Power supply system, flying vehicle, and power supply system control method

Abstract

To provide a power supply system, an aircraft, and a power supply system control method that makes the remaining capacity of each battery approximately equal.SOLUTION: A power supply system 26 includes a power converter 36 that converts the power of any one of a plurality of batteries included in a high voltage circuit 32 and supplies it to one or more second loads 38, a switch 34 capable of selectively connecting any one of the plurality of batteries to the power converter, and a controller 70 that compares the remaining capacities SOC of the batteries, and controls the switch so as to connect a battery with the highest remaining capacity and the power converter when the difference between the highest remaining capacity and the lowest remaining capacity is greater than a predetermined threshold.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply system that supplies power from a battery to one or more loads and a control method for the power supply system. The present invention also relates to an aircraft equipped with the power supply system. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, power supply systems that supply power from a battery (power storage device) to a load (motor, etc.) are used in various fields. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a power supply system used in an aircraft. This aircraft obtains propulsion power by rotating a propeller. The propeller is connected to the rotating shaft of a motor. The motor can be operated by power supplied from at least one of a generator and a battery. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-132059 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] To achieve redundancy in a power supply system, it is preferable to divide each component included in the power supply system into multiple groups (electrical circuits). In this case, a battery is provided for each electrical circuit. This results in differences in the amount of power consumed by each battery. For example, if a low-voltage device is connected to a first high-voltage circuit via a power converter, the battery in the first high-voltage circuit will consume more power than the battery in the second high-voltage circuit. To achieve redundancy, it is preferable to equalize the amount of power consumed by each battery.

[0005] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention is a power supply system having a plurality of electrical circuits including batteries and one or more first loads, comprising: a power converter that converts the power of any one of the plurality of batteries and supplies it to one or more second loads; a switch that can selectively connect any one of the plurality of batteries to the power converter; and a controller that compares the remaining capacities of each of the batteries and, when the difference between the highest and lowest remaining capacities becomes greater than a predetermined threshold, controls the switch to connect the battery with the highest remaining capacity to the power converter.

[0007] A second aspect of the present invention is an aircraft equipped with the power supply system of the first aspect.

[0008] A third aspect of the present invention is a control method for a power supply system having a plurality of electrical circuits including batteries and one or more first loads, the power supply system comprising: a power converter that converts the power of any one of the plurality of batteries and supplies it to one or more second loads; a switch that can selectively connect any one of the plurality of batteries to the power converter; and a controller that controls the switch, wherein the controller performs the steps of comparing the remaining capacities of each of the batteries; and, when the difference between the highest remaining capacity and the lowest remaining capacity becomes greater than a predetermined threshold, controlling the switch to connect the battery with the highest remaining capacity to the power converter. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the remaining capacities of the batteries can be made approximately equal. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a top view of the aircraft. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the power supply system. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the power supply system. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the SOC equalization process. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the normal processing procedure. [Figure 6] Fig. 6A is a time chart showing the SOC, and Fig. 6B is a time chart showing the connection destination (battery) of the DC / DC converter. [Figure 7] Fig. 7A is a time chart showing the SOC, and Fig. 7B is a time chart showing the connection destination (battery) of the DC / DC converter. [Figure 8] Fig. 8A is a time chart showing the SOC, and Fig. 8B is a time chart showing the connection destination (battery) of the DC / DC converter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] [1. Configuration of the aircraft 10] 1 is a top view of an air vehicle 10. The air vehicle 10 is an electric aircraft, such as an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Furthermore, the air vehicle 10 is a hybrid aircraft equipped with a battery 48 and a motor-generator 42 (FIG. 2).

[0012] The air vehicle 10 comprises a fuselage 12, a front wing 14, a rear wing 16, two booms 18, eight VTOL rotors 20, and two cruise rotors 22.

[0013] The front wings 14 are connected to the front of the fuselage 12. The rear wings 16 are connected to the rear of the fuselage 12. The front wings 14 and rear wings 16 generate lift when the aircraft 10 moves forward.

[0014] Of the two booms 18, the boom 18R is disposed on the right side of the fuselage 12. Of the two booms 18, the boom 18L is disposed on the left side of the fuselage 12. Each boom 18 extends in the fore-and-aft direction.

[0015] Four motors 50 (FIG. 2) are arranged on the boom 18R in sequence toward the rear. Similarly, four motors 50 (FIG. 2) are arranged on the boom 18L in sequence toward the rear. The rotation shaft of each motor 50 is connected to the VTOL rotor 20 corresponding to each motor 50. Each VTOL rotor 20 is used during vertical takeoff of the air vehicle 10, during transition from vertical takeoff to cruising, during transition from cruising to vertical landing, during vertical landing, and during hovering flight. Each VTOL rotor 20 generates lift by rotating.

[0016] Two or more motors 50 (FIG. 2) are disposed on the fuselage 12. The rotational shaft of each motor 50 is connected to its corresponding cruise rotor 22. Each cruise rotor 22 is used during cruising of the air vehicle 10, during transition from vertical takeoff to cruise, and during transition from cruise to vertical landing. Each cruise rotor 22 generates thrust by rotating.

[0017] [2. Configuration of the Power Supply System 26] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the power supply system 26. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the power supply system 26. The aircraft 10 has multiple power supply systems 26. The power supply systems 26 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 are a portion of all the power supply systems 26 that the aircraft 10 has. As shown in FIG. 2, the power supply system 26 includes a power generation system 28, a PDS (power distribution system) 30, multiple high-voltage circuits (electrical circuits) 32, a switch 34, a DC / DC converter (power converter) 36, and one or more low-voltage devices (second loads) 38. In this embodiment, the power supply system 26 includes two high-voltage circuits 32 (32-1, 32-2). Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, the power supply system 26 includes multiple sensor groups 60 and a controller 70.

[0018] The power generation system 28 shown in Fig. 2 has a gas turbine engine (GT) 40, a motor generator (G) 42, and a PCU (power control unit) 44. The output shaft of the gas turbine engine 40 and the rotating shaft of the motor generator 42 are connected to each other. The motor generator 42 generates electricity as the gas turbine engine 40 rotates. The PCU 44 has an inverter circuit. Primary terminals of the PCU 44 are connected to terminals of the motor generator 42. The PCU 44 receives AC power supplied from the motor generator 42 through the primary terminals, converts the input AC power to DC power using the inverter circuit, and outputs the converted DC power from secondary terminals.

[0019] The PDS 30 has a plurality of switch elements. The PDS 30 can electrically connect the PCU 44 to each of the high-voltage circuits 32. Furthermore, the PDS 30 can electrically connect each of the high-voltage circuits 32 to each other. The PDS 30 distributes the power output by the PCU 44 to each of the high-voltage circuits 32.

[0020] The high-voltage electrical equipment of the air vehicle 10 belongs to one of several independent groups. The power supply system 26 has two independent groups, namely, two high-voltage circuits 32.

[0021] Each of the two high-voltage circuits 32 has one battery 48 and three motors (first loads) 50. Specifically, one high-voltage circuit 32-1 has a battery 48-1, a VTOL motor 50-1R, a VTOL motor 50-1L, and a cruise motor 50-1C. The other high-voltage circuit 32-2 has a battery 48-2, a VTOL motor 50-2R, a VTOL motor 50-2L, and a cruise motor 50-2C. In this manner, the high-voltage circuits 32-1 and 32-2 have the same configuration. For this reason, if each high-voltage circuit 32 operates in the same way, the SOC of the battery 48-1 (hereinafter also referred to as "SOC1") and the SOC of the battery 48-2 (hereinafter also referred to as "SOC2") will basically be approximately the same.

[0022] The battery 48 is a high-voltage, for example, 800 V, power storage device. The battery 48 is connected to the motor generator 42 via the PDS 30 and the PCU 44. The battery 48 is also connected to three motors 50. The battery 48 can be charged with power supplied by the motor generator 42. The battery 48 can also supply power to the three motors 50 in the same circuit as the battery 48.

[0023] Each motor 50 is powered by high-voltage power supplied from the motor generator 42 or the battery 48 in the same circuit as the motor 50. The VTOL motor 50-1R rotates the VTOL rotor 20-1R, which is located at the forefront of the four VTOL rotors 20 (FIG. 1) located on the right. The VTOL motor 50-1L rotates the VTOL rotor 20-1L, which is located at the rearmost of the four VTOL rotors 20 (FIG. 1) located on the left. The cruise motor 50-1C rotates the cruise rotor 22-1 (FIG. 1) located on the right. The VTOL motor 50-2R rotates the VTOL rotor 20-2R, which is located at the rearmost of the four VTOL rotors 20 (FIG. 1) located on the right. The VTOL motor 50-2L rotates the VTOL rotor 20-2L, which is located at the foremost of the four VTOL rotors 20 (FIG. 1) located on the left. Cruise motor 50-2C rotates cruise rotor 22-2 (FIG. 1) located on the left.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the VTOL rotor 20-1R and the VTOL rotor 20-1L are arranged so that their reaction torques cancel each other out. As shown in FIG. 2, the high-voltage circuit 32-1 includes a VTOL motor 50-1R that rotates the VTOL rotor 20-1R and a VTOL motor 50-1L that rotates the VTOL rotor 20-1L. Therefore, if the VTOL motor 50-1R stops unintentionally, the controller 70 (described later) stops the VTOL motor 50-1L in the same circuit. Conversely, if the VTOL motor 50-1L stops unintentionally, the controller 70 (described later) stops the VTOL motor 50-1R in the same circuit. This stabilizes the balance of forces in the yaw direction of the aircraft 10.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the VTOL rotor 20-2R and the VTOL rotor 20-2L are arranged so that their reaction torques cancel each other out. As shown in FIG. 2, the high-voltage circuit 32-2 includes a VTOL motor 50-2R that rotates the VTOL rotor 20-2R and a VTOL motor 50-2L that rotates the VTOL rotor 20-2L. Therefore, if the VTOL motor 50-2R stops unintentionally, the controller 70 (described later) stops the VTOL motor 50-2L in the same circuit. Conversely, if the VTOL motor 50-2L stops unintentionally, the controller 70 (described later) stops the VTOL motor 50-2R in the same circuit. This stabilizes the balance of forces in the yaw direction of the aircraft 10.

[0026] The switch 34 is capable of selectively connecting any one of the plurality of high-voltage circuits 32 (i.e., batteries 48) to the DC / DC converter 36. The switch 34 performs switching operation in response to a command signal output by the controller 70.

[0027] The DC / DC converter 36 steps down the high-voltage power supplied from the motor generator 42 or one of the batteries 48, and supplies the stepped-down power to the low-voltage device 38. For example, the DC / DC converter 36 steps down a voltage of 800 [V] to a voltage of 28 [V].

[0028] The low-voltage equipment 38 is an electric device that operates at a lower voltage than the electric device (motor 50) of the high-voltage circuit 32. An example of the low-voltage equipment 38 is avionics. The low-voltage equipment 38 operates on power that has been stepped down by the DC / DC converter 36.

[0029] The sensor group 60 shown in FIG. 3 is provided in each high-voltage circuit 32. The sensor group 60 provided in one high-voltage circuit 32 includes a voltage sensor 62, a current sensor 64, a temperature sensor 66, and multiple rotation angle sensors 68. The voltage sensor 62 detects the output voltage of the battery 48. The current sensor 64 detects the output current of the battery 48. The temperature sensor 66 detects the temperature of the battery 48. Each rotation angle sensor 68 detects the displacement of the rotation shaft of the corresponding motor 50. The rotation angle sensor 68 is, for example, a rotary encoder. Each sensor outputs its detection value to a controller 70.

