Nonlinear power source capability determination

Abstract

To provide a method of determining the capability of a nonlinear power source.SOLUTION: A method includes: accessing a status value representing a current state of an energy storage system in an aircraft; accessing a demand value related to estimated power demands on the energy storage system; executing a dynamic model for predicting when an available energy level reaches an energy level threshold; executing a dynamic model for predicting when a voltage level reaches a voltage threshold; executing a dynamic model for predicting when a battery temperature value reaches a temperature threshold; and providing an output of a capability of the aircraft on the basis of an ongoing status of the energy storage system when one of the available energy level, the voltage level, and the battery temperature value first reaches a corresponding threshold.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of aviation, and more particularly to determining and indicating the capabilities of a power source, such as a rechargeable battery pack. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0002] To easily identify the description of any particular element or operation, the most significant digit(s) in a reference number refers to the figure number in which that element is first introduced. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a top view of a VTOL aircraft according to some embodiments. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an aircraft energy storage system according to some embodiments. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 illustrates an electrical architecture for the aircraft of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates a computing environment associated with an air transportation network in accordance with some embodiments. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of modeling the capacity of the energy storage system of FIG. 2 under different scenarios, according to some embodiments. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 illustrates a flow chart for determining the capabilities of a non-linear power supply, according to some embodiments. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 illustrates a user interface display according to some embodiments. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 illustrates the capabilities output display of the user interface of FIG. 7 in greater detail, according to some embodiments. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 illustrates a schematic diagram of a machine in the form of a computer system within which a set of instructions may be executed to cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0003] The following description of embodiments of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to those embodiments, but rather to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention.

[0004] In conventional aircraft using Avgas or jet fuel, the remaining flight time is directly related to the remaining capacity of the fuel tanks and the current fuel consumption rate. When the pilot adjusts the throttle to a new power or thrust level, there is an associated new fuel consumption rate that can be used to measure the remaining available flight time at that power or thrust level by dividing the remaining fuel capacity by the new fuel consumption rate. In the case of non-linear power sources, the remaining flight time or range may not depend solely on the combination of the current power demand and the remaining capacity of the power source.

[0005] For example, increasing power consumption in a battery pack may cause the battery temperature or voltage to reach undesirable levels before the battery's capacity is depleted. For land or water vehicles, the battery management system may manage power consumption in this way to avoid reaching temperature or voltage limits, but this approach may not be applicable in aviation situations where it may be necessary to provide a specific power level to ensure safe operation of the aircraft or to ensure that the aircraft can reach a suitable landing site. Similar considerations are necessary for aircraft with hybrid or hydrogen-based power sources.

[0006] In some examples, a method is provided that is executed by one or more processors and includes: accessing status values ​​representative of a current state of an energy storage system in an aircraft, including an available energy level; accessing demand values ​​related to an expected power demand for the energy storage system; executing a dynamic model to calculate an ongoing status of the energy storage system using the status values ​​and the demand values ​​to predict when one of the status values ​​other than the available energy level will reach a threshold; and providing an output of the aircraft capabilities based on the status value reaching the threshold. The demand values ​​may be based in part on a type of flight, including forward flight and vertical flight. The demand values ​​may also be related to a flight plan, including takeoff, flight path, and landing.

[0007] The dynamic model may be executed iteratively to determine a sequence of predicted status values ​​representative of a predicted state of the energy storage system based on a projected power demand for the energy storage system. In some examples, the dynamic model is executed iteratively to determine when a temperature value or a voltage level will reach a threshold level.

[0008] In some examples, a second dynamic model may be executed to calculate a second ongoing status of the energy storage system using the status values ​​and the one or more alternative demand values ​​to predict an output of an alternative capacity of the aircraft based on when one of the status values ​​reaches a threshold and the status value reaching the threshold based on the one or more alternative demand values. The alternative demand values ​​may be based on a power level that provides hovering or an approximate maximum range of the aircraft.

[0009] The alternative demand value may be based on a loss of aircraft capacity. The energy storage system may include multiple energy storage modules, and the loss of aircraft capacity may be a loss of power from one of the energy storage modules. Also, the aircraft may include multiple thrust producing modules, and the loss of aircraft capacity may be a loss of thrust from one of the thrust producing modules.

[0010] In some examples, a computer system is provided that includes one or more processors and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations corresponding to any of the methods and limitations described above, the operations including, but not limited to, accessing status values ​​representative of a current state of an energy storage system in an aircraft including an available energy level; accessing a demand value related to an expected power demand for the energy storage system; executing a dynamic model to calculate an ongoing status of the energy storage system using the status values ​​and the demand value to predict when one of the status values ​​other than the available energy level will reach a threshold; and providing an output of the aircraft capability based on the status value reaching the threshold.

[0011] In some examples, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a head-mounted device system including one or more display devices, one or more cameras, and a generally vertically arranged touch pad, cause the head-mounted device system to perform operations corresponding to any of the methods and limitations discussed above, including, but not limited to, accessing status values ​​representative of a current state of an energy storage system in the aircraft including an available energy level; accessing demand values ​​related to expected power demands for the energy storage system; executing a dynamic model to calculate an ongoing status of the energy storage system using the status values ​​and the demand values ​​to predict when one of the status values ​​other than the available energy level will reach a threshold; and providing an output of aircraft capabilities based on the status value reaching a threshold.

[0012] Other technical features will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following drawings, descriptions, and claims. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a VTOL aircraft 100 according to some embodiments. The aircraft 100 includes a fuselage 114, two wings 112, a tail 110, and a propulsion system 108 embodied as a tiltable rotor assembly 116 disposed within a nacelle 118. The aircraft 100 includes one or more non-linear power sources embodied in FIG. 1 as a nacelle battery pack 104 and a wing battery pack 106. In the illustrated embodiment, the nacelle battery pack 104 is disposed within an inboard nacelle 102, although it will be understood that the nacelle battery pack 104 may be disposed within another nacelle 118 forming part of the aircraft 100. The aircraft 100 typically includes associated equipment such as electronic infrastructure, control surfaces, cooling systems, landing gear, etc.

