US 12,227,166 B2
Hybrid propulsion system power management
Michael P. Dougherty, Indianapolis, IN (US)
Assigned to Rolls-Royce Corporation, Indianapolis, IN (US)
Filed by Rolls-Royce Corporation, Indianapolis, IN (US)
Filed on Apr. 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/230,410.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/053,107, filed on Jul. 17, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0017064 A1, Jan. 20, 2022
Int. Cl. B60W 20/13 (2016.01); B64D 27/02 (2006.01); B64D 27/24 (2024.01)
CPC B60W 20/13 (2016.01) [B64D 27/24 (2013.01); B60W 2510/242 (2013.01); B60W 2710/244 (2013.01); B64D 27/026 (2024.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of managing power in a hybrid propulsion system, the method comprising:
receiving, by one or more processors, a power demand that specifies an amount of power to be used to propel a vehicle that includes an electrical energy storage system (ESS) and one or more electrical generators, wherein the ESS is configured to output electrical power onto a direct current (DC) electrical distribution bus, wherein the one or more electrical generators are configured to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy and to output electrical power onto the DC electrical distribution bus, wherein one or more electrical propulsion units are configured to propel the vehicle using electrical power received via the DC electrical distribution bus;
receiving, by the one or more processors via a user input device, a power share request from a user, wherein the power share request corresponds to a percentage of the power demand;
determining, by the one or more processors and based on the power share request, a predetermined ESS output limit;
determining, by the one or more processors and based on the power demand and the predetermined ESS output limit, a first amount of power to be sourced from the ESS and a second amount of power to be sourced from the one or more generators, wherein the predetermined ESS output limit is a portion of an ESS output capacity that is less than the full ESS output capacity;
in response to determining that the amount of power specified by the power demand is less than or equal to the predetermined ESS output limit, determining, by the one or more processors, that the second amount of power is zero;
in response to determining that the amount of power specified by the power demand is greater than the predetermined ESS output limit and is less than or equal to a predetermined output limit of the one or more electrical generators, determining, by the one or more processors, that the first amount of power is the predetermined ESS output limit; and
causing, by the one or more processors, the ESS to output the first amount of power onto the DC electrical distribution bus and the one or more generators to output the second amount of power onto the DC electrical distribution bus.