NON-CONTACT POWER SUPPLY AND DATA TRANSFER ON AERIAL VEHICLES

• US 20170253319A1
• Filed: 03/04/2016
• Published: 09/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Vance, Jonathan B., Johnston, Scott R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,377,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/50 using electrical energy
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2211/00 Modular constructions of airplanes or helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/02 characterised by special use
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 41/00 Power installations for auxiliary purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/10 Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/10 Wings

Abstract

An aircraft includes a first structure that includes a first surface and a first coil conformed to, or embedded within, the first surface. The aircraft includes a second structure that includes a second surface and a second coil conformed to, or embedded within, the second surface. The second structure is configured to couple to the first structure such that the first coil is aligned with the second coil to enable inductive coupling between the first coil and the second coil.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising:

a first structure on the aircraft including a first surface and a first coil conformed to, or embedded within, the first surface; and

a second structure on the aircraft including a second surface and a second coil conformed to, or embedded within, the second surface, the second structure on the aircraft configured to couple to the first structure on the aircraft such that the first coil is aligned with the second coil to enable inductive coupling between the first coil and the second coil.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the first structure includes multiple first coils including the first coil.

3. The aircraft of claim 2, further comprising a processor electrically coupled to the multiple first coils, wherein the processor is configured to detect a configuration of the second structure based on which coils of the multiple first coils are inductively coupled to corresponding coils of one or more second coils of the second structure, wherein the one or more second coils include the second coil.

4. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the first surface is non-planar and the second surface is non-planar.

5. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the first structure includes a fuselage and the second structure includes a wing.

6. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the first structure includes a wing and the second structure includes a winglet, or wherein the first structure includes the wing and the second structure includes a moveable control surface.

7. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the first coil is hermetically sealed and wherein the second coil is hermetically sealed, wherein the first coil is embedded in the first structure and the second coil is embedded in the second structure, or a combination thereof.

8. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising a power supply electrically coupled to the first coil, wherein the first coil is configured to inductively transfer power to the second coil when power from the power supply is supplied to the first coil and the second structure is coupled to the first structure.

9. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter coupled to the first coil and configured to provide a data signal to the first coil, wherein the first coil is configured to inductively transfer data to the second coil when the data signal is applied to the first coil and the second structure is coupled to the first structure.

10. A method of configuring an aerial vehicle, the method comprising:

mating a first surface of a first structure of an aerial vehicle and a second surface of a second structure of the aerial vehicle such that a first coil conformed to the first surface or embedded within the first structure is aligned with a second coil conformed to the second surface or embedded within the second structure; and

causing a signal to be applied to the first coil or to the second coil such that the first coil and the second coil are inductively coupled.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting a parameter associated with the first coil.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the parameter corresponds to an effective impedance, a frequency of a time-varying signal, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising configuring a system of the aerial vehicle based on the parameter.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first structure includes a fuselage of the aerial vehicle and the second structure includes a wing of the aerial vehicle.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting a parameter associated with a feedback signal transmitted by the second coil in response to application of the signal to the second coil; and

determining whether the first structure and the second structure are properly mated or aligned based on the parameter.

16. A method of manufacturing an aerial vehicle, the method comprising:

forming a first coil conformed to a first surface of, or embedded within, a first structure of an aerial vehicle using a first direct write technique; and

forming a second coil conformed to a second surface of, or embedded within, a second structure of the aerial vehicle using a second direct write technique, the second structure configured to couple to the first structure such that the first coil is aligned with the second coil to enable inductive coupling between the first coil and the second coil.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first structure includes a fuselage of the aerial vehicle and the second structure includes a wing of the aerial vehicle.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising hermetically sealing the first coil and hermetically sealing the second coil.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the first direct write technique is a same technique as the second direct write technique.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the first direct write technique is a different technique than the second direct write technique.