[0013] The wings 112 function to generate lift to support the air vehicle 100 during forward flight. The wings 112 may additionally or alternatively function to provide structural support for the battery packs 202, the battery modules 204, and / or the propulsion system 108 under various structural stresses (e.g., aerodynamic forces, gravity, propulsive forces, external point loads, distributed loads, and / or body forces, etc.).

[0014] 2 is a schematic diagram of an aircraft energy storage system 200 according to some embodiments. As shown, the energy storage system 200 includes one or more battery packs 202. Each battery pack 202 may include one or more battery modules 204, which may include a number of cells 206.

[0015] Typically associated with the battery pack 202 are one or more propulsion systems 108, a battery mate 208 for connecting it to the energy storage system 200, a burst membrane 210 as part of a ventilation system, a fluid circulation system 212 for cooling, and power electronics 214 for regulating the delivery of power (from the operating battery to the charging battery) and providing integration of the battery pack 202 with the electronic infrastructure of the energy storage system 200. As described in more detail below, the propulsion system 108 may comprise multiple rotor assemblies.

[0016] Electronic infrastructure and power electronics 214 may additionally or alternatively function to integrate battery packs 202 into the aircraft's energy storage system 200. The electronic infrastructure may include a battery management system (BMS), power electronics (HV architecture, power components, etc.), LV architecture (e.g., vehicle wire harness, data connections, etc.), and / or any other suitable components. The electronic infrastructure may include battery packs and / or inter-module electrical connections that may transmit power and / or data between modules. Inter-module may include bulkhead connections, bus bars, wire harnesses, and / or any other suitable components.

[0017] The battery packs 202 function to rechargeably store electrochemical energy for supplying the propulsion system 108. The battery packs 202 may be positioned and / or distributed around the aircraft in any suitable manner. The battery packs may be positioned within a wing (e.g., inside a wing cavity), inside a nacelle, and / or any other suitable location on the aircraft. In a particular example, the system includes a first battery pack within an inboard portion of the left wing and a second battery pack within an inboard portion of the right wing. In a second particular example, the system includes a first battery pack within an inboard nacelle of the left wing and a second battery pack within an inboard nacelle of the right wing. The battery packs 202 may include multiple battery modules 204.

[0018] Energy storage system 200 may optionally include a cooling system (e.g., fluid circulation system 212) that functions to circulate a working fluid within battery pack 202 to remove heat generated by battery pack 202 during operation or charging. Battery cells 206, battery modules 204, and / or battery pack 202 may be fluidly connected in series and / or parallel by the cooling system in any suitable manner.

[0019] Figure 3 illustrates an electrical architecture of the aircraft of Figure 1 according to some embodiments. Electrical architecture 302 includes energy storage system 200, a number of flight devices 304, a number of flight computers 306, and a distribution network 308. Network 308 includes a number of switches 310 and appropriate wired or wireless data transmission links with other components of electrical architecture 302 within network 308.

[0020] Electrical architecture 302 functions to provide redundant and fault-tolerant power and data connections between flight devices 304, flight computers 306, and energy storage system 200. Flight devices 304 may include any components associated with aircraft flight and including, for example, actuators and control surfaces, such as ailerons, flaps, rudder fins, landing gear, sensors (e.g., kinematic sensors such as IMUs, optical sensors such as cameras, acoustic sensors such as microphones and radars, temperature sensors, altimeters, pressure sensors, and / or any other suitable sensors), cabin systems, etc.

[0021] Flight computers 306 control the overall functioning of aircraft 100, including interpreting flight data and converting it into commands that can be sent to and interpreted by controllable flight components. The data can be commands, aircraft status information, and / or any other suitable data. Aircraft status information can include faults (fault indicators, fault status, fault status information, etc.), speed, altitude, pressure, GPS information, acceleration, user control inputs (e.g., from the pilot or operator), sensor signals or information collected by flight components such as measured motor RPM, radar, imagery, or other sensor data, component status (e.g., motor controller output, sensor status, on / off, etc.), energy storage system 200 status information (battery pack 202 voltage, charge level, temperature, etc.), and / or any other suitable information. The commands may include faults (fault indicators, fault status, fault status information, etc.), control commands (e.g., commanding rotor RPM (or other related parameters such as torque, power, thrust, lift, etc.), data to be stored, commanding wireless transmissions, commanding display outputs, etc.), and / or any other suitable information.

[0022] Flight computer 306 includes I / O components 942 (see FIG. 9) that are used to receive input from and provide output to a pilot or other operator. I / O components 942 may include, for example, joysticks, interceptors, or other flight control input devices, data input devices such as keyboards and touch input devices, and one or more display screens for providing flight and other information to the pilot or other operator.

[0023] One or more of the flight computers 306 also perform methods described below to determine the capabilities of the energy storage system 200 based on data received from I / O components 942, data entered by the pilot, data retrieved from one or more remote servers, such as data repository 410 described below, and aircraft and battery status information.

[0024] 4 illustrates a computing environment 400 associated with an air transportation network according to some embodiments. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, computing environment 400 includes a transportation network planning system 402, a transportation service coordination system 404, a set of aircraft 406, a node management system 408, and a set of client devices 412, all connected via network 308. In other embodiments, computing environment 400 includes different and / or additional elements. Also, functionality may be distributed among elements in a manner different from that described. For example, node management system 408 may be omitted, and information about the nodes may be stored and updated in transportation network planning system 402.

[0025] The transportation network planning system 402 assists in the planning and design of transportation networks. In some embodiments, the transportation network planning system 402 estimates demand for transportation services, suggests locations of transportation nodes that would help meet that demand, and simulates the flow of passengers and aircraft 406 between the nodes to assist in network planning.

[0026] The transportation services coordination system 404 coordinates transportation services as a set of transportation nodes become operational. The transportation services coordination system 404 pairs users (passengers) requesting transportation services with specific aircraft 406. The transportation services coordination system 404 may interact with ground transportation to coordinate travel services. For example, the transportation services coordination system 404 may be an extension of an existing transportation services coordinator, such as a ride-sharing service.

[0027] Aircraft 406 is a vehicle that flies between nodes in a transportation network. Aircraft 406 may be controlled by a human pilot (in-vehicle or on the ground) or may be autonomous. In some implementations, aircraft 406 is aircraft 100. For convenience, various components of computing environment 400 are described with reference to this implementation. However, other types of aircraft may be used, such as helicopters, airplanes that take off at angles other than vertical, etc.

