The Boeing Company

Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Sheverria Aikens

Mehdy Barekatein

Kamiar J Karimi

Eugene V Solodovnik

Mark Eugene Liffring

Frederic Lacaux

Xiaoqi Wang

Frederic Pierre Lacaux

Lowell W Schaffner

Evelyn Marie Matheson

Steven Mark Walstrom

Lizon Maharjan

Andrew Lueneburg

Tausif Husain

Glen M Brown

Frederic P Lacaux

Glen Brown

Sensorless propeller damage detection systems and methods may receive and process motor quadrature-axis currents to extract current ripples and fast average current values. In addition, the current ripples and fast average current values may be further processed to generated normalized rms (root-mean-square) values of the current ripples. Further, the calculated values may be compared to one or more threshold values over a time duration to determine whether a propeller is damaged. In this manner, the sensorless propeller damage detection systems and methods may quickly, reliably, and accurately detect propeller damage without any additional sensors or dedicated hardware and with low computational cost, while also minimizing false positive determinations of propeller damage.

Sensorless propeller damage detection systems and methods

Described are systems and methods for providing fault tolerant drivers for electric motors. Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a single power electronics unit and/or ESC that is configured to drive more than one electric motor. According to exemplary embodiments, each power electronics unit and/or ESC may be connected to more than one electric motor (e.g., three electric motors, etc.) and each power electronics unit and/or ESC may be configured to drive and/or control a single phase of multiple electric motors. This can facilitate two-phase mode operation in the event of a faulty power electronics unit and/or ESC, thereby facilitating continued operation of the affected electric motors. Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can also provide alternate modes of operation for the electric motors that are operating in two-phase mode to mitigate thermal stresses that may be experienced by the power electronics and/or the electric motors during two-phase operation.

Fault tolerant motor driver

A plurality of external power ('EP') sources can be controlled with a single EP switch. A plurality of EP states can be determined, each EP state of the plurality of EP states being associated with one EP source from the plurality of EP sources. A highest EP state of the plurality of EP states can be determined. An EP indicator of the EP switch can be controlled based on the highest EP state.

Controlling multiple aircraft external power sources with a single external power switch

Systems and methods for operating a lithium-ion battery high-voltage distribution system architecture are disclosed. A battery pack includes: a plurality of lithium-ion battery cells; a disconnect mechanism operable in an operational position between a battery bus and the plurality of lithium-ion battery cells and a bypass position between the battery bus and a bus-power pass through; and a battery management system. The battery management system is configured to monitor battery pack performance; and responsive to detecting a triggering event in the battery pack performance, cause the disconnect mechanism to be in the bypass position.

Li-Ion battery high voltage distribution system architecture

An electrical power management system for a vehicle and method of operation are described. The electrical power management system includes a control circuit configured to monitor and control power to a battery bus of the vehicle. The electrical power management system also includes a first coupler configured to be coupled to a first battery and to the battery bus, the first coupler responsive to the control circuit to selectively couple the first battery to the battery bus, the first battery having a first battery chemistry. The electrical power management system includes a second coupler configured to be coupled to a second battery and to the battery bus, the second coupler responsive to the control circuit to selectively couple the second battery to the battery bus, the second battery having a second battery chemistry distinct from the first battery chemistry.

Heterogeneous battery system and method

A method and apparatus for providing regulated direct current power for a direct current load on an aircraft. A regulated transformer rectifier unit on an aircraft comprises a plurality of converter modules connected in parallel between an input and an output. Each converter module in the plurality of converter modules comprises a transformer rectifier unit. The plurality of converter modules are controlled by a controller to provide regulated direct current power at the output from alternating current power provided at the input from an alternating current power source on the aircraft.

Regulated transformer rectifier unit for aircraft systems

A battery module system includes at least one cell and a battery module processor. The battery module processor may be configured to receive at least one cell signal associated with the at least one cell, wherein the at least one cell signal includes at least one of a temperature signal, a voltage signal, or a current signal. The battery module processor may be also configured to determine a status of the at least one cell based on the at least one cell signal. The battery module system may be configured to removably connect to a master/module interface, and to deliver power from the at least one cell to the master/module interface. The battery module system may be also configured to communicate, from the battery module processor, the status of the at least one cell to the master/module interface.

Battery module system

A method and apparatus for providing power stably for direct current loads. A regulated transformer rectifier unit is controlled to provide regulated direct current power for the direct current loads at an output of the regulated transformer rectifier unit from alternating current power provided by an alternating current power source to an input of the regulated transformer rectifier unit. The direct current loads comprise passive direct current loads and active direct current loads comprising active switching power supplies. The direct current loads have at least one of constant power characteristics, resistive power characteristics, inductive power characteristics, and capacitive power characteristics. A source impedance at the output of the regulated transformer rectifier unit is determined based on an aggregate load impedance of the direct current loads and stability criterion.

Growing community of inventors

Mill Creek, WA, United States of America

Sheverria Aikens