Application Power Controller for Aircraft Battery Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium