Energy Cell Regenerative System For Electrically Powered Aircraft

• US 20170057650A1
• Filed: 04/06/2015
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronair, LLC
• Original Assignee: Electronair, LLC
• Inventors: Walter-Robinson, Dale Martin
• Granted Patent: US 9,643,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/026 comprising different types of power plants, e.g. combination of a piston engine and a gas-turbine Hybrid electric aircraft B64D27/33
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 41/00 Power installations for auxiliary purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 41/007 Ram air turbines
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/32 for charging batteries from a charging set comprising a non-electric prime mover rotating at constant speed
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 53/00 Alleged dynamo-electric perpetua mobilia
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 4/00 Arrangements specially adapted for regulating or controlling the speed or torque of electric motors that can be connected to two or more different electric power supplies vector control H02P21/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/50 On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 74/09 Perpetual motion gimmicks

Abstract

A system for providing regenerative power for an aircraft to sustain flight includes multiple energy cells disposed within the aircraft, the energy cells being configured to supply power to a propulsion motor and electronics of the aircraft, a fan generator harnessing propeller blast created by an aircraft propeller and converting kinetic energy of the propeller blast into electrical energy, a charger receiving the electrical energy generated by the fan generator and using the electrical energy to recharge one or more of the energy cells, and a power transfer switch selectively connecting one of the energy cells to the propulsion motor and electronics of the aircraft, such that the energy cells are rotated one at a time to power the propulsion motor and electronics. During recharging, the one or more of the energy cells are disconnected by the power transfer switch.

Claims

1. A system for providing regenerative power for an aircraft to sustain flight, comprising:

a plurality of rechargeable energy cells disposed within the aircraft, the energy cells being configured to supply power to a propulsion motor and electronics of the aircraft;

a fan generator harnessing propeller blast created by an aircraft propeller and converting kinetic energy of the propeller blast into electrical energy;

a charger receiving the electrical energy generated by the fan generator and using the electrical energy to recharge one or more of the energy cells; and

a power transfer switch selectively connecting one of the energy cells to the propulsion motor and electronics of the aircraft, such that the energy cells are rotated one at a time to power the propulsion motor and electronics;

wherein during recharging, the one or more of the energy cells are disconnected by the power transfer switch.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the charger recharges simultaneously two or more of the energy cells, which have discharged below a predefined low capacity threshold, to a substantially full capacity.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the charger provides balance charging of the two or more of the energy cells being recharged, the charger monitoring voltages of the two or more of the energy cells and adjusting a rate of charge applied to each of the two or more of the energy cells so that the two or more of the energy cells maintain the same voltage level.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control unit that determines which of the energy cells to recharge and which of the energy cells to use for sequentially powering the aircraft.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the control unit schedules at least two of the energy cells to be used one after another for powering the aircraft while simultaneously at least another two of the energy cells are charged to substantially full capacity;

wherein a time for the at least another two of the energy cells to finish charging is less than or equal to a time for the at least two of the energy cells to discharge completely.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the control unit determines that the at least another two of the energy cells have finished charging to substantially full capacity based on the at least another two of the energy cells each obtaining a capacity greater than a predefined high capacity threshold.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the control unit determines that the at least two of the energy cells have each discharged completely based on the at least two of the energy cells each having a capacity less than a predefined low capacity threshold.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the control unit controls the charger with respect to a charging rate applied to each of the one or more of the energy cells, the control unit setting the charging rate to be proportional to a discharge rate previously experienced by each of the one or more of the energy cells.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the control unit controls the power transfer switch to connect the one of the energy cells to the propulsion motor and electronics of the aircraft, based on the determination of which cells to use for sequentially powering the aircraft.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the charger includes an electric switch, said control unit controls the electric switch to connect the charger to the one or more of the energy cells for recharging.

11. The system of claim 4, wherein the control unit is an embedded programmable controller integrated within the charger.

12. The system of claim 4, wherein the control unit monitors electrical property data about each energy cell, said electrical property data comprising at least one of charge/discharge rates, real-time capacity level, input and output wattage, or temperature.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each energy cell comprises an internal battery management system that measures the electrical property data of the respective energy cell, the battery management system of each energy cell transmitting the electrical property data to at least one of the control unit or charger for processing.

