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
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.
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1. An electric power management system for a vehicle, the electric power management system comprising: a power plant configured to generate electrical power and to supply a voltage to a power bus;a battery interconnected with the power bus, the battery configured to be charged from current generated
1. An electric power management system for a vehicle, the electric power management system comprising: a power plant configured to generate electrical power and to supply a voltage to a power bus;a battery interconnected with the power bus, the battery configured to be charged from current generated by the power plant and supplied from the power plant to the battery via the power bus;a propeller drive unit interconnected with the power bus, and drawing power from the power plant via the power bus to cause movement of the vehicle; anda controller configured to direct the power management system in a plurality of distinct modes of operation, each distinct mode of operation controlling the propeller drive unit in a different manner, wherein the controller is configured to maintain bus voltage within a range defined by a maximum and minimum voltage while bus current remains approximately at a set point,wherein a first distinct mode of operation is a slow throttle mode and a second distinct mode of operation is a fast throttle mode;in the slow throttle mode, the flow of power is substantially only from the power plant and into the propeller drive unit and the battery; andin the fast throttle mode, the flow of power is from the battery and the power plant and into the propeller drive unit, and an increase in propeller drive unit speed that is requested is initially powered generally entirely by the battery, such that in the fast throttle mode, the propeller drive unit speed is not limited by a present level of power being generated by the power plant. 2. The power management system of claim 1, wherein in the slow throttle mode, a level of the bus voltage is maintained by the power plant and the bus voltage is high enough such that the flow of power is from the power plant and into the propeller drive unit and into the battery, such that a propeller rotated by a motor of the propeller drive unit is driven by power generated primarily by the power plant while the battery is maintained in a state of trickle charge. 3. The power management system of claim 2, wherein in the fast throttle mode, the controller directs (1) the propeller drive unit to rapidly increase a propeller speed such that the propeller drive unit draws more power than currently being provided by the power plant to the propeller drive unit via the bus, resulting in the propeller drive unit drawing the additional power necessary to rapidly increase propeller speed from the battery, and (2) the power plant to generate more power commensurate with the propeller speed requested such that as the power plant gradually generates more power, the bus voltage returns to a state in which the bus voltage is being determined by the power plant and the flow of power is once again from the power plant and into the propeller drive unit and the battery. 4. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the propeller drive unit comprises a propeller and uses the power drawn from the power plant and the battery via the bus to rotate the propeller, and the propeller drive unit is configured to supply power to the battery via the bus by wind-milling the propeller in a regeneration mode of operation. 5. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the power plant includes an internal combustion motor configured to use liquid hydrogen as a fuel. 6. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a remote controlled, unmanned aircraft, and an avionics unit and a guidance navigation and control unit are interconnected to the power bus. 7. An electric power management system for a vehicle, the electric power management system comprising: a power plant configured to generate electric power and to supply a voltage to a power bus;a battery interconnected with the power plant via the power bus, the battery being configured to either discharge current to the power bus or draw current from the power bus to charge itself depending upon a level of a bus voltage associated with the power bus;a propeller drive unit interconnected with both the power plant and the battery via the power bus, the propeller drive unit configured to draw power from the power plant and battery via the power bus; anda controller configured to direct the electric power management system in a plurality of distinct modes of operation, each distinct mode of operation powering the propeller drive unit in a different manner, wherein the controller is configured to maintain bus voltage within a range defined by a maximum and minimum voltage while bus current remains approximately at a set point,wherein a first distinct mode of operation is a slow control mode and a second distinct mode of operation is a fast control mode;in the slow control mode, the controller directs that changes in the speed of the propeller drive unit track changes in the power being generated by the power plant by directing the propeller drive unit to use only approximately an amount of power being provided to the propeller drive unit from the power plant via the power bus;in the fast control mode, the controller directs that the propeller drive unit quickly respond to an increase in speed requested of the propeller drive unit by drawing the additional power necessary from the battery to attain the requested speed and in excess of the power being provided to the propeller drive unit by the power plant from the battery via the power bus such that the speed of the propeller drive unit is not limited by a level of power being generated by the power plant. 8. The power management system of claim 7, wherein in the slow control mode, the bus voltage is maintained such that the power plant supplies power to the propeller drive unit, and an amount of power available to the propeller drive unit via the bus is added slowly as an internal combustion motor of the power plant comes up to speed commensurate with a small change in requested propeller speed and no power is added to the bus from the battery. 