[0028] Aircraft 406 may include electrical architecture 302 that communicates status information (e.g., via network 414) to other elements of computing environment 400. The status information may include current location, current battery charge, potential component failure, etc. Electrical architecture 302 of aircraft 406 may also receive information such as routing information, weather information, and energy availability (e.g., the number of kilowatts that can be drawn from the power grid at a node) at which the aircraft will be or is currently located.

[0029] The node management system 408 provides functionality at nodes in the transportation network. A node is a location where aircraft are intended to land and take off. There may be different types of nodes in the transportation network. For example, a centrally located node with a large amount of passenger throughput may include enough infrastructure for 16 (or more) aircraft 406 to take off or land at the same time (or nearly at the same time). Similarly, such a node may include multiple charging stations for recharging battery-powered aircraft 406. On the other hand, a node located in a less populated suburban area may include infrastructure for a single aircraft 406 and may not have charging stations. The node management system 408 may be located at the node, may be located remotely, and may be connected via a network 414. In the latter case, a single node management system 408 may serve multiple nodes.

[0030] In some embodiments, the node management system 408 monitors and reports the status of the equipment at the node to the transportation network planning system 402. For example, if a charging station has a malfunction, the node management system 408 may automatically report that it is unavailable to charge the aircraft 406 and request maintenance or replacement. The node management system 408 may also control the equipment at the node. For example, in some embodiments, a node includes one or more launch pads that may be moved from a takeoff / landing location to a pick-up / drop-off location. The node management system 408 may control the movement of the launch pads (e.g., in response to commands received from the transportation services coordination system 404 and / or the aircraft 406).

[0031] The client device 412 is a computing device through which a user can arrange transportation services within a transportation network. In some embodiments, the client device 412 is a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet, etc.) that runs an application for ordering transportation services. The user provides a pick-up location and a destination within the application, and the client device 412 transmits a request for transportation services to the transportation services coordination system 404. Alternatively, the user may provide a destination, and the pick-up location is determined based on the user's current location (e.g., determined from GPS data of the client device 412).

[0032] Regardless of how they are generated, the transportation services coordination system 404 determines how to service the transportation requests. In some embodiments, a transportation request may be serviced by a combination of ground and air transportation. The transportation services coordination system 404 sends information to the user's client device about how the request will be serviced (e.g., which vehicle the user should board, instructions on where to walk if necessary, etc.).

[0033] The data repository 410 includes one or more servers that may or may not be hosted by the air transportation network provider. The data repository 410 provides information that can be used by other components of the computing environment 400, such as meteorological information at the nodes (pressure, dew point, temperature, wind direction), geographic information about the nodes (altitude, longitude / latitude, etc.), which can be used by the transportation network planning system 402 or the aircraft 406 for trip planning, and in determining the capabilities of the energy storage system 200, as described in more detail below. In some embodiments, the data repository 410 can be a weather service provider, a provider of mapping or other geographic information, etc. The data repository 410 may also be hosted as part of or distributed among other components of the computing environment 400, such as the transportation services coordination system 404 and the node management system 408.

[0034] The network 414 provides a communication channel through which other elements of the networked computing environment 400 communicate. The network 414 may include any combination of local area networks and / or wide area networks, using both wired and / or wireless communication systems.

[0035] 5 shows a schematic diagram of modeling the capacity of the energy storage system 200 under different scenarios, according to some embodiments. The modeling is performed by one or more of the flight computers 306 in conjunction with and based on data and inputs received from the flight devices 304 and associated sensors, as well as flight mission parameters and environmental conditions. As can be seen, the flight computers 306 include several battery models 504 that receive inputs including an initial or current battery state 502 and associated input parameters, such as current input parameters 506 and changed input parameters 512. Based on the current battery state 502 and the input parameters, the battery models 504 determine the battery capacity, which is then provided as an output, for example, a capacity output 508 or a capacity output 510.

[0036] The battery model 504 is a multi-dimensional dynamic model that can determine a predicted battery state at a future time based on the current battery state 502 (including, for example, the current battery temperature, the current battery charge, and the current battery voltage) and the power demand for the battery. The power demand for the battery is either a current (actual) power demand value or a predicted or hypothetical power demand value based on a projected flight plan or one or more alternative scenarios.

[0037] An example of a dynamic model of a system includes computer code that, when executed, calculates changes in a state or status of the system over time. A dynamic model of an energy storage system may correspond to computer code that defines a set of dynamic equations that represent a model of the behavior of the energy storage system or the battery state over time based on an initial state of the battery storage system and certain input parameters to the energy storage system.

[0038] For example, if the aircraft 100 is flying at a steady airspeed with no change in altitude at time t(n), consuming W(n) kW of power at a temperature of X(n) degrees Celsius, with a remaining battery capacity of Y(n)% (or kWh), and a battery voltage of Z(n) volts, the battery model 504 may determine that at time t(n+1), the battery has a predicted status that includes a temperature of X(n+1) degrees Celsius, a remaining battery capacity of Y(n+1)% (or kWh), and a battery voltage of Z(n+1) volts. The predicted battery status and any updated power demand values ​​at time t(n+1) may then be provided to the battery model 504 to determine an updated battery status at time t(n+2).

[0039] For any particular mission profile, predicted or expected power consumption can be determined from aircraft 100 parameters (such as weight), parameters at the departure and destination locations (such as altitude, outside temperature, etc.), in-flight parameters (such as current or intended cruising altitude, cruising speed and wind direction), and operational parameters such as intended takeoff and landing type (such as vertical, short or conventional), runway time, etc.

[0040] Based on the expected power consumption, the current battery state 502, and the current input parameters 506, the battery model 504 can step through the expected power consumption over the intended mission profile to determine the battery state over the intended mission profile and provide a capability output 508, such as the range or resulting flight time of the aircraft 100 if the intended mission profile is followed. Thus, the battery model uses an iterative forward propagation simulation of the battery usage to determine an estimate of how long the energy storage system 200 can be used under current or proposed conditions.

[0041] The capacity output provides sufficient remaining battery capacity at the end of the indicated range to enable the aircraft 100 to descend and make an intended landing at the destination. That is, for some range determinations, the battery model 504 cycles through the expected power draw through the final segment of the mission profile until an estimated maximum range for the intermediate segments is determined.

[0042] As indicated by the ellipses in FIG. 5, several battery models 504 may be utilized to provide different capacity outputs 510 based on several different scenarios represented by different groups of altered input parameters 512.

[0043] In some cases, emergency scenarios such as loss of thrust from one of the propulsion systems 108 or loss of power from a battery pack 202 or one or more battery modules 204 in the energy storage system 200 may be modeled. For example, if the energy storage system 200 includes four battery packs 202 and one of the battery packs 202 can no longer provide energy and assumes no change in flight mode or airspeed, the demand on the other battery packs 202 may increase by approximately 33% to compensate for the loss of capacity. Similarly, a loss of thrust from one of the propulsion systems 108 would require an increase in thrust from the remaining propulsion system 108, assuming no change in flight mode or airspeed. The increased demand by the remaining propulsion system 108 may create additional power demands on one or more of the battery packs 202 due to how the battery packs 202 are connected to the different propulsion systems 108. The increased power supply demand on one or more of the battery packs 202 due to an emergency situation affects the time it takes for the energy storage system 200 to reach a critical temperature or voltage threshold.

[0044] The aircraft 100 is a dynamic system, and the actual power consumption in an emergency scenario depends on several factors, including the flight mode and actions taken by the pilot or commanded by the flight computer 306 of the aircraft 100 itself. For example, if the aircraft 100 is in forward flight, a loss of power from a battery pack 202 may result in a slower commanded airspeed and therefore a reduced demand on other operational battery packs 202 from the modeled emergency scenario power consumption, which in turn would result in increased actual capacity compared to the modeled capacity output 510.

[0045] In some cases, automatic adjustments in response to emergency situations may be included in the determination of modeled capability output 510. However, to provide a conservative indication of the capability of aircraft 100 in an emergency scenario, modeled capability output 510 may be based on maximum expected or possible power consumption in a hypothetical emergency situation. In the event of an actual emergency, the current situation and any steps taken to address the emergency are provided to flight computer 306 as part of current input parameters 506, which, together with current battery state 502, enable battery model 504 to provide real-time capability output 508 as before.

[0046] To provide a clear indication of the capabilities of energy storage system 200 under emergency conditions and under the assumption that the planned landing at the destination may not occur, the capability output 510 may, in some embodiments, be a representation of range or flight time based on a particular flight configuration, for example, how much hover time would be available if an emergency situation were to occur under current conditions.

[0047] Other scenarios modeled include nominal range or endurance, and best endurance (BE) range or endurance. Nominal range or endurance is based on the power consumption of all aircraft systems operating at nominal and can be expressed as the total range in level flight and available hover time. Best endurance range or endurance is based on the known published airspeed of the aircraft that theoretically provides the best endurance.

[0048] FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart 600 for determining the capabilities of a nonlinear power source, according to some embodiments. For purposes of explanation, the operations of the flowchart 600 are described herein as occurring sequentially or linearly. However, multiple operations of the flowchart 600 may occur in parallel. In addition, the operations of the flowchart 600 need not be performed in the order shown, and / or one or more blocks of the flowchart 600 need not be performed and / or may be replaced by other operations. Also, while the operations of the flowchart 600 are typically performed in one or more of the flight computers 306, some or all of the operations may be performed in other computer processors, such as in the node management system 408 or the transportation services coordination system 404, that may be local or may be accessed via the network 414.

[0049] Flowchart 600 begins with operation 602 which involves flight computer 306 accessing or receiving input parameters and current battery status 502. As discussed above, the input parameters include (but are not limited to) aircraft 100 parameters (e.g., weight), origin and destination parameters (e.g., altitude, outside temperature), in-flight parameters (e.g., current or intended cruising altitude, cruising speed, wind direction, outside temperature, flight mode, etc.), and operational parameters such as intended takeoff and landing type (e.g., vertical, short or conventional), runway time, etc.

[0050] Battery status (including, for example, current battery temperature, current battery charge remaining, current battery voltage) is obtained from energy storage system 200. Also provided or derived for use as an input parameter is the battery power demand, either a current (actual) power demand value during operation of aircraft 100, or a projected or assumed power demand value based on an anticipated flight plan or one or more alternative scenarios.

[0051] In operation 602, the flight computer determines an updated battery state based on the input parameters and the battery state using the battery model 504. The updated battery state is determined as a forward-propagating simulation of battery usage based on the parameters at some time increment in the future that is short enough that changes in the battery state are essentially linear and predictable.

[0052] The flight computer 306 then determines whether any one of the battery parameters (battery temperature, battery voltage, battery capacity) in the updated battery state has reached a threshold in operation 606. If none of the relevant battery parameters in the updated battery state has reached a threshold in operation 606, then the battery state for the next iteration of the method is set to the updated battery state in operation 608.

[0053] The capacity of the energy storage system 200 is updated in operation 610. For example, if the time increment used in the forward simulation of the battery state is 5 seconds, then 5 seconds are added to the accumulated hover time from the initial battery state for the purpose of determining hover capability. Similarly, a distance equal to 5 seconds multiplied by the actual or intended ground speed is added to the accumulated range from the initial battery state for the purpose of determining range.

[0054] The flight computer 306 then determines in operation 614 whether the input parameters have changed (or will change at this point in the flight). For example, in a particular flight plan at a particular moment, the aircraft 100 may transition from horizontal to vertical flight to land. In such a case, the flight mode changes from horizontal to vertical flight mode at this point in the forward simulation. In some cases, depending on which capabilities are being determined, the change in the input parameters may require a restart of the method. Thus, for example, if the total range or flight time has been determined for a current power level and the power level is increased by the pilot, any in-process values ​​of range or flight time are no longer valid and the flowchart 600 resumes at operation 602 to determine battery capabilities at the new power level.