14. The system of claim 4, wherein the control unit regulates a rotational speed at which a rotor of the fan generator spins, thereby providing a steady supply of electrical energy to the charger.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising an airflow sensor measuring a velocity of the prop blast, wherein the control unit uses the prop blast velocity as feedback to regulate the rotational speed at which the rotor of the fan generator spins.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the fan generator comprises one or more governors, the control unit directing the one or more governors to adjust a pitch angle of each blade of the rotor to compensate for variations in prop blast velocity and maintain the rotational speed of the rotor at a constant rpm.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a supercapacitor or ultracapacitor module electrically connected between the fan generator and the charger, the supercapacitor or ultracapacitor module minimizing voltage spikes in the electrical energy generated by the fan generator.

18. A system for providing regenerative power for an aircraft to sustain flight, comprising:

a plurality of rechargeable energy cells disposed within the aircraft, the energy cells being configured to supply power to a propulsion motor and electronics of the aircraft;

a fan generator harnessing propeller blast created by an aircraft propeller and converting kinetic energy of the propeller blast into electrical energy;

a charger receiving the electrical energy generated by the fan generator and using the electrical energy to recharge two or more of the energy cells;

a power transfer switch selectively connecting one of the energy cells to the propulsion motor and electronics of the aircraft, such that the energy cells are rotated one at a time to power the propulsion motor and electronics;

a control unit controlling the fan generator, charger and power transfer switch to recharge the two or more of the energy cells to substantially full charge for subsequent use in powering the propulsion motor and electronics; and

a supercapacitor or ultracapacitor module and an DC/AC inverter electrically connected between the fan generator and the charger;

wherein the fan generator outputs the electrical energy as DC power, the supercapacitor or ultracapacitor module minimizes voltage spikes in the DC power, and the DC/AC inverter changes the DC power to AC power for use by the charger;

wherein during recharging, the two or more of the energy cells are disconnected by the power transfer switch.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a blocking diode electrically connected between the fan generator and the supercapacitor or ultracapacitor module, the blocking diode restricting flow of the electrical energy to be only in a direction towards the charger.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising an intake scoop to collect the propeller blast and direct the propeller blast towards the fan generator.

21. The system of claim 18, further comprising an exhaust duct to direct the propeller blast exiting the fan generator to a rear of the aircraft.

22. A method of providing regenerative power for an aircraft to sustain flight, comprising the following steps of:

installing a plurality of energy cells into the aircraft, the energy cells being adapted to supply power to a propulsion motor and electronics of the aircraft;

assigning the energy cells into one of a first group and a second group;

connecting each energy cell of the first group via a power transfer switch to the propulsion motor and electronics one at a time such that the energy cells of the first group sequentially power the propulsion motor and electronics for cruise flight,

disconnecting each energy cell of the second group from the propulsion motor and electronics;

recharging the energy cells of the second group simultaneously via a charger while the energy cells of the first group are powering the propulsion motor and electronics; and

switching tasks of the first group and the second group when the energy cells of the first group have discharged substantially, such that the connecting step is applied to the second group and the disconnecting and recharging steps are applied to the first group;

wherein the recharging step includes the steps of;

harnessing propeller blast created by the propulsion motor spinning a propeller; and

converting kinetic energy of the propeller blast into electrical energy via a fan generator; and

wherein the fan generator is mounted to the aircraft downstream of the propeller blast and the fan generator is regulated to have a constant rotational speed to provide a steady supply of the electrical energy to the charger.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of monitoring continuously property data of each of the plurality of energy cells, the property data including a capacity level and charge/discharge rate;

wherein the step of recharging is completed when the capacity level of each of the energy cells of the second group is equal to or greater than a predefined high capacity threshold.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of monitoring continuously property data of each of the plurality of energy cells, the property data including a capacity level and charge/discharge rate;

wherein the step of connecting is completed when the capacity level of each of the energy cells of the first group is equal to or less than a predefined low capacity threshold.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of recharging includes providing balance charging to avoid overcharging and undercharging the energy cells of the second group, such that the energy cells of the second group are maintained at the same voltage.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein during takeoff, at least two of the energy cells of the first group are connected in series via the power transfer switch to the propulsion motor and electronics at the same time to provide increased voltage to the propulsion motor and electronics.

23. (canceled)