The Boeing Company

Kolten Carrington Miller

Kamiar J Karimi

Eugene V Solodovnik

Shengyi Liu

Evelyn Marie Matheson

Dorina L Hester

Vyacheslav Khozikov

Frederic Lacaux

John Anthony Trela

Methods and systems for charging a battery string while protecting against overcharging. One system includes: a pair of disconnect devices; a power distribution bus which is electrically connected to a battery string via the disconnect devices; a battery charger connected to supply battery power to the power distribution bus for charging the battery string; a module monitoring unit configured to sense individual battery cell voltages during charging; a first processor configured to activate one disconnect device to open when the sensed individual battery cell voltages indicate overcharging; a plurality of sensors connected to sense a full-string voltage measured across the battery string and first and second half-string voltages measured across first and second half-strings of the battery string; and a second processor connected to receive sensor data during charging. The second processor is configured to independently activate the second disconnect device to open when the sensor data indicates continued overcharging.

Systems and methods for fail-safe battery protection independent from battery management system

One example provides a method for generating and using electric power in a hybrid power system for an aircraft. The hybrid power system has an engine and a high-voltage DC (HVDC) bus interconnecting a generator-motor system, an AC distribution system, and a DC distribution system. The method comprises operating the engine through a plurality of different operation phases. The method further comprises selectively providing, based on thrust demands of the engine, electric power from the HVDC bus to the generator-motor system to assist the engine in providing thrust. The method further comprises selectively extracting, using the engine driving the generator-motor system with a high-pressure spool (HPS) shaft and/or a low-pressure spool (LPS) shaft of the engine, electric power from the engine. The method further comprises selectively delivering the electric power extracted from the engine to the AC distribution system and/or the DC distribution system.

Hybrid turbine and multiple-spool electric power system for aircraft

A hybrid power system for an aircraft. The hybrid power system comprises a high-voltage DC (HVDC) bus and a generator-motor system configured to (1) selectively receive electric power from the HVDC bus to assist in providing propulsion and (2) provide electric power to the HVDC bus during regulated power extraction. An LPS generator/motor is coupled with an LPS shaft of an engine. An HPS generator/motor is coupled with an HPS shaft of the engine. A first AC/DC converter is connected to the LPS generator/motor and the HVDC bus. A second AC/DC converter is connected to the HPS generator/motor, the first AC/DC converter, and the HVDC bus. An electric motor is connected to the HVDC bus and configured to provide propulsion and/or electric power. Further, AC and DC distribution systems are connected to the HVDC bus. A control system is configured to selectively control connections to the HVDC bus.

Growing community of inventors

Snoqualmie, WA, United States of America

Kolten Carrington Miller