[0030] The controller 70 is a computer. The controller 70 may be a flight controller for the air vehicle 10. The controller 70 has a processing circuit and a memory. The processing circuit may be a processor such as a CPU. The processing circuit may be an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA. The processor can perform various processes by executing programs stored in the memory. For example, when the processing circuit executes the program, the controller 70 controls the switching of the switches 34 to equalize the SOC of each battery 48. At least some of the processes may be performed by electronic circuits including discrete devices.

[0031] The memory includes a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory. Examples of the volatile memory include RAM. The volatile memory is used as a working memory for the processor. The volatile memory temporarily stores data required for processing or calculation. Examples of the non-volatile memory include ROM and flash memory. The non-volatile memory is used as a storage memory. The non-volatile memory stores programs, tables, maps, etc. At least a portion of the memory may be provided in the processor, integrated circuit, etc. described above. The non-volatile memory stores an SOC threshold value Th used in the SOC equalization process described below. The threshold value Th can be set arbitrarily. For example, the threshold value Th may be calculated based on the error rate of each sensor.

[0032] [3 SOC equalization process] 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the SOC equalization process. The controller 70 performs the SOC equalization process at predetermined time intervals while the aircraft 10 is powered on. However, if an abnormality occurs in the power supply system 26 (step S2: NO ), the controller 70 performs predetermined processing (steps S4 to S6) and then ends the SOC equalization processing.

[0033] In step S1, the controller 70 determines the state of the power supply system 26. For example, the controller 70 determines whether each motor 50 is operating normally using the detection values ​​of each rotation angle sensor 68. If a motor 50 that should be operating is not rotating, i.e., if the motor 50 is stopped, the controller 70 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the motor 50. The controller 70 also determines whether each battery 48 is operating normally using the detection values ​​of each voltage sensor 62 and each current sensor 64. If the detection value of the voltage sensor 62 or the detection value of each current sensor 64 is outside a predetermined normal range, the controller 70 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the battery 48. The normal range is stored in memory. After step S1 is executed, the process proceeds to step S2.

[0034] In step S2, the controller 70 determines whether the power supply system 26 is operating normally based on the determination result of step S1. If the power supply system 26 is operating normally (step S2: YES), the process proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if an abnormality has occurred in the power supply system 26 (step S2: NO), the process proceeds to step S4.

[0035] When the process moves from step S2 to step S3, the controller 70 executes the normal process described in [4] below. When the normal process is executed, the process for this cycle ends.

[0036] When the process proceeds from step S2 to step S4, the controller 70 determines the location of the abnormality. If an abnormality has occurred in the motor 50 (step S4: motor), the process proceeds to step S5. On the other hand, if an abnormality has occurred in the battery 48 (step S4: battery), the process proceeds to step S6.

[0037] When the process moves from step S4 to step S5, the controller 70 executes the motor abnormality process described below in [5]. When the motor abnormality process is executed, the SOC equalization process ends.

[0038] When the process proceeds from step S4 to step S6, the controller 70 executes the battery abnormality process described in [6] below. When the battery abnormality process is executed, the SOC equalization process ends.

[0039] [4 Normal Processing] The normal processing performed in step S3 of FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the normal processing. In step S3 of FIG. 4, the controller 70 Figure 5 Normal processing is performed according to the procedure shown in .

[0040] In step S11, the controller 70 calculates the remaining capacity of each battery 48. Here, the controller 70 calculates the SOC of each battery 48 using the detection values ​​of each voltage sensor 62, each current sensor 64, and each temperature sensor 66. After executing step S11, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0041] In step S12, the controller 70 compares the SOCs calculated in step S11. If the difference in SOC is greater than a predetermined threshold Th (step S12: YES), the process proceeds to step S13. On the other hand, if the difference in SOC is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold Th (step S12: NO), the normal process ends. In this case, the controller 70 does not switch the switch 34.

[0042] When the process proceeds from step S12 to step S13, the controller 70 determines to which high-voltage circuit 32 the switch 34 (i.e., the DC / DC converter 36) is currently connected. If the switch 34 is connected to a high-voltage circuit 32 having a battery 48 with a low SOC (step S13; battery with low SOC), the process proceeds to step S14. On the other hand, if the switch 34 is connected to a high-voltage circuit 32 having a battery 48 with a high SOC (step S13; battery with high SOC), normal processing ends. In this case, the controller 70 does not switch the switch 34. Note that when the high-voltage circuits 32 have the same configuration, the SOC of the battery 48 included in the high-voltage circuit 32 to which the DC / DC converter 36 is connected is usually lower.

[0043] When the process moves from step S13 to step S14, the controller 70 switches the switch 34. That is, the controller 70 switches the battery 48 that supplies power to each low-voltage device 38. After step S14 is executed, normal processing ends.

[0044] Normal processing will be explained over time using Figures 6A and 6B. Figure 6A is a time chart showing the SOC. Figure 6B is a time chart showing the connection destination (battery 48) of DC / DC converter 36.

[0045] At time t0, the switch 34 is connected to the high-voltage circuit 32-1. That is, the DC / DC converter 36 and the low-voltage devices 38 are connected to the battery 48-1 (BAT-1). At this time, the battery 48-1 supplies power to the low-voltage devices 38. Therefore, the rate at which SOC1 decreases is greater than the rate at which SOC2 decreases.

[0046] From time t0 to time ta, the difference between SOC1 and SOC2 (|SOC1-SOC2|) is equal to or less than the threshold value Th. At time ta, the difference between SOC1 and SOC2 becomes greater than the threshold value Th. As described above, the switch 34 is connected to the battery 48-1 with a lower SOC. The controller 70 switches the switch 34 to equalize the SOCs. Then, the DC / DC converter 36 and the low-voltage device 38 are connected to the battery 48-2 (BAT-2). Note that in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the timing when the difference between SOC1 and SOC2 becomes greater than the threshold value Th and the timing when the controller 70 switches the switch 34 are shown as the same time ta. However, in reality, there is a slight time lag between the timing when the difference between SOC1 and SOC2 becomes greater than the threshold value Th and the timing when the controller 70 switches the switch 34.

[0047] After the controller 70 switches the switch 34, the battery 48-2 supplies power to the low-voltage device 38. Therefore, the rate at which SOC2 decreases is greater than the rate at which SOC1 decreases. As a result, the difference between SOC1 and SOC2 gradually decreases.

[0048] When SOC1 exceeds SOC2 and the difference between SOC1 and SOC2 becomes greater than the threshold Th, the controller 70 switches the switch 34 again.

[0049] As described above, whenever the difference between SOC1 and SOC2 exceeds the threshold Th, the controller 70 controls the switch 34 to connect the DC / DC converter 36 to the battery 48 with the larger SOC. This keeps the difference between SOC1 and SOC2 below the threshold. Therefore, the SOCs of the batteries become approximately equal.

[0050] [5. Motor abnormality processing] 7A and 7B, the motor abnormality processing performed in step S5 of Fig. 4 will be described over time. Fig. 7A is a time chart showing the SOC. Fig. 7B is a time chart showing the connection destination (battery 48) of DC / DC converter 36.

[0051] At time t0, the switch 34 is connected to the high-voltage circuit 32-1. That is, the DC / DC converter 36 and the low-voltage devices 38 are connected to the battery 48-1. At this time, the battery 48-1 supplies power to the low-voltage devices 38.

[0052] Assume that at time tb, a component of the high-voltage circuit 32-2, for example, the VTOL motor 50-2R, stops unintentionally. In this case, the controller 70 stops the VTOL motor 50-2L that is paired with the VTOL motor 50-2R in the high-voltage circuit 32-2. This causes the controller 70 to balance the yaw direction force of the aircraft 10. As a result, the two VTOL motors 50-2R and 50-2L of the high-voltage circuit 32-2 no longer consume power. Therefore, the rate at which SOC2 decreases is significantly reduced. Therefore, the controller 70 selects the battery 48-2 as the connection destination for the DC / DC converter 36. The controller 70 connects the switch 34 to the high-voltage circuit 32-2.

[0053] In this way, in the motor abnormality processing, the controller 70 connects the switch 34 to the high-voltage circuit 32 (here, high-voltage circuit 32-2) that includes the stopped electrical equipment (here, VTOL motors 50-2R, 50-2L). In other words, if the switch 34 is connected to an electrical circuit other than the high-voltage circuit 32 that includes the electrical equipment when the electrical equipment is stopped, the controller 70 switches the switch 34. On the other hand, if the switch 34 is connected to the high-voltage circuit 32 that includes the electrical equipment when the electrical equipment is stopped, the controller 70 maintains the connected state of the switch 34. Through the above processing, the rate at which the difference between SOC1 and SOC2 widens decreases. After the motor abnormality processing, the state of the switch 34 is maintained regardless of the SOC of each battery 48.

[0054] [6 Battery Abnormality Handling] 8A and 8B, the battery abnormality processing performed in step S6 of Fig. 4 will be described over time. Fig. 8A is a time chart showing the SOC. Fig. 8B is a time chart showing the connection destination (battery 48) of DC / DC converter 36.

[0055] At time t0, the switch 34 is connected to the high-voltage circuit 32-1. That is, the DC / DC converter 36 and the low-voltage devices 38 are connected to the battery 48-1. At this time, the battery 48-1 supplies power to the low-voltage devices 38.

[0056] Assume that an abnormality occurs in the battery 48-1 of the high-voltage circuit 32-1 at time tc. In this case, the controller 70 selects the battery 48-2 as the connection destination of the DC / DC converter 36. The controller 70 connects the switch 34 to the high-voltage circuit 32-2.

[0057] In this way, in the battery abnormality processing, the controller 70 connects the switch 34 to the high-voltage circuit 32 that includes the battery 48 that is operating normally (here, battery 48-2). In other words, when an abnormality occurs in a battery 48, if the switch 34 is connected to an electric circuit other than the high-voltage circuit 32 that includes that battery 48, the controller 70 maintains the connected state of the switch 34. On the other hand, when an abnormality occurs in a battery 48, if the switch 34 is connected to the high-voltage circuit 32 that includes that battery 48, the controller 70 switches the switch 34. Through the above processing, interruption of the power supply to the low-voltage device 38 is avoided. After the battery abnormality processing, the state of the switch 34 is maintained regardless of the SOC of each battery 48.

[0058] [7 Variations] In the above embodiment, the power supply system 26 has one power generation system 28 and two high-voltage circuits 32. Alternatively, the power supply system 26 may have one or more power generation systems 28 and three or more high-voltage circuits 32. When the switch 34 selectively switches the connection between three or more high-voltage circuits 32 and the DC / DC converter 36, the controller 70 may compare the difference between the maximum SOC and the minimum SOC with the threshold value Th.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the power supply system 26 is provided in the aircraft 10. Alternatively, the power supply system 26 may be provided in a location other than the aircraft 10 (for example, a ship, a vehicle, etc.). Furthermore, the configurations of the high-voltage circuits 32 may be different. Furthermore, the DC / DC converter 36 may boost low-voltage power.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the controller 70 performs motor abnormality processing when the motor 50 is stopped unintentionally. In addition, the controller 70 may also perform the same processing as the motor abnormality processing when the operator intentionally stops the motor 50.

[0061] [8 Inventions Obtained from the Embodiments] The invention that can be understood from the above embodiment will be described below.

[0062] A first aspect of the present invention is a power supply system (26) including a plurality of electric circuits (32) including a battery (48) and one or more first loads (50). The power supply system includes a power converter (36) that converts the power of any one of the plurality of batteries and supplies the converted power to one or more second loads (38), a switch (34) that can selectively connect any one of the plurality of batteries to the power converter, and a controller (70) that compares the remaining capacities of the batteries and, when the difference between the highest and lowest remaining capacities is greater than a predetermined threshold (Th), controls the switch to connect the battery with the highest remaining capacity to the power converter.

