Embodiments provide a VTOL aircraft including a plurality of tilting propeller assemblies each coupled to a support structure and configured to transition between a vertical flight and a forward flight position. Each tilting propeller assembly comprising a propeller and a movable fairing provided downstream of the propeller. The movable fairing is configured to extend along an axis of rotation of the propeller. When the tilting propeller assembly transitions between the vertical and forward flight position, the movable fairing is configured to swivel to extend parallel to the direction of resultant airflow over the tilting propeller assembly into a minimum drag orientation. The movable fairing is damped enough to prevent any oscillations from the propeller wake shedding, and at the same time, keep the propeller aligned in a minimum-drag orientation with the resultant flow.
B64C 27/28 - Giravions complexes, c. à d. aéronefs utilisant en vol à la fois les caractéristiques de l'avion et celles du giravion avec hélices propulsives de déplacement pouvant pivoter pour agir comme rotors de sustentation
B64C 27/52 - Basculement de l'ensemble du rotor par rapport au fuselage
2.
COMPACT VERTIPORT WITH EFFICIENT SPACE UTILIZATION
Embodiments provide a compact vertiport system. The vertiport system may be efficient and compact by combining, into one space and time period, multiple activities that typically take place in different spaces and different times. For example, when an aircraft is being moved from a landing zone to a takeoff zone, the aircraft may also be charged simultaneously. Also, passenger exchange may take place while the aircraft is being moved. As a result, compact vertiport systems may fit into smaller spaces (e.g., tops of buildings, or smaller plots of land).
An electrically powered propulsion system for an aircraft includes batteries, electric propulsion assemblies, and power distribution circuits. Each battery is coupled with two or more of the electric propulsion assemblies via a respective one of the power distribution circuits. The electric propulsion assemblies are positioned on the aircraft and operable to apply balanced forces to the aircraft such that in the event of a failure, the aircraft is not subjected to large changes in roll, pitch, and/or yaw.
B64C 27/28 - Giravions complexes, c. à d. aéronefs utilisant en vol à la fois les caractéristiques de l'avion et celles du giravion avec hélices propulsives de déplacement pouvant pivoter pour agir comme rotors de sustentation
Disclosed is an electric aircraft, which includes a fuselage and at least one wing coupled to the fuselage. The electric aircraft includes a plurality of tilting fans coupled to the at least one wing, the plurality of tilting fans being configured to move between a vertical lift position and a forward flight position. The electric aircraft includes a plurality of tilting mechanisms coupled with at least one tilting fan. The electric aircraft includes a first actuator coupled to a first subset of the plurality of tilting mechanisms. The first subset of tilting mechanisms are identified among the plurality of tilting mechanisms according to a coupling scheme. The first actuator tilts a first group of tilting fans coupled to the first subset of the plurality of tilting mechanisms simultaneously.
B64C 3/32 - Voilures spécialement adaptées pour le montage des groupes propulseurs
B64C 19/00 - Dispositifs de commande des aéronefs non prévus ailleurs
B64C 27/22 - Giravions complexes, c. à d. aéronefs utilisant en vol à la fois les caractéristiques de l'avion et celles du giravion
B64C 27/26 - Giravions complexes, c. à d. aéronefs utilisant en vol à la fois les caractéristiques de l'avion et celles du giravion caractérisé par le fait qu'il est doté d'ailes fixes
B64C 27/28 - Giravions complexes, c. à d. aéronefs utilisant en vol à la fois les caractéristiques de l'avion et celles du giravion avec hélices propulsives de déplacement pouvant pivoter pour agir comme rotors de sustentation
B64C 29/00 - Aéronefs capables d'atterrir ou de décoller à la verticale, p.ex. aéronefs à décollage et atterrissage verticaux [ADAV, en anglais VTOL]
B64D 27/24 - Aéronefs caractérisés par le type ou la position des groupes moteurs utilisant la vapeur, l'électricité ou l'énergie de ressorts
Embodiments provide battery cells and/or battery submodules including a phase change material (PCM) for absorbing excess heat that may be released within the battery cell and/or battery submodule. The PCM may be provided in form of a layer within the battery cell in addition to a thermal insulation layer. Alternatively, the PCM layer may replace the thermal insulation layer. The PCM may be provided on one or more sides of the battery submodule within a container that contains the battery submodule. The PCM may be a solid PCM provided in form of a layer and/or one or more strips. The PCM may also include a liquid PCM that is provided in the container containing the battery submodule.
