Electric Aircraft Flight Planning for Battery Memory Effect Recovery
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing energy storage systems in electric aircraft suffer from memory effect degradation, leading to incomplete missions and emergency situations due to improper planning and preconditioning, especially in battery chemistries with silicon oxide or lithium metal anodes, which impact the charge capability after partial discharge.
Innovation Solution
A computing device calculates a performance capability envelope based on a mission profile and a computational model, considering memory effect degradation, and implements corrective actions such as performance recovery routines or flight plan modifications to ensure the energy storage system meets the mission requirements within a preset tolerance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the energy storage system performs repeated partial discharge and recharge cycles, then the operational flexibility and mission adaptability are improved, but memory effect degradation occurs leading to reduced charge capability
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by calculating the performance capability envelope before mission execution and identifying when performance recovery routines are needed. The flight planning system proactively schedules recovery routines during ground time or favorable flight conditions to prevent memory effect degradation from compromising mission capability, rather than waiting for degradation to occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback by continuously monitoring the energy storage system's charge/discharge history and comparing actual performance against the calculated performance capability envelope. This feedback loop enables the system to detect when memory effect degradation is occurring and trigger appropriate recovery actions or mission profile adjustments.
2Reliability
If the energy storage system is fully discharged to perform performance recovery, then the energy storage capability is restored, but the mission profile cannot be met within tolerance
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies dynamics by making the mission profile adaptive rather than fixed. When performance recovery is needed, the flight planning system dynamically adjusts the mission profile parameters (altitude, speed, range, payload) to match the energy storage system's current capability envelope, allowing the mission to proceed successfully despite the temporary reduction in available energy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calculation of the performance capability envelope before mission planning to identify when full discharge will be required. This allows advance scheduling of recovery routines during ground time or favorable flight conditions, preventing conflict between recovery needs and mission requirements.
3Reliability
If the performance capability envelope is calculated with conservative estimates, then operational safety is improved, but the usable energy envelope is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses dynamics by making the performance capability envelope adaptive rather than statically conservative. The envelope is continuously updated based on actual charge/discharge history and memory effect degradation patterns, allowing the system to safely expand the usable energy envelope as confidence in the energy storage system's state increases, while maintaining safety margins through real-time monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
An energy storage management system and a flight planning system and related methods and program products for an electric aircraft are provided. Systems include a computing device configured to: calculate a performance capability envelope of an energy storage system for an electric aircraft based on a mission profile for a future usage period of the energy storage system and a computational model of the energy storage system. The mission profile includes at least one of an expected energy demand and an expected power demand during at least a portion of a flight of the electric aircraft. The computing device implements a corrective action, such as conducting a performance recovery routine, in response to a comparison of the mission profile to the calculated performance capability envelope indicating a performance deficiency where the energy storage system cannot meet the mission profile within a preset tolerance. The computational model considers memory effect degradation.