[0063] In the above configuration, the controller controls the switch to connect the power converter to the battery with the larger remaining capacity each time the difference in remaining capacity among the multiple batteries exceeds a threshold. This keeps the difference in remaining capacity among the multiple batteries below the threshold. Therefore, with the above configuration, the remaining capacities of the batteries can be made approximately equal.

[0064] In the above aspect, the plurality of electric circuits may have the same configuration.

[0065] In the above aspect, when any of the first loads is stopped, the controller may control the switch to connect the battery of the electrical circuit including the stopped first load to the power converter, regardless of the remaining capacity of each of the batteries.

[0066] In the above aspect, when an abnormality occurs in any of the batteries, the controller may control the switch to connect the other batteries that are not abnormal to the power converter.

[0067] A second aspect of the present invention is an aircraft (10) equipped with the power supply system of the first aspect.

[0068] In the above aspect, each of the electrical circuits may have, as the first load, a vertical takeoff and landing motor (50-1R, 50-1L, 50-2R, 50-2L) used during vertical takeoff and landing, and a cruise motor (50-1C, 50-2C) used during cruising.

[0069] A third aspect of the present invention is a control method for a power supply system having a plurality of electrical circuits including batteries and one or more first loads, the power supply system comprising: a power converter that converts the power of any one of the plurality of batteries and supplies it to one or more second loads; a switch that can selectively connect any one of the plurality of batteries to the power converter; and a controller that controls the switch, wherein the controller performs a step (S12) of comparing the remaining capacities of each of the batteries; and a step (S14) of controlling the switch to connect the battery with the highest remaining capacity to the power converter when the difference between the highest and lowest remaining capacities becomes greater than a predetermined threshold. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 10...Aircraft 26...Power supply system 32...High voltage circuit (electrical circuit) 34...Switch 36...DC / DC converter (power converter) 38...Low voltage equipment (second load) 48...Battery 50...Motor (first load) 50-1C, 50-2C...Cruise motor (motor for cruising, first load) 50-1R, 50-1L, 50-2R, 50-2L...VTOL motor (vertical take-off and landing motor, first load) 70...Controller

Claims

1. A power supply system including a plurality of electric circuits including a battery and one or more first loads, a power converter that converts power from any one of the plurality of batteries and supplies the converted power to one or more second loads; a switch capable of selectively connecting any one of the plurality of batteries to the power converter; a controller that compares the remaining capacities of the batteries and, when a difference between the highest remaining capacity and the lowest remaining capacity is greater than a predetermined threshold, controls the switch to connect the battery with the highest remaining capacity to the power converter; Equipped with When any of the first loads is stopped, the controller controls the switch to connect the battery of the electrical circuit including the stopped first load to the power converter, regardless of the remaining capacity of each of the batteries.

2. 2. The power supply system according to claim 1, A power supply system, wherein a plurality of the electric circuits have the same configuration.

3. 3. The power supply system according to claim 1 or 2, When an abnormality occurs in any of the batteries, the controller controls the switch to connect the other batteries that are not abnormal to the power converter.

4. An aircraft equipped with the power supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The flying vehicle according to claim 4, Each of the electrical circuits has, as the first load, a vertical takeoff and landing motor used during vertical takeoff and landing, and a cruise motor used during cruising.

6. A control method for a power supply system having a plurality of electric circuits including a battery and one or more first loads, comprising: The power supply system is a power converter that converts power from any one of the plurality of batteries and supplies the converted power to one or more second loads; a switch capable of selectively connecting any one of the plurality of batteries to the power converter; a controller for controlling the switch; Equipped with The controller comparing the remaining capacity of each of the batteries; controlling the switch to connect the battery with the highest remaining capacity to the power converter when a difference between the highest remaining capacity and the lowest remaining capacity is greater than a predetermined threshold; and A control method for a power supply system, which controls the switch to connect the battery of the electrical circuit including the stopped first load to the power converter when any of the first loads is stopped, regardless of the remaining capacity of each of the batteries.

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