Data center powered by a hybrid generator system

• US 9,902,495 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2017
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Istari Digital Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Top Flight Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Phan, Long N., Nayfeh, Samir, Polo, John J., Davis, Eli M., DeBitetto, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jos, Basil T.
• Application Number:
  US15/594,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20170327224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/02 Aircraft characterised by the type or position of power plants fuselages specially adapted for mounting power plants B64C1/16; wings specially adapted for power plants B64C3/32
• 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: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/16 with five or more distinct rotor axes, e.g. octocopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/92 of avionics
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/96 using air
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/35 for science, e.g. meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/67 the UAVs comprising tethers for lowering the goods
• 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 50/33 generated by combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0056 in an emergency situation, e.g. hijacking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 : Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 : Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle includes at least one rotor motor configured to drive at least one propeller to rotate. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a data center including a processor; a data storage component; and a wireless communications component. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a hybrid generator system configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor and to the data center, the hybrid generator system including a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor; an engine configured to generate mechanical power; and a generator motor coupled to the engine and configured to generate electrical power from the mechanical power generated by the engine. The data center may include an intelligent data management module configured to control power distribution and execution of mission tasks in response to available power generation and mission task priorities.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

at least one rotor motor configured to drive at least one propeller to rotate;

a data center comprising;

a processor;

a data storage component; and

a wireless communications component;

a hybrid generator system configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor and to the data center, the hybrid generator system comprising;

a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor;

an engine configured to generate mechanical power; and

a generator motor coupled to the engine and configured to generate electrical power from the mechanical power generated by the engine; and

a controller configured to control power consumption by the data center based on the power available from the hybrid generator system.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications component is configured to communicate with a separate aerial vehicle comprising a wireless communication component and a processor and operate as a node in a mesh network including the unmanned aerial vehicle and the separate aerial vehicle.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 2, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle and the separate aerial vehicle are configured to share data to form a cloud computing cluster.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications component is configured to communicate with a ground-based device comprising a wireless communication component and a process and operate as a node in a mesh network including the unmanned aerial vehicle and the ground-based wireless communication device.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 4, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle and the ground-based device are configured to share data to form a cloud computing cluster.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, comprising a sensor configured to collect data, and wherein the data storage component is configured to store the data collected by the sensor.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 6, where the sensor includes one or more of the following:

a weather sensor, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, and a camera.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to process the collected data.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the data center is configured to execute a data task and wherein the controller is configured to control a power consumption of the data center allocated for the data task based on the power available from the hybrid power generation system.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 9, wherein the data storage component is configured to store data indicative of one or more mission objectives and wherein the controller is configured to control the power consumption of the data center allocated for the data task based on the power available from the hybrid power generation system and the stored data indicative of the one or more mission objectives.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 10, wherein the data indicative of the one or more mission objectives comprises at least one of:

a data processing task, a data collection task, and a flight profile, and wherein the controller is configured to control the power consumption of the data center based on the data indicative of the one or more mission objectives and the power available from the hybrid power generation system.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to control the power consumption of the data center allocated for the processing task based on one more of the following:

a flight mode;

a vehicle fuel level; and

a battery status.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to control the power consumption of the data center by delaying the performance of the data task until the power available from the hybrid power generation system increases.

14. A method comprising:

operating a hybrid power generation system to provide power to a rotor motor of an unmanned aerial vehicle and to a data center module of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

operating the data center module to perform a data task using the power provided to the data center module, the data task including one or more of data processing and data collection;

receiving an indication of the power available from the hybrid power generation system; and

controlling a power allocation to the data center module based on the indication of the power available.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising:

receiving a priority measure of the data task, and

wherein controlling the power allocation to the data center module is further based on the priority measure of the data task.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising determining the priority measure of the data task.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the data task is a first data task having a first priority measure, the method comprising:

operating the data center module to perform a second data task using the power provided to the data center module, the first and second data tasks consuming respective first and second amounts of power; and

controlling the power allocation to the data center module for the first and second data tasks based on the indication of the power available and a priority measure of the second data task and the priority measure of the first data task.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising:

receiving a mission objective including one or more of;

a flight plan for the unmanned aerial vehicle and a list of one or more data tasks to be performed by the data center module during the flight plan; and

estimating the remaining flight time of the unnamed vehicle based on the fuel status, the generator system status, the power allocation, and the mission objective.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising:

updating one or more of the flight plan and the list of one or more data tasks based on the estimated remaining flight time.

20. The method of claim 17, comprising:

controlling the power allocation based on the estimated remaining flight time.

21. The method of claim 14, comprising:

receiving a fuel status representing an amount of fuel in the unmanned vehicle, the fuel being used to power the hybrid power generation system;

receiving an indication of an amount of power provided to the rotor motor; and

estimating the remaining flight time of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the fuel status, the indication of the amount of power provided to the rotor motor, and the power allocation.

22. A system for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle, the system comprising:

a propulsion system configured to provide lift and propulsion for the unmanned aerial vehicle;

a flight management system configured to control the propulsion system;

a data center module configured to execute one or more data tasks, each data task including one or more of data processing and data collection;

a mission management system configured to provide instruction to the flight management system for flying the unmanned aerial vehicle and to control operation of the data center module;

hybrid power generation system configured to provide power to the propulsion system and to the data center module; and

an intelligent data management system configured to be responsive to the flight management system and the mission management system to control the allocation of power to the data center module based on a priority of each data tasks and an availability of the power from the hybrid power generation system.

23. The system of claim 22, where the hybrid generator system comprises:

a rechargeable battery configured to provide the power to the propulsion system;

an engine configured to generate mechanical power; and

a generator motor coupled to the engine and configured to generate the electrical power from the mechanical power generated by the engine.