Aircraft battery containment pods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9845158-B2
Application number	US-201414517101-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2014
Priority date	Oct 17, 2014
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

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

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery containment pod comprising:
a solid body having an aerodynamic exterior shape and an interior cavity formed within the solid body, the size and shape of the interior cavity designed to accommodate one or more battery packs, wherein the solid body comprises insulating material;
a smooth exterior coating covering the exterior shape of the solid body;
an attachment structure formed in or on the solid body to allow the solid body to be coupled to a flight vehicle by a pylon;
a mechanical safety cable to couple the one or more battery packs, when present, to the pylon;
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; and
a channel extending from the internal cavity through the insulating material forming the solid body and through the smooth exterior coating to an exterior of the battery containment pod for conducting heat to exterior air surrounding the battery containment pod.

2. The pod of claim 1 wherein the solid body is formed of 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 solid body is such that the pod generates no lift.

8. The pod of claim 1 wherein the pylon is coupled to the attachment structure for coupling the pod to a wing spar of the flight vehicle.

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

10. The pod of claim 9 wherein the abrasion-resistant material is a metal or an aramid fiber material.

11. The pod of claim 1 , further comprising a heat pipe positioned in the channel and extending from the internal cavity to the exterior of the pod.

12. A flight vehicle comprising:
a fuselage;
a wing including a spar structurally coupled to the fuselage;
a pylon coupled to the spar;
a battery containment pod, the battery containment pod including:
a solid body having an aerodynamic exterior shape and an interior cavity formed within the solid body, the size and shape of the interior cavity designed to accommodate one or more battery packs, wherein the solid body comprises insulating material;
a smooth exterior coating covering the exterior shape of the solid body;
an attachment structure formed in or on the solid body and coupled to the pylon;
a mechanical safety cable to couple the one or more battery packs, when present, to the pylon;
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; and
a channel extending from the internal cavity through the insulating material forming the solid body and through the smooth exterior coating to an exterior of the battery containment pod for conducting heat to exterior air surrounding the battery containment pod.

13. The flight vehicle of claim 12 wherein the solid body is formed of extruded polystyrene.

14. The flight vehicle of claim 12 wherein the exterior coating is a bi-axially oriented polyethylene terephthalate.

15. The flight vehicle of claim 12 , further comprising a thermally insulating fire-resistant material lining the interior cavity.

16. The flight vehicle of claim 12 wherein the aerodynamic exterior shape is axisymmetric.

17. The flight vehicle of claim 16 wherein the cross-sectional shape of the axisymmetric exterior shape is a NACA 0023 airfoil.

18. The flight vehicle of claim 12 wherein the exterior shape of the solid body is such that the pod generates no lift at zero angle of attack.

19. The flight vehicle of claim 12 , further comprising a strip of abrasion-resistant material positioned on the exterior coating on a lower part of the pod.

20. The flight vehicle of claim 19 wherein the abrasion-resistant material is a metal or an aramid fiber material.

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

22. The pod of claim 9 wherein the presence of the abrasion-resistant material transforms the pod into a landing gear for the flight vehicle.

23. The flight vehicle of claim 19 wherein the presence of the abrasion-resistant material transforms the pod into a landing gear for the flight vehicle.

Assignees

• X Dev Llc

Inventors

• Liske Kyle A
• Nubbe Matthew A

Classifications

• B64C7/02 Primary

  Nacelles · CPC title

• B64D27/24 Primary

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

• B64D27/357

  using batteries · CPC title

• Y02T50/62

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02T50/44

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic