Aerovironment, Inc.

Mujahid Abdulrahim

Scott Garret Berman

Rolland Mitchell Koch

Thaddeus Benjamin Matuszeski

An electric power management system of a vehicle may interconnect a power plant, a propeller drive unit, and a battery via a bus. A command limiting controller may direct the operation of the power plant and the propeller drive unit in fast and slow modes of operation, the fast mode of operation operating at a higher bus voltage than at a slow mode of operation. The command limiting controller may generate a bus current to drive the propeller drive unit according to a command limiting, voltage-versus-current curve that adjusts the bus current depending on an amount of voltage on the power bus; where the command limiting curve includes a minimum voltage portion, a maximum voltage portion and a control range therebetween having upper and lower voltage limits and upper and lower current limits for enhanced reliability and stable control of the propeller drive unit.

Aircraft power management

An electric power management system of a vehicle may interconnect a power plant, a propeller drive unit, and a battery via a bus. A controller may direct the operation of the power plant and the propeller drive unit. In a slow control mode, the propeller drive unit may react slowly to small throttle change requests. In the slow control mode, the propeller drive unit may draw power completely or substantially from the power plant. Upon a throttle request to rapidly change propeller drive unit speed more than a threshold amount, the controller may direct that the propeller drive unit quickly obtain the requested speed by drawing power required from the battery in excess of that being generated from the power plant. Subsequently, the controller may direct that the power plant increase power generation to maintain the propeller drive unit at the new speed, and recharge or float the battery.

Growing community of inventors

Canoga Park, PA, United States of America

Mujahid Abdulrahim