US 11,987,348 B2
Aircraft having a hybrid power source with power generation sources controlled according to drive unit power requirements
Clément Dinel, Toulouse (FR); and Benoît Ferran, Toulouse (FR)
Assigned to ASCENDANCE FLIGHT TECHNOLOGIES, Toulouse (FR)
Appl. No. 18/218,558
Filed by ASCENDANCE FLIGHT TECHNOLOGIES, Toulouse (FR)
PCT Filed Jan. 4, 2022, PCT No. PCT/FR2022/050014
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 5, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/148926, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 14, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2100099 (FR), filed on Jan. 6, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0399099 A1, Dec. 14, 2023
Int. Cl. B64C 29/00 (2006.01); B64D 27/02 (2006.01); B64D 27/24 (2006.01); H02J 1/08 (2006.01); H02J 1/12 (2006.01); H02J 7/14 (2006.01)
CPC B64C 29/0008 (2013.01) [B64D 27/24 (2013.01); H02J 1/086 (2020.01); H02J 1/12 (2013.01); H02J 7/1423 (2013.01); H02J 7/143 (2020.01); H02J 7/1438 (2013.01); B64D 27/026 (2024.01); H02J 2310/44 (2020.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An aircraft having a hybrid power source comprising:
at least two horizontal drive thrusters each powered by a respective first electric motor, forming at least two respective horizontal drive units,
at least four pairs of vertical take-off/landing rotors, each of the vertical take-off/landing rotors powered by a respective second electric motor, and at least four power sources each connected to a respective pair of the second electric motors of a respective one of the pairs of vertical take-off/landing rotors, each pair of rotors forming with the respective second electric motors and power source a vertical drive unit, each vertical drive unit comprising a power supply bus whose output can be connected to a single one of the horizontal drive units, the number of vertical drive units being such that each horizontal drive unit is connectable to at least two of the vertical drive units via a respective switch disposed at an input of the horizontal drive unit,
at least two power generation sources, each connected on the one hand to each of the power supply buses by a respective input of the corresponding vertical drive unit, and on the other hand to each horizontal drive unit via the respective output of each vertical drive unit,
at least one power supply controller configured to send a power command to the power generation sources:
(i) according to power requirements of the vertical drive units and of the horizontal drive units, the power sources supplying electricity according to a difference between the power requirements of the vertical drive units and of the horizontal drive units and power emitted by the power generation sources based on the power command; or
(ii) according to power requirements of the vertical drive units, the power sources supplying electricity according to a difference between the power requirements of the vertical drive units and the power emitted by the power generation sources based on the power command; or
(iii) according to power requirements of the horizontal drive units, the power sources supplying electricity according to a difference between the power requirements of the horizontal drive units and the power emitted by the power generation sources based on the power command,
the power generation sources being further configured for recharging the power sources, such that the power sources are passively charged.