[0055] If the input parameters have not changed at operation 612, the flowchart 600 returns to operation 604 and continues from there. If the input parameters have changed at operation 612, the input parameters for use at operation 604 are updated at operation 614 and the flowchart 600 continues at operation 604. The operations within the loop of the flowchart 600 from operation 604 to operation 612 / operation 614 continue to be executed by the flight computer 306 until a battery threshold is reached at operation 606. At that time, the cumulative capabilities (e.g., range and flight time) determined at the flowchart 600 are reported at operation 616 via one or more of the I / O components 942, such as on a display screen, as described below.

[0056] Because an operating aircraft 100 is a dynamic system and conditions, including the actual state of the batteries, are likely to be constantly changing, the operations of flowchart 600 may be repeated or resumed with new current battery conditions and any new input conditions as time passes and the flight progresses.

[0057] As described above, multiple battery models 504 are run simultaneously by one or more of the flight computers 306 for different scenarios including range and flight time of the current flight plan, range at current power level, best endurance range, available hover time, marginal loss of thrust ("CLT"), hover time, etc.

[0058] 7 illustrates a user interface display according to some embodiments. The user interface 700 is provided to a pilot for use in preparation for flight and during flight of the aircraft 100. In the user interface 700, the battery health and status are abstracted so that all the pilot sees is the capabilities of the aircraft 100. The battery model 504 takes into account the battery health, age, and other factors. For the same mission, an older battery pack will exhibit less range and time remaining than a new battery. The user interface 700 allows the pilot to make decisions without concern for the nature, age, raw capacity, or condition of the energy storage system 200.

[0059] At the lower left of the user interface 700 are displays that display flight plan parameters that are either entered by the pilot or automatically retrieved (and verified by the pilot) over the network 414 from the data repository 410 based on the position of the aircraft 100 as determined, for example, by GPS coordinates obtained from a GPS receiver located on the aircraft 100. The flight plan parameters are generally static or may be considered static for flight planning purposes, but may be updated by the pilot or automatically over the network 414 as the flight progresses. Shown are an origin parameter display 702, an in-flight parameter display 704, and a destination parameter display 706.

[0060] In the illustrated user interface 700, the origin parameter display 702, in-flight parameter display 704, and destination parameter display 706 do not identify the origin and destination locations, but only have parameter inputs or values ​​at the destination and origin, and what the pilot intends to do, such as the takeoff and landing types and the intended cruise altitude and cruise speed. This provides for input of only the necessary parameters. In some alternative embodiments, origin and destination location information may also be provided.

[0061] In the illustrated embodiment, the departure parameter display 702 includes aircraft weight, intended runway time, outside air temperature (OAT), dew point temperature, density altitude above mean sea level (MSL), and whether the takeoff is vertical (VTO), short (STO) or conventional (CTO).

[0062] The in-flight parameter display 704 includes wind speed and direction, intended cruise altitude, intended cruise speed, International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) temperature offset, and three backup flight time settings: (i) none, (ii) one for daytime flying, and (iii) one for night flying.

[0063] The destination parameter display 706 includes the destination altitude above mean sea level, barometer setting, outside temperature, dew point temperature, density altitude above mean sea level, and whether the landing is vertical (VL), short (SL) or conventional (CL).

[0064] Based on these parameters, battery model 504 determines the range and remaining flight time of the flight plan as described above, which is displayed on capability output display 708, which is described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 8. If, at the departure location, the range displayed on capability output display 708 is greater than the distance between the departure location and the destination according to the flight plan, the pilot can proceed with the flight. In some embodiments, this is verified by the pilot alone, while in other embodiments, this is verified by one of the systems in electrical architecture 302 or computing environment 400. In such a case, aircraft 100 may be disabled until an achievable flight plan is provided.

[0065] In some examples, parameters used by battery model 504 for pre-flight determination of range and remaining flight time include flight time reserve capacity. Reserve capacity may be required by regulation and may vary with time of day, for example, 30 minutes of reserve flight time for daytime flights and 45 minutes of reserve flight time for nighttime flights. In such cases, battery model 504 may obtain the local time and date and determine whether the departure time or estimated arrival time falls within a time period considered to be nighttime. In such cases, more conservative nighttime values ​​are used in battery model 504's determination of range and remaining flight time for the flight plan.

[0066] Depending on the implementation, the range and remaining flight time displays may or may not include reserve capacity before takeoff. It may be easier and more convenient for the pilot to evaluate the flight plan if reserve capacity is not included in the pre-flight displays. However, once the flight has begun, the range and remaining flight time displays include reserve capacity, thereby indicating the actual capabilities of the aircraft 100.

[0067] A plot 712 of estimated power consumption versus time for the flight plan defined by parameters in the in-flight parameter display 704, the destination parameter display 706, and the capability output display 708 is shown in a power profile graph 710. A plot of actual power consumption versus time during the flight may also be shown in the power profile graph 710, such as in a different color, to distinguish it from the plot of estimated power consumption 712. The pilot may use the display of actual versus estimated power consumption to ensure that the flight is proceeding approximately as planned.

[0068] The user interface 700 also includes a status display 714, which may include various sub-displays, including aircraft mode (ready, charging, standby, etc.), interceptor position and trim display, and a crew alerting system (CAS) display.

[0069] Figure 8 illustrates in more detail the capabilities output display 708 of the user interface 700 of Figure 7, according to some embodiments. Elements of the capabilities output display 708 are expanded separately in Figure 8 for clarity.

[0070] On the left side of the figure is a current power capability display 802. The current power capability display 802 includes a column showing a current power value 818 and a column showing a corresponding minutes remaining 814 value 820 in the current flight mode (vertical or forward flight). Each of the values ​​820 shown in the minutes remaining 814 display corresponds to an adjacent value in the current power 812 display. Thus, the current power capability display 802 shows at a glance what the aircraft 100 is capable of for any power level, regardless of the actual power level. For example, it is easy to see that with a power consumption of 500 kW, the flight time is less than 10 minutes, while at about 650 kW the flight time is on the order of 2 minutes.

[0071] The values ​​820 in the display of minutes remaining 814 may be arranged on a logarithmic scale or other non-linear scale, or more values ​​may be provided for shorter remaining times, so that more significant shorter flight times appear more prominent. As shown, three time values ​​below 10 minutes (5, 2, and 1) are shown, but only two values ​​above 10 minutes (30 and 60). Also shown are numerical values ​​816 for the current power consumption and the corresponding minutes remaining of flight time.

[0072] The current (actual) amount of power is indicated on the current power capability display 802 by a current power consumption pointer 822. This pointer moves up and down on the current power capability display 802 as power changes during flight. The current power consumption pointer 822 indicates both the current power consumption and the corresponding minutes of remaining flight time, and corresponds to the numeric value 816 shown above. Also shown on the current power capability display 802 is a BE power consumption pointer 824, which marks the top endurance power level and the corresponding minutes remaining, and includes a numeric value corresponding to the number of BE minutes remaining.

[0073] The capability output display 708 also includes a current range output 804 that provides the range in nautical miles and the corresponding number of minutes of flight time. The value in the current range output 804 is based on the (remaining) flight profile, while the remaining minutes, indicated by the current power consumption pointer 822, are based on the current power consumption.

[0074] Also included is a battery level output 806, a "fuel tank" that indicates the current battery level. As previously mentioned, the available energy of a battery does not typically correspond to the available capacity, since the available capacity depends on several factors (including the battery level), such as the battery's temperature and voltage level. An ambient conditions display 810 provides current conditions, including density altitude, outside temperature, and ISA temperature regulation.

[0075] Hover capability display 808 provides an indication of nominal hover time 826 and CLT hover time 828. Nominal hover time is based on all systems of aircraft 100 operating nominally, while critical loss of thrust (CLT) hover time is based on battery failure or worst case motor failure that would degrade aircraft performance. Aircraft 100 cannot operate vertically unless there is a predetermined minimum amount of available hover time (such as 10, 20, 30, 60, 120, or any suitable or required number of seconds) to ensure a safe vertical landing in the event of a critical loss of thrust, taking into account the variability of the flight profile. If the available CLT hover time 828 is less than the predetermined minimum amount of available hover time, the pilot is not permitted to enter vertical flight mode and is required to land aircraft 100 conventionally.

[0076] Numerical values ​​830 of available hover times for nominal and CLT situations in the current ambient situation are shown in the hover capabilities display 808. Also shown is a column 840 of hover times. Two nominal hover times and two CLT hover times are shown in column 840. Two greyed out pointers indicate available hover times for situations at the destination where the aircraft 100 is likely to enter vertical flight mode for landing. A destination situation pointer 832 for nominal hover times and a destination situation pointer 834 for CLT hover times are shown. A current situation pointer 836 indicates the nominal hover time for the current situation and a current situation pointer 838 indicates the CLT hover time for the current situation.

[0077] To ensure sufficient resolution for available hover times less than 3 minutes, the values ​​in column 840 are capped at 3 minutes. Any hover value greater than 3 minutes is indicated as 3 minutes by the corresponding pointer. As seen in the example shown in FIG. 8, the destination context pointer 832 for the nominal hover thus indicates 3 minutes, while the actual amount indicated by the nominal value in numeric value 830 is 4:12.

[0078] FIG. 9 shows a schematic diagram of a machine 900 in the form of a computer system on which a set of instructions may be executed to cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein, according to some embodiments. Specifically, FIG. 9 shows a schematic diagram of a machine 900 in the exemplary form of a computer system on which instructions 908 (e.g., software, programs, applications, applets, apps, or other executable code) may be executed to cause the machine 900 to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein. The instructions 908 transform a general unprogrammed machine 900 into a specific machine 900 programmed to perform the functions described and illustrated in the manner described. In alternative examples, the machine 900 may operate as a standalone device or be coupled (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked arrangement, the machine 900 may operate in the capacity of a server machine or a client machine in a server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine 900 may include, but is not limited to, a server computer, a client computer, a personal computer (PC), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a netbook, a set-top box (STB), a PDA, an entertainment media system, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a mobile device, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch), a smart home device (e.g., a smart appliance), other smart devices, a web appliance, a network router, a network switch, a network bridge, or any machine capable of executing instructions 908, sequentially or otherwise, that specify operations to be performed by the machine 900. Additionally, although only a single machine 900 is illustrated, the term "machine" shall also be construed to include a collection of multiple machines 900 that individually or jointly execute instructions 908 to perform any one or more of the methods described herein.

[0079] Machine 900 may include processor 902, memory 904, and I / O components 942, which may be configured to communicate with each other via bus 944 or the like. In one embodiment, processor 902 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), another processor, or any suitable combination thereof) may include processor 906 and processor 910, which may execute instructions 908, for example. The term "processor" is intended to include multi-core processors, which may include two or more independent processors (sometimes referred to as "cores") that can execute instructions simultaneously. Although FIG. 9 illustrates multiple processors 902, machine 900 may include a single processor with a single core, a single processor with multiple cores (e.g., a multi-core processor), multiple processors with a single core, multiple processors with multiple cores, or any combination thereof.

[0080] The memory 904 may include a main memory 912, a static memory 914, and a storage unit 916, both of which are accessible to the processor 902, such as via a bus 944. The main memory 904, the static memory 914, and the storage unit 916 store instructions 908 that embody any one or more of the methods or functions described herein. Also, the instructions 908 may reside, completely or partially, within the main memory 912, within the static memory 914, within a machine-readable medium 918 in the storage unit 916, within at least one of the processors 902 (e.g., within a cache memory of the processor), or any suitable combination thereof, during its execution by the machine 900.

[0081] The I / O components 942 may include a wide variety of components for receiving input, providing output, generating output, transmitting information, exchanging information, taking measurements, and the like. The particular I / O components 942 included in a particular machine will depend on the type of machine. For example, a portable device such as a mobile phone will likely include a touch input device or other such input mechanism, while a headless server machine will likely not include such a touch input device. It will be appreciated that the I / O components 942 may include many other components not shown in FIG. 9 . The I / O components 942 are grouped according to function merely to simplify the following description, and this grouping is in no way limiting. In various embodiments, the I / O components 942 may include an output component 928 and an input component 930. Output components 928 may include visual components (e.g., a display such as a plasma display panel (PDP), light emitting diode (LED) display, liquid crystal display (LCD), projector, or cathode ray tube (CRT)), auditory components (e.g., speakers), haptic components (e.g., vibration motors, resistive mechanisms), other signal generators, etc. Input components 930 may include alphanumeric input components (e.g., a keyboard, a touch screen configured to receive alphanumeric input, a photo-optical keyboard, or other alphanumeric input component), a point-based input component (e.g., a mouse, touchpad, trackball, joystick, motion sensor, or another pointing device), a haptic input component (e.g., a physical button, a touch screen that provides the position and / or force of a touch or touch gesture, or other haptic input component), an audio input component (e.g., a microphone), etc.

[0082] In further examples, the I / O component 942 may include a biometric component 932, a motion component 934, an environmental component 936, or a position component 938, among a wide variety of other components. For example, the biometric component 932 may include components for detecting facial expressions (e.g., hand expressions, facial expressions, vocal expressions, gestures, or eye tracking), measuring biosignals (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, sweat, or brain waves), identifying people (e.g., voice identification, retinal identification, face identification, fingerprint identification, or brainwave-based identification), etc. The motion component 934 may include an acceleration sensor component (e.g., an accelerometer), a gravity sensor component, a rotational sensor component (e.g., a gyroscope), etc. The environmental components 936 may include, for example, a lighting sensor component (e.g., a light meter), a temperature sensor component (e.g., one or more thermometers to detect ambient temperature), a humidity sensor component, a pressure sensor component (e.g., a barometer), an acoustic sensor component (e.g., one or more microphones to detect background noise), a proximity sensor component (e.g., an infrared sensor to detect nearby objects), a gas sensor (e.g., a gas detection sensor to detect concentrations of harmful gases or measure pollutants in the air for safety purposes), or other components that may provide an indication, measurement, or signal corresponding to the surrounding physical environment. The position components 938 may include a location sensor component (e.g., a GPS receiver component), an altitude sensor component (e.g., an altimeter or barometer to detect air pressure from which altitude may be derived), an orientation sensor component (e.g., a magnetometer), etc.

[0083] Communication may be achieved using a wide variety of technologies. I / O component 942 may include a communication component 940 operable to couple machine 900 to network 920 or device 922 via coupling 924 and coupling 926, respectively. For example, communication component 940 may include a network interface component or another suitable device for interfacing with network 920. In further examples, communication component 940 may include a wired communication component, a wireless communication component, a cellular communication component, a near field communication (NFC) component, a Bluetooth component (e.g., Bluetooth Low Energy), a Wi-Fi component, and other communication components providing communication via other modalities. Device 922 may be either another machine or a wide variety of peripheral devices (e.g., a peripheral device connected via USB).

[0084] Further, the communication component 940 may detect the identifier or may include a component operable to detect the identifier. For example, the communication component 940 may include a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader component, an NFC smart tag detection component, an optical reader component (e.g., an optical sensor for detecting one-dimensional barcodes such as Universal Product Code (UPC) barcodes, multi-dimensional barcodes such as Quick Response (QR) codes, Aztec codes, Data Matrix, Dataglyph, MaxiCode, PDF417, Ultra Code, UCC RSS-2D barcodes, and other optical codes), or an acoustic detection component (e.g., a microphone for identifying tagged audio signals). In addition, various information may be derived via the communication component 940, such as location via Internet Protocol (IP) geolocation, location via Wi-Fi® signal triangulation, location by detection of NFC beacon signals that may indicate a particular location.

[0085] Executable Instructions and Machine Storage Medium The various memories (i.e., memory 904, main memory 912, static memory 914, and / or memory of processor 902) and / or storage unit 916 may store one or more sets of instructions and data structures (e.g., software) that embody or are utilized by any one or more of the methods or functions described herein. These instructions (e.g., instructions 908), when executed by processor 902, cause various operations to be performed to implement the disclosed embodiments.

[0086] As used herein, the terms "machine storage medium", "device storage medium", and "computer storage medium" mean the same thing and may be used interchangeably in this disclosure. These terms refer to a single or multiple storage devices and / or media (e.g., centralized or distributed databases, and / or associated caches and servers) that store executable instructions and / or data. Thus, these terms shall be interpreted to include, but are not limited to, solid-state memory, including memory internal or external to a processor, as well as optical and magnetic media. Specific examples of machine storage media, computer storage media, and / or device storage media include, for example, non-volatile memory including semiconductor memory devices such as erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), FPGA, and flash memory devices, magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks, magneto-optical disks, and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The terms "machine storage media," "computer storage media," and "device storage media" specifically exclude carrier waves, modulated data signals, and other such media, at least some of which are covered under the term "signal media" described below.

[0087] Transmission medium In various embodiments, one or more portions of network 920 may be an ad-hoc network, an intranet, an extranet, a VPN, a LAN, a WLAN, a WAN, a WWAN, a MAN, the Internet, a portion of the Internet, a portion of the PSTN, a plain old telephone service (POTS) network, a cellular telephone network, a wireless network, a Wi-Fi network, another type of network, or a combination of two or more such networks. For example, network 920 or portions of network 920 may include a wireless or cellular network, and coupling 924 may be a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) connection, a Global System for Mobile (GSM) connection, or another type of cellular or wireless connection. In this example, coupling 924 may implement any of various types of data transfer technologies, such as Single Carrier Radio Transmission Technology (1xRTT), Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO) technology, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) technology, third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)® including 3G, fourth generation wireless (4G) networks, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE) standards, others defined by various standards bodies, other long-range protocols, or other data transfer technologies.

[0088] The instructions 908 may be transmitted or received over the network 920 using a transmission medium via a network interface device (e.g., a network interface component included in the communications component 940) utilizing any one of several well-known transfer protocols (e.g., Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)). Similarly, the instructions 908 may be transmitted or received using a transmission medium via a coupling 926 (e.g., a peer-to-peer coupling) to the device 922. The terms "transmission medium" and "signal medium" mean the same thing and may be used interchangeably in this disclosure. The terms "transmission medium" and "signal medium" shall be interpreted to include any intangible medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying the instructions 908 for execution by the machine 900, including digital or analog communication signals or other intangible media for facilitating communication of such software. Thus, the terms "transmission medium" and "signal medium" shall be interpreted to include any form of modulated data signal, carrier wave, and the like. The term "modulated data signal" means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed so as to encode information in the signal.