9. The power management system of claim 8, wherein in the fast control mode of operation, the propeller drive unit draws more power than being provided by the power plant and the requested increase in power necessary to bring the propeller drive unit up to a large change in requested propeller speed as quickly as possible is taken from the battery, the large change in requested propeller speed associated with the fast control mode is larger than the small change in requested propeller speed associated with the slow control mode such that in the slow control mode the bus voltage is maintained by the power plant and in the fast control mode the bus voltage is maintained by the battery. 10. The power management system of claim 7, wherein the propeller drive unit uses the power drawn from the bus to rotate a propeller, and the speed of the propeller drive unit corresponds to propeller speed. 11. The power management system of claim 10, wherein the power plant includes an internal combustion motor that uses liquid hydrogen as a fuel, and the propeller drive unit is configured to supply power to the battery via the bus by wind-milling the propeller in a regeneration mode. 12. The power management system of claim 7, wherein the controller switches from slow control mode to fast control mode based upon user selection of a fast control mode setting or upon identifying a change in requested propeller drive unit speed that is greater than or approximately equal to a predetermined threshold. 13. A method of electric power management, the method comprising: generating electric power from a power plant located on a vehicle, the power plant being interconnected with a bus;powering a propeller drive unit of a vehicle in a slow throttle mode of operation from a voltage placed onto the bus by the power plant, the propeller drive unit configured to drive a propeller using power from the power plant in the slow throttle mode; andswitching to a fast throttle mode of operation in which the propeller drive unit immediately draws additional power necessary from the battery to increase propeller speed by an amount requested and in excess of the power being provided to the propeller drive unit by the power plant via the bus,wherein in the fast throttle mode, (1) bus voltage varies about a set point; and (2) upper and lower voltage limits set battery charge and discharge rates. 14. The method of power management of claim 13, the method comprising: receiving a throttle request requesting a change in propeller speed of the propeller driven by the propeller drive unit;identifying if the change in propeller speed requested is above a predetermined threshold;switching to the fast throttle mode of operation if it is determined that the change in propeller speed requested is approximately equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold; andafter switching to the fast throttle mode of operation, directing the power plant to adjust power being generated to be commensurate with the propeller speed being requested and any other loads being powered by the power plant via the bus. 15. The method of power management of claim 13, the method comprising switching to the fast throttle mode of operation by user selection of a fast throttle mode setting. 16. The method of power management of claim 13, the method comprising wind-milling the propeller of the propeller drive unit in a regeneration control mode such that power is generated from the propeller drive unit and placed onto the bus, thereby charging the battery. 17. The method of power management of claim 13, wherein the power plant generates power from liquid hydrogen and the vehicle is an unmanned aircraft and operated via remote control. 18. A method of electric power management, the method comprising: generating electric power from a power plant located on a vehicle, the power plant being interconnected with a bus;powering a propeller drive unit of a vehicle in a slow throttle mode of operation from a voltage placed onto the bus by the power plant, the propeller drive unit configured to drive a propeller using power from the power plant in the slow throttle mode; andswitching to a fast throttle mode of operation in which the propeller drive unit immediately draws additional power necessary from the battery to increase propeller speed by an amount requested and in excess of the power being provided to the propeller drive unit by the power plant via the bus,wherein in the slow throttle mode, (1) bus voltage is allowed to change in smaller increments about a set point than in the fast throttle mode, and (2) a control limiting curve includes a portion having a constant voltage gain. 19. The method of power management of claim 18, the method comprising: receiving a throttle request requesting a change in propeller speed of the propeller driven by the propeller drive unit;identifying if the change in propeller speed requested is above a predetermined threshold;switching to the fast throttle mode of operation if it is determined that the change in propeller speed requested is approximately equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold; andafter switching to the fast throttle mode of operation, directing the power plant to adjust power being generated to be commensurate with the propeller speed being requested and any other loads being powered by the power plant via the bus. 20. The method of power management of claim 18, the method comprising switching to the fast throttle mode of operation by user selection of a fast throttle mode setting. 21. The method of power management of claim 18, the method comprising wind-milling the propeller of the propeller drive unit in a regeneration control mode such that power is generated from the propeller drive unit and placed onto the bus, thereby charging the battery. 22. The method of power management of claim 18, wherein the power plant generates power from liquid hydrogen and the vehicle is an unmanned aircraft and operated via remote control.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (4)
Hibbs Bart D. ; Lissaman Peter B. S. ; Morgan Walter R. ; Radkey Robert L., Aircraft.
Page George W. (Gilbert AZ) High Glen T. (Phoenix AZ) Looper David L. (Chandler AZ) Frew James S. (Phoenix AZ) Prevallet Larry C. (Phoenix AZ) Free Joseph W. (Mesa AZ), Power management system for turbine engines.
Vondrell, Randy M.; Polakowski, Matthew Ryan; Murrow, Kurt David; Crabtree, Glenn; Zatorski, Darek Tomasz, Tiltrotor propulsion system for an aircraft.
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