Inverter circuits and electrical propulsion systems for evtol aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025289563-A1
Application number	US-202519225566-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 2, 2025
Priority date	Oct 6, 2022
Publication date	Sep 18, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrical propulsion system includes an electrical motor configured to drive one or more propellers of the aircraft, a capacitor configured to stabilize a direct current (DC) bus voltage, a first inverter circuit coupled to the capacitor and configured to convert the DC bus voltage to alternate current (AC) voltages to drive a first set of stator windings of the electrical motor, in response to a first pulse width modulation (PWM) vector, and a second inverter circuit coupled to the capacitor and configured to convert the DC bus voltage to AC voltages to drive a second set of stator windings of the electrical motor, in response to a second PWM vector. The first PWM vector and the second PWM vector are substantially equal and opposite vectors.

First claim

1 . A propulsion system, comprising:
an electrical motor configured to drive an output shaft; and a capacitor configured to stabilize a direct current (DC) bus voltage; a first inverter circuit coupled to the capacitor and configured to convert the DC bus voltage on a first bus of the first inverter circuit to alternate current (AC) voltages to drive a first set of stator windings of the electrical motor, based on a first pulse width modulation (PWM) vector; and a second inverter circuit coupled to the capacitor and configured to convert the DC bus voltage on a second bus of the second inverter circuit to AC voltages to drive a second set of stator windings of the electrical motor, based on a second PWM vector, wherein the first PWM vector and the second PWM vector are substantially equal and opposite vectors.

2 . The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the first set of stator windings and the second set of stator winding are shifted by substantially 180 degrees.

3 . The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the first inverter circuit is controlled using a center aligned space vector modulation.

4 . The propulsion system of claim 3 , wherein the second inverter circuit is controlled using an inverted center aligned space vector modulation.

5 . The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the first inverter circuit is configured to output a first set of three-phase AC voltages and the second inverter circuit is configured to output a second set of three-phase AC voltages.

6 . The propulsion system of claim 5 , wherein a phase of the first set of three-phase AC voltages and a corresponding phase of the second set of three-phase AC voltages are two interleaved phases with a phase-shift of substantially 180 degrees.

7 . The propulsion system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a DC common-mode filter coupled to the capacitor and configured to reduce common mode signals at a DC-side of the first inverter circuit and the second inverter circuit.

8 . The propulsion system of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more AC common-mode chokes coupled to an AC-side of the first inverter circuit or the second inverter circuit to reduce common mode signals.

9 . A method for controlling a propulsion system, comprising:
stabilizing, by a capacitor, a direct current (DC) bus voltage; converting, by a first inverter circuit coupled to the capacitor, the DC bus voltage to alternate current (AC) voltages to drive a first set of stator windings of an electrical motor according to a first pulse width modulation (PWM) vector; converting, by a second inverter circuit coupled to the capacitor, the DC bus voltage to AC voltages to drive a second set of stator windings of the electrical motor, in response to a second PWM vector, wherein the first PWM vector and the second PWM vector are substantially equal and opposite vectors; and driving an output shaft by the electrical motor.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first set of stator windings and the second set of stator winding are shifted by substantially 180 degrees.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
controlling the first inverter circuit using a center aligned space vector modulation.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
controlling the second inverter circuit using an inverted center aligned space vector modulation.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
output a first set of three-phase AC voltages by the first inverter circuit to drive the first set of stator windings; and output a second set of three-phase AC voltages by the second inverter circuit to drive the second set of stator windings.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein a phase of the first set of three-phase AC voltages and a corresponding phase of the second set of three-phase AC voltages are two interleaved phases with a phase-shift of substantially 180 degrees.

15 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
reducing, by a DC common-mode filter coupled to the capacitor, common mode signals at a DC-side of the first inverter circuit and the second inverter circuit.

16 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
reducing, by one or more AC common-mode chokes coupled to an AC-side of the first inverter circuit or the second inverter circuit, common mode signals at the AC-side of the first inverter circuit and the second inverter circuit.

17 . An integrated circuit, comprising circuitry for performing a method for controlling a propulsion system, the circuitry is configured to:
control a first inverter circuit coupled to a capacitor, to convert a DC bus voltage to alternate current (AC) voltages to drive a first set of stator windings of an electrical motor according to a first pulse width modulation (PWM) vector; and control a second inverter circuit coupled to the capacitor, to convert the DC bus voltage to AC voltages to drive a second set of stator windings of the electrical motor, in response to a second PWM vector, wherein the first PWM vector and the second PWM vector are substantially equal and opposite vectors to drive an output shaft by the electrical motor.

18 . The integrated circuit of claim 17 , wherein the first set of stator windings and the second set of stator winding are shifted by substantially 180 degrees.

19 . The integrated circuit of claim 17 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the first inverter circuit using a center aligned space vector modulation.

20 . The integrated circuit of claim 19 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the second inverter circuit using an inverted center aligned space vector modulation.

21 . The integrated circuit of claim 17 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
control the first inverter circuit to output a first set of three-phase AC voltages by the first inverter circuit to drive the first set of stator windings; and control the second inverter circuit to output a second set of three-phase AC voltages by the second inverter circuit to drive the second set of stator windings.

22 . The integrated circuit of claim 21 , wherein a phase of the first set of three-phase AC voltages and a corresponding phase of the second set of three-phase AC voltages are two interleaved phases with a phase-shift of substantially 180 degrees.

23 . The integrated circuit of claim 17 , wherein a DC common-mode filter is coupled to the capacitor and configured to reduce common mode signals at a DC-side of the first inverter circuit and the second inverter circuit.

24 . The integrated circuit of claim 17 , wherein one or more AC common-mode chokes are coupled to an AC-side of the first inverter circuit or the second inverter circuit to reduce common mode signals.

25 .- 30 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Archer Aviation Inc

Inventors

• Spiteri Stephen

Classifications

• H02K15/40

  Assembling dynamo-electric machines (H02K15/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02K15/035

  on the rotor · CPC title

• H02K2215/00

  Specific aspects not provided for in other groups of this subclass relating to methods or apparatus specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining or repairing of dynamo-electric machines · CPC title

• H02P27/08

  with pulse width modulation · CPC title

• H02P27/06

  using DC to AC converters or inverters (H02P27/05 takes precedence) · CPC title