[0089] Computer-Readable Medium The terms "machine-readable medium," "computer-readable medium," and "device-readable medium" mean the same thing and may be used interchangeably in this disclosure. These terms are defined to include both machine storage media and transmission media. Thus, these terms include both storage devices / media and carrier waves / modulated data signals.

[0090] Examples of the systems and / or methods may include any combination and permutation of the various system components and various method processes, and one or more instances of the methods and / or processes described herein may be performed asynchronously (e.g., sequentially), simultaneously (e.g., in parallel), or in any other suitable order by and / or using one or more instances of the systems, elements, and / or entities described herein.

[0091] As will be appreciated from the foregoing detailed description and the drawings and claims, those skilled in the art can make modifications and variations to the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method executed by one or more processors, comprising: accessing status values ​​representative of a current state of an energy storage system on board the aircraft, including an available energy level, a voltage level, and a battery temperature value; accessing a demand value associated with an expected power demand for the energy storage system; executing a dynamic model to calculate an ongoing status of the energy storage system using the status value and the demand value to predict when the available energy level will reach an energy level threshold; executing a dynamic model to calculate an ongoing status of the energy storage system using the status value and the demand value to predict when the voltage level will reach a voltage threshold; executing a dynamic model to calculate an ongoing status of the energy storage system using the status value and the demand value to predict when the battery temperature value will reach a temperature threshold; providing an output of a capability of the aircraft based on the ongoing status of the energy storage system when one of the available energy level, voltage level, and battery temperature value first reaches its corresponding threshold; A method for providing the above.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the demand value is based in part on a type of flight including forward flight and vertical flight.

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the execution of the dynamic model is performed iteratively to determine a sequence of predicted status values ​​representative of a predicted state of the energy storage system based on the forecasted power demand for the energy storage system.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the execution of the dynamic model is performed iteratively to determine when one of a temperature value, a voltage level, or a battery capacity first reaches a threshold level.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the demand values ​​are associated with a flight plan including a takeoff, a flight path, and a landing.

6. executing a second dynamic model to calculate a second ongoing status of the energy storage system using the status value and one or more alternative demand values ​​to predict when one of the available energy level, voltage level, and battery temperature value will first reach its corresponding threshold; providing an output of an alternative capacity of the aircraft based on which one of the available energy level, voltage level, and battery temperature value reaches its corresponding threshold first based on the one or more alternative demand values; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein alternative demand values ​​are based on hovering of the aircraft.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the alternative demand value is a power level that provides approximately maximum range.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the replacement demand value is based on a loss of capacity for the aircraft.

10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the energy storage system comprises a plurality of energy storage modules, and the loss of capability of the aircraft is a loss of power from one of the energy storage modules.

11. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the aircraft comprises a plurality of thrust producing modules, and the loss of capability of the aircraft is a loss of thrust from one of the thrust producing modules.

12. 1. A computer system comprising: one or more processors; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations, the operations including: accessing status values ​​representative of a current state of an energy storage system on board the aircraft, including an available energy level, a voltage level, and a battery temperature value; accessing a demand value associated with an expected power demand for the energy storage system; executing a dynamic model to calculate an ongoing status of the energy storage system using the status value and the demand value to predict when the available energy level will reach an energy level threshold; executing a dynamic model to calculate an ongoing status of the energy storage system using the status value and the demand value to predict when the voltage level will reach a voltage threshold; executing a dynamic model to calculate an ongoing status of the energy storage system using the status value and the demand value to predict when the battery temperature value will reach a temperature threshold; providing an output of a capability of the aircraft based on the ongoing status of the energy storage system when one of the available energy level, voltage level, and battery temperature value first reaches its corresponding threshold; A computer system comprising:

13. 13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the execution of the dynamic model is performed iteratively to determine a sequence of predicted status values ​​representative of a predicted state of the energy storage system based on the forecasted power demand for the energy storage system.

14. 14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the execution of the dynamic model is performed iteratively to determine when one of a temperature value, a voltage level, or a battery capacity first reaches a threshold level.

15. The operation includes: executing a second dynamic model to calculate a second ongoing status of the energy storage system using the status value and one or more alternative demand values ​​to predict when one of the available energy level, voltage level, and battery temperature value will first reach its corresponding threshold; providing an output of an alternative capacity of the aircraft based on which one of the available energy level, voltage level, and battery temperature value reaches its corresponding threshold first based on the one or more alternative demand values; The computer system of claim 12 further comprising:

16. 16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the replacement demand value is based on a loss of capacity for the aircraft.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a head mounted device system including one or more display devices, one or more cameras, and a generally vertically arranged touch pad, cause the head mounted device system to perform operations including: accessing status values ​​representative of a current state of an energy storage system on board the aircraft, including an available energy level, a voltage level, and a battery temperature value; accessing a demand value associated with an expected power demand for the energy storage system; executing a dynamic model to calculate an ongoing status of the energy storage system using the status value and the demand value to predict when the available energy level will reach an energy level threshold; executing a dynamic model to calculate an ongoing status of the energy storage system using the status value and the demand value to predict when the voltage level will reach a voltage threshold; executing a dynamic model to calculate an ongoing status of the energy storage system using the status value and the demand value to predict when the battery temperature value will reach a temperature threshold; providing an output of a capability of the aircraft based on the ongoing status of the energy storage system when one of the available energy level, voltage level, and battery temperature value first reaches its corresponding threshold; A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:

18. 20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the execution of the dynamic model is performed iteratively to determine a sequence of predicted status values ​​representing a predicted state of the energy storage system based on the forecasted power demand for the energy storage system.

19. 20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the execution of the dynamic model is performed iteratively to determine when one of a temperature value, a voltage level, or a battery capacity first reaches a threshold level.

20. The operation includes: executing a second dynamic model to calculate a second ongoing status of the energy storage system using the status value and one or more alternative demand values ​​to predict when one of the available energy level, voltage level, and battery temperature value will first reach its corresponding threshold; providing an output of an alternative capacity of the aircraft based on which one of the available energy level, voltage level, and battery temperature value reaches its corresponding threshold first based on the one or more alternative demand values; 20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising:

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