H01M 10/659 - Moyens de commande de la température associés de façon structurelle avec les éléments par stockage de la chaleur ou chaleur tampon, p.ex. capacité calorifique, changements ou transitions de phase liquide-solide
H01M 10/613 - Refroidissement ou maintien du froid
H01M 10/6552 - Tubes fermés transférant la chaleur par conductivité thermique ou par transition de phase, p.ex. tubes caloporteurs
H01M 10/6569 - Fluides qui subissent un changement ou une transition de phase liquide-gaz, p.ex. évaporation ou condensation
Embodiments provide an electric aircraft with a plurality of lift fan assemblies that are configured to provide vertical lift, and one or more pusher propellers that are configured to provide forward thrust. The lift fan assemblies may be coupled to the wings of the aircraft via one or more support structures, and the wings may be coupled to an upper region of the fuselage. The pusher propeller(s) may be coupled to a tailing end of the fuselage. The lift fan assemblies and the pusher propeller(s) may provide thrust and movement in directions that are orthogonal to one another. A control system coupled to the aircraft may control the lift fan assemblies and the one or more pusher propellers to activate, increase in power, and decrease in power. The lift fan assemblies and the one or more pusher propellers may be operated separately, and may be active at different times.
B64C 5/08 - Surfaces stabilisatrices montées sur ou supportées par les ailes
B64C 27/28 - Giravions complexes, c. à d. aéronefs utilisant en vol à la fois les caractéristiques de l'avion et celles du giravion avec hélices propulsives de déplacement pouvant pivoter pour agir comme rotors de sustentation
Battery management systems and methods can provide real-time automated monitoring of various aspects of battery health and operation. Some battery management systems can use an equivalent cell circuit model to predict a range for the expected behavior of a battery cell under actual operating conditions in real-time. The prediction can be compared to the actual behavior of the cell to determine whether an anomaly exists. Some battery management systems can maintain an estimate of battery state-of-health parameters such as charge capacity and internal resistance and can update these estimates in real time while the battery is being discharged and/or charged. Anomalous variations in a monitored parameter can trigger a real-time fault notification.
G01R 31/382 - Dispositions pour la surveillance de variables des batteries ou des accumulateurs, p.ex. état de charge
G01R 31/3828 - Dispositions pour la surveillance de variables des batteries ou des accumulateurs, p.ex. état de charge utilisant l’intégration du courant
G01R 31/389 - Mesure de l’impédance interne, de la conductance interne ou des variables similaires
H02J 7/00 - Circuits pour la charge ou la dépolarisation des batteries ou pour alimenter des charges par des batteries
8.
REAL-TIME BATTERY FAULT DETECTION AND STATE-OF-HEALTH MONITORING
A method for monitoring status of a battery cell. The method involves determining current values of one or more state-of-health parameters of the battery cell and measuring values of a plurality of operating-state parameters of the battery cell, including measuring an actual potential of the battery cell. The method also involves computing an optimistic potential based on a cell state model, the measured values of a first subset of the operating- state parameters, and optimistic values for the one or more state-of-health parameters, the optimistic values corresponding to a better state of health than the current values of the one or more state-of-health parameters. The method also involves computing a pessimistic potential based on the cell state model, the measured values of the first subset of operating-state parameters, and pessimistic values for the one or more state-of-health parameters, the pessimistic values corresponding to a worse state of health than the current values of the one or more state-of-health parameters. The method further involves determining whether the actual potential of the battery cell is substantially within an envelope defined by the optimistic potential and the pessimistic potential, and generating a model fault notification in the event that the actual potential is not substantially within the envelope.
H01M 10/48 - Accumulateurs combinés à des dispositions pour mesurer, tester ou indiquer l'état des éléments, p.ex. le niveau ou la densité de l'électrolyte
9.
POWER DISTRIBUTION CIRCUITS FOR VEHICLES WITH ENERGY REGENERATION
An electrically powered vehicle comprises a DC bus and a plurality of batteries, each coupled in parallel to the DC bus. At least one switch is coupled in series between at least one battery of the plurality of batteries and the DC bus and a plurality of inverter circuits are each coupled in parallel to the DC bus. A plurality of motors are each coupled to a respective inverter circuit of the plurality of inverter circuits. In various embodiments the electrically powered vehicle further comprises a plurality of switches, each switch coupled in series between a respective battery of the plurality of batteries.
B60L 58/00 - Procédés ou agencements de circuits pour surveiller ou commander des batteries ou des piles à combustible, spécialement adaptés pour des véhicules électriques
B60L 3/00 - Dispositifs électriques de sécurité sur véhicules propulsés électriquement; Contrôle des paramètres de fonctionnement, p.ex. de la vitesse, de la décélération ou de la consommation d’énergie
Embodiments provide an aircraft with one or more tilting fan assemblies that are configured to tilt between a forward flight position and a vertical lift position. The aircraft may also include a plurality of lift fan assemblies for vertical movement. The tilting fan assemblies may be coupled to the fuselage or wings of the aircraft via one or more tilting mechanisms. A control system coupled to the aircraft may control the one or more tilting mechanisms to move the tilting fan assemblies between the forward flight position and the vertical lift position. The tilting fan assemblies may be coupled to one or more support structures that are coupled the fuselage or wings of the aircraft.
B64C 27/28 - Giravions complexes, c. à d. aéronefs utilisant en vol à la fois les caractéristiques de l'avion et celles du giravion avec hélices propulsives de déplacement pouvant pivoter pour agir comme rotors de sustentation
B64C 27/26 - Giravions complexes, c. à d. aéronefs utilisant en vol à la fois les caractéristiques de l'avion et celles du giravion caractérisé par le fait qu'il est doté d'ailes fixes
B64C 27/52 - Basculement de l'ensemble du rotor par rapport au fuselage
B64C 29/00 - Aéronefs capables d'atterrir ou de décoller à la verticale, p.ex. aéronefs à décollage et atterrissage verticaux [ADAV, en anglais VTOL]
11.
DESIRED DEPARTURE TEMPERATURE FOR A BATTERY IN A VEHICLE
A desired departure temperature is determined for a battery, having a temperature, in a vehicle based at least in part on trip information associated with a trip. A temperature controlling system is used to bring the temperature of the battery towards the desired departure temperature, wherein the vehicle begins the trip with the battery at the desired departure temperature.
B60L 58/24 - Procédés ou agencements de circuits pour surveiller ou commander des batteries ou des piles à combustible, spécialement adaptés pour des véhicules électriques pour la surveillance et la commande des batteries pour la commande de la température des batteries
B60L 50/60 - Propulsion électrique par source d'énergie intérieure au véhicule utilisant de la puissance de propulsion fournie par des batteries ou des piles à combustible utilisant de l'énergie fournie par des batteries
12.
BATTERY WITH LIQUID TEMPERATURE CONTROLLING SYSTEM
A liquid temperature controlling system is used to circulate a temperature controlled liquid between the liquid temperature controlling system and a battery to produce a temperature controlled battery. The battery and the liquid temperature controlling system are detachably coupled at least while the temperature controlled liquid is circulated. The temperature controlled liquid is removed from the temperature controlled battery. The battery and the liquid temperature controlling system are decoupled after the temperature controlled liquid is removed. A charger is used to charge the temperature controlled battery.
B60L 53/18 - Câbles spécialement adaptés pour recharger des véhicules électriques
B60L 58/26 - Procédés ou agencements de circuits pour surveiller ou commander des batteries ou des piles à combustible, spécialement adaptés pour des véhicules électriques pour la surveillance et la commande des batteries pour la commande de la température des batteries par refroidissement
A battery system includes a battery cell, a thermally insulating layer, and a thermally conducting layer which includes a fin. The fin pushes against an interior surface of a case which surrounds the battery cell, the thermally insulating layer, and the thermally conducting layer. The thermally conducting layer includes a discontinuity where the discontinuity is configured to reduce a capacitance associated with the thermally conducting layer compared to when the thermally conducting layer does not include the discontinuity.
For each battery sub-module in a plurality of battery sub-modules, a voltage associated with a cell in that battery sub-module is received wherein each battery sub-module in the plurality of battery sub-modules includes a plurality of cells. A battery sub-module is selected based at least in part on the received voltages and a set of one or more loads, which draws power from the selected battery sub-module and is not powered by any other battery sub-module in the plurality of battery sub-modules, is configured so that the set of loads at least temporarily does not draw power from the selected battery sub-module.
A battery system includes a can with a lip around an opening. At least an interior surface of the can is anodized and the lip of the can includes a longer and shorter side. The can further includes a flange on the longer side of the lip and a plurality of layers that are inserted into the can. The plurality of layers includes a battery cell and a thermally conducting layer with a fin and the fin has a spring force that pushes the fin towards the anodized interior surface. The battery system further includes a lid that is configured to cover the opening of the can, where the flange is configured to wrap around the lid when the lid covers the opening of the can.
H01M 50/262 - Montures; Boîtiers secondaires ou cadres; Bâtis, modules ou blocs; Dispositifs de suspension; Amortisseurs; Dispositifs de transport ou de manutention; Supports avec des moyens de fixation, p.ex. des serrures
H01M 10/6551 - Surfaces spécialement adaptées à la dissipation de la chaleur ou à la radiation, p.ex. nervures ou revêtements
H01M 50/207 - Bâtis, modules ou blocs de multiples batteries ou de multiples cellules caractérisés par leur forme
H01M 50/258 - Batteries modulaires; Boîtiers pourvus de moyens d’assemblage
H01M 50/271 - Couvercles des boîtiers secondaires, des bâtis ou des blocs
H01M 50/291 - Montures; Boîtiers secondaires ou cadres; Bâtis, modules ou blocs; Dispositifs de suspension; Amortisseurs; Dispositifs de transport ou de manutention; Supports caractérisés par des éléments d’espacement ou des moyens de positionnement dans les racks, les cadres ou les blocs caractérisés par leur forme
16.
CAPACITANCE REDUCING BATTERY SUBMODULE WITH THERMAL RUNAWAY PROPAGATION PREVENTION AND CONTAINMENT FEATURES
A system which includes a can with an opening and a plurality of layers that are inserted into the can. The plurality of layers includes a battery cell and a thermally conducting layer with a multi-fold fin with a plurality of folds. The multi-fold fin has a spring force that pushes the multi-fold fin towards an interior surface of the can. A compressible material is placed between the multi-fold fin and the plurality of layers. The compressible material provides an additional spring force that pushes the multi-fold fin towards the interior surface of the can. The system also includes a lid that is configured to cover the opening of the can.
H01M 50/291 - Montures; Boîtiers secondaires ou cadres; Bâtis, modules ou blocs; Dispositifs de suspension; Amortisseurs; Dispositifs de transport ou de manutention; Supports caractérisés par des éléments d’espacement ou des moyens de positionnement dans les racks, les cadres ou les blocs caractérisés par leur forme
H01M 10/6551 - Surfaces spécialement adaptées à la dissipation de la chaleur ou à la radiation, p.ex. nervures ou revêtements
H01M 50/207 - Bâtis, modules ou blocs de multiples batteries ou de multiples cellules caractérisés par leur forme
H01M 50/258 - Batteries modulaires; Boîtiers pourvus de moyens d’assemblage
H01M 50/271 - Couvercles des boîtiers secondaires, des bâtis ou des blocs
A corrugated lift fan rotor is disclosed. In various embodiments, a rotor includes an upper skin, a lower skin, and an at least partly corrugated core encased between the upper skin and the lower skin. In some embodiments, the core comprises a composite material, such as carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite material, and includes an upper cap portion, a lower cap portion, and a web portion extending between the upper and lower cap portions.
B32B 3/28 - Produits stratifiés caractérisés essentiellement par le fait qu'une des couches comporte des discontinuités ou des rugosités externes ou internes, ou bien qu'une des couches est de forme générale non plane; Produits stratifiés caractérisés essentiellement par des particularismes de forme caractérisés par une couche comportant des cavités ou des vides internes caractérisés par une couche comportant une feuille mince déformée, p.ex. ondulée, froissée
B32B 27/08 - Produits stratifiés composés essentiellement de résine synthétique comme seul composant ou composant principal d'une couche adjacente à une autre couche d'une substance spécifique d'une résine synthétique d'une sorte différente
A lift fan includes a stator which is configured to output a magnetic field. The lift fan also includes a first housing which in turn includes a blade, a second housing, and a magnet array. The magnet array is coupled to either the first housing or the second housing and the housing, which is coupled to the magnet array, rotates in response to the magnet array responding magnetically to the magnetic field output by the stator.
B64C 27/28 - Giravions complexes, c. à d. aéronefs utilisant en vol à la fois les caractéristiques de l'avion et celles du giravion avec hélices propulsives de déplacement pouvant pivoter pour agir comme rotors de sustentation
B64D 35/06 - Transmission de la puissance du groupe moteur aux hélices ou aux rotors; Aménagements des transmissions caractérisée par le fait que la transmission entraîne plusieurs hélices ou rotors les hélices ou rotors tournant en sens inverse
A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft includes rotors that provide vertical and horizontal thrust. During forward motion, the vertical lift system is inactive. A lift fan mechanism positions the fan blades of the aircraft in a collapsed configuration when the vertical lift system is inactive and positions the fan blades of the aircraft in a deployed configuration when the vertical lift system is active.
A mechanical mechanism is used to prevent a rotor of an aircraft from rotating when the rotor is not in use. The mechanical mechanism disengages when the speed of the rotor exceeds a speed threshold and the mechanism reengages when the speed of the rotor is below the speed threshold.
F16D 43/04 - Embrayages automatiques à commande interne actionnés entièrement mécaniquement commandés par la vitesse angulaire
F16D 43/18 - Embrayages automatiques à commande interne actionnés entièrement mécaniquement commandés par la vitesse angulaire avec masses centrifuges constituant elles-mêmes les organes d'embrayage les organes d'embrayages étant à friction
21.
PREVENTING CELL THERMAL RUNAWAY PROPAGATION WITHIN A BATTERY
A cell undergoing a thermal runaway process is characterized by high local temperatures at the cell. Thermal insulator prevents the high temperatures from dissipating to nearby cells such that thermal runaway is triggered in the nearby cells. In addition, thermal conductors are provided that form conduction paths that draw heat from a cell undergoing thermal runaway and distribute the heat to other cells in manner that thermal runaway is not triggered in cells that are near the failing cell. If sufficient heat is drawn away from a failing cell, temperatures of the cells surrounding the failed cell can remain low enough to prevent the surrounding cells from undergoing the thermal runaway process.