SOLAR POWER SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20190115784A1
• Filed: 12/03/2018
• Published: 04/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Ehrmantraut, Adam Scott
• Granted Patent: US 10,554,073 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/353 using solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/31 generated by photovoltaics
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 5/00 Systems for regulating electric variables by detecting deviations in the electric input to the system and thereby controlling a device within the system to obtain a regulated output
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/30 Structural association with control circuits or drive circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/116 with gears
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/14 Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/14 Electronic commutators
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/30 Supporting structures being movable or adjustable, e.g. for angle adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/38 Energy storage means, e.g. batteries, structurally associated with PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 50/00 Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 : Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 : Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 : Weight reduction
• 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

Abstract

A solar power system comprising a solar panel, a load, and a battery pack group. The load comprising an electric motor operatively coupled with a propeller. The battery pack group comprises one or more voltage controllable battery packs, each of said one or more voltage controllable battery packs comprising a plurality of battery cells. The voltage controllable battery packs having a rigid printed circuit board electrically coupled with the plurality of battery cells, the rigid printed circuit board including an interconnect connector to electrically couple with a corresponding interconnect connector of a second voltage controllable battery pack.

Claims

1. A system to manage energy storage of battery packs, the system comprising:

a first battery pack group including one or more voltage controllable battery packs;

a second battery pack group including one or more voltage controllable battery packs;

a first source switch disposed between a load and the first battery pack group;

a second source switch disposed between the load and the second battery pack group; and

a switching unit operatively coupled to the first source switch and the second source switch and configured to selectively activate or deactivate each of the first source switch and the second source switch as a function of a first charge state of the first battery pack group and a second charge state of the second battery pack group.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, when the first source switch and the second source switch are activated by the switching unit, the first battery pack group and the second battery pack group discharge together to minimize a total discharge rate of the first and second battery pack groups and maximize energy output of the first and second battery pack groups.

3. The system of claim 1, further including:

a first energy source coupled to the first battery pack group in parallel to supply power to the first battery pack group; and

a second energy source coupled to the second battery pack group in parallel to supply power to the second battery pack group.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first battery pack group provides a voltage associated with a maximum power point of the first energy source, and the second battery pack group provides a voltage associated with a maximum power point of the second energy source.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the switching unit provides a same voltage to the first battery pack group and the second battery pack group.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more voltage controllable battery packs of the first battery pack group are electrically coupled to a first printed circuit board and the one or more voltage controllable battery packs of the second battery pack group are electrically coupled to a second printed circuit board.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more voltage controllable battery packs of the first battery pack group includes a plurality of battery cells, the first printed circuit board to configure the plurality of battery cells into at least one of series or parallel arrangement, and wherein the one or more voltage controllable battery packs of the second battery pack group includes a plurality of battery cells, the second printed circuit board to configure the plurality of battery cells into at least one of series or parallel arrangement.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first charge state of the first battery pack group and the second charge state of the second battery pack group are determined by a vehicle management system of an aircraft, the vehicle management system including the switching unit.

9. A system to manage energy storage of battery packs, the system comprising:

a battery pack group including one or more voltage controllable battery packs, each of the one or more voltage controllable battery packs including a plurality of battery cells and a printed circuit board electrically coupled to the plurality of battery cells;

a source switch disposed between a load and the battery pack group; and

a switching unit operatively coupled to the source switch, configured to selectively activate or deactivate the source switch based on a charge state of the battery pack group.

10. The system of claim 9, further including an energy source coupled to the battery pack group in parallel to supply power to the battery pack group.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the battery pack group provides a voltage associated with a maximum power point of the energy source.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the switching unit activates or deactivates the source switch based on a maximum power point of the energy source.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the printed circuit board is to configure the plurality of battery cells into at least one of series or parallel arrangement.

14. The system of claim 9, further including a vehicle management system communicatively coupled to the battery pack group, and configured to determine the charge state of the battery pack group, the vehicle management system including the switching unit.

15. A method to manage energy storage of battery packs, the method comprising:

determining, by executing an instruction with a processor, a first battery pack group to be electrically coupled to a load to provide power to the load and a second battery pack group to be electrically decoupled from the load as a function of a first charge state of the first battery pack group and a second charge state of the second battery pack group;

activating, by executing an instruction with the processor, a first source switch to electrically couple the first battery pack group to the load; and

deactivating, by executing an instruction with the processor, a second source switch to electrically decouple the second battery pack group from the load.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first charge state of the first battery pack group is higher than the second charge state of the second battery pack group.

17. The method of claim 15, further including equalizing a first voltage associated with the first battery pack group with a second voltage associated with the second battery pack group.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the first battery pack group to be electrically coupled to the load to provide power to the load and a second battery pack group to be electrically decoupled from the load is further based on a maximum power point voltage of the each of the first battery pack group and the second battery pack group.

19. The method of claim 15, further including charging the second battery pack group to a maximum power point voltage when the second source switch is deactivated.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the first battery pack group is electrically coupled to a first printed circuit board and the second battery pack group is electrically coupled to a second printed circuit board.