between the first state-of-charge value and the second state-of-charge value lies inside of the predetermined state-of-charge tolerance, setting the first state-of-charge value as consolidated state-of-charge indicator, and if the difference between the first state-of-charge value and the second state-of-charge value lies outside of the predetermined state-of-charge tolerance, invalidating the first state-of-charge value and the second state-of-charge value.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein using the vehicle management system of the aircraft for determining the predictive remaining operating times of the electrical energy storage unit based on the consolidated performance indicators comprises for each one of the consolidated performance indicators:
determining a first further developing of the consolidated performance indicator by extrapolating the consolidated performance indicator assuming a normal load case determined on the basis of an actual power request from the electrical energy storage unit; and determining a second further developing of the consolidated performance indicator by extrapolating the consolidated performance indicator assuming an emergency load case determined on the basis of a predefined emergency power request from the electrical energy storage unit.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein using the vehicle management system of the aircraft for determining the predictive remaining operating times of the electrical energy storage unit based on the consolidated performance indicators further comprises for each one of the consolidated performance indicators:
correlating the first further developing of the consolidated performance indicator with a predefined nominal limit of the consolidated performance indicator for determining the predictive nominal remaining operating time of the electrical energy storage unit; and correlating the second further developing of the consolidated performance indicator with a predefined emergency limit of the consolidated performance indicator for determining the predictive emergency remaining operating time of the electrical energy storage unit.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
using the vehicle management system for: generating display indications associated with the predictive nominal remaining operating time of the electrical energy storage unit and the predictive emergency remaining operating time of the electrical energy storage unit; and providing the display indications to a first limit indicator of the aircraft for display.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
using the vehicle management system for generating alerts associated with the predictive nominal remaining operating time of the electrical energy storage unit and the predictive emergency remaining operating time of the electrical energy storage unit.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherei

Assignees

• Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH

Inventors

• Geiss Michael

Classifications

• H02J7/82

  Control of state of charge [SOC] · CPC title

• B64C27/04

  Helicopters · CPC title

• B60L2240/54

  related to batteries · CPC title

• B60L2200/10

  Air crafts · CPC title

• B64D27/357

  using batteries · CPC title