On-board redundant power system for unmanned aerial vehicles

• US 9,771,162 B1
• Filed: 05/25/2016
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gentry, Nicholas Kristofer
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, Mcdieunel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stroud, James E
• Application Number:
  US15/163,977
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 701 8
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• 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 35/08 characterised by the transmission being driven by a plurality of power plants
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/10 Wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/11 using internal combustion piston engines
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/34 In-flight charging photovoltaics B64U50/31
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/80 Vertical take-off or landing, e.g. using rockets rotorcrafts B64U10/10; VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/042 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) is configured with a redundant power generation system on-board the UAV. A redundant power system on-board the UAV can selectively utilize an auxiliary power source during operation and/or flight of the UAV. The power system on-board the UAV may include a battery and at least one auxiliary power source comprising a combustion engine. The combustion engine on-board the UAV may be selectively operated to charge the battery when a charge level of the battery is below a full charge level, and/or to power one or more propeller motors of the UAV.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

one or more propeller motors configured to rotate one or more propellers of the UAV; and

a power system comprising;

a battery to provide power to the one or more propeller motors;

a combustion engine configured to convert potential energy of a fuel stored on-board the UAV into kinetic energy, the combustion engine mechanically isolated from the one or more propellers of the UAV;

a generator coupled to the combustion engine to convert the kinetic energy from the combustion engine into electrical energy;

a battery monitor to monitor a charge level of the battery; and

a power system controller configured to selectively operate the combustion engine to provide the electrical energy from the generator to charge the battery or to power at least one of the one or more propeller motors and to operate the combustion engine based at least in part on determining that the charge level of the battery is less than a threshold level.

2. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the combustion engine comprises:

an electric starting motor to start the combustion engine; and

a starter battery to provide power to the electric starting motor.

3. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the power system controller is further configured to control a distribution of power provided from the battery and power provided from the combustion engine.

4. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the power system further comprises a battery controller to transfer the electrical energy from the generator to the battery to charge the battery.

5. The UAV of claim 1, further comprising a navigation module to monitor an estimated remaining flight time of the UAV to complete a journey, wherein the power system controller is further configured to operate the combustion engine based at least in part on determining that the charge level of the battery is insufficient to provide power for an entirety of the estimated remaining flight time.

6. The UAV of claim 1, further comprising a navigation module to determine that the UAV is to begin flying substantially horizontally relative to ground, wherein the power system controller is configured to utilize the kinetic energy from the combustion engine to power at least one of the propeller motors that provides forward thrust to the UAV based at least in part on determining that the UAV is to begin flying substantially horizontally relative to ground.

7. The UAV of claim 1, further comprising an altimeter to determine an altitude of the UAV, wherein the power system controller is configured to power the at least one propeller motor with the electrical energy from the generator based at least in part on determining that the altitude of the UAV meets or exceeds a threshold altitude.

8. The UAV of claim 7, wherein the power system controller is further configured to select an air-to-fuel ratio utilized by the combustion engine based at least in part on the altitude of the UAV.

9. The UAV of claim 1, further comprising a location sensor to measure a latitude and a longitude of the UAV, wherein the power system controller is further configured to:

compare the measured latitude and the longitude of the UAV to geo-fence information; and

power the at least one propeller motor from the electrical energy provided by the generator based at least in part on comparing the measured latitude and the longitude of the UAV to the geo-fence information.

10. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the power system further comprises:

at least one additional combustion engine, resulting in the power system comprising a plurality of combustion engines; and

a power system controller to selectively utilize individual ones of the plurality of combustion engines.

11. The UAV of claim 10, wherein the power system controller is further configured to utilize a predetermined number of the plurality of combustion engines based at least in part on:

(i) a weight of a payload carried by the UAV, (ii) a total weight of the UAV and the payload, or (iii) a charge rate that is to be used to charge the battery.

12. A method to operate a power system of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:

providing power to one or more propeller motors of the UAV from a battery on-board the UAV;

determining, by a power system controller of the UAV, that a trigger event has occurred; and

based at least in part on the determining that the trigger event has occurred, operating a combustion engine on-board the UAV to charge the battery or power at least one propeller motor of the UAV, the combustion engine mechanically isolated from the one or more propellers of the UAV.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the combustion engine is utilized to power the at least one propeller motor based at least in part on the determining the trigger event, and wherein the trigger event comprises at least one of:

determining that the battery is inoperable;

determining that an altitude of the UAV is above a threshold altitude;

determining that a latitude and a longitude of the UAV is outside of a geo-fence;

determining that a horizontal component of thrust is desired;

determining that a charge level of the battery has dropped below a threshold charge level;

or

determining that the charge level of the battery is insufficient for providing power for an entirety of a remaining flight time of the UAV.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the combustion engine is utilized to charge the battery based at least in part on the determining the trigger event, and wherein the trigger event comprises at least one of:

determining that a charge level of the battery has dropped below a threshold charge level;

or

determining that the charge level of the battery is insufficient for providing power for an entirety of a remaining flight time of the UAV.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

selectively engaging a generator with the combustion engine to provide electrical power to the UAV.

16. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

one or more propeller motors configured to rotate one or more propellers of the UAV; and

a power system controller configured to;

determine that the UAV is below a threshold altitude,

based at least in part on determining that the UAV is below the threshold altitude, provide power to the one or more propeller motors of the UAV from a battery on-board the UAV;

determine that the UAV is above the threshold altitude; and

based at least in part on determining that the UAV is above the threshold altitude, operate a combustion engine on-board the UAV to charge the battery or power at least one of the one or more propeller motors of the UAV, the combustion engine mechanically isolated from the one or more propellers of the UAV.

17. The UAV of claim 16, wherein the power system controller is further configured to determine a charge rate that is to be used to charge the battery based at least in part on a threshold charge level and an amount of charging time to reach the threshold charge level of the battery.

18. The UAV of claim 17, further comprising at least two combustion engines, wherein the power system controller is further configured to determine a number of combustion engines to operate based at least in part on the charge rate that is to be used to charge the battery.

19. The UAV of claim 16, wherein the power system controller is further configured to:

determine that a charge level of the battery is below a threshold charge level; and

operate the combustion engine to charge the battery at a time at which the UAV is below the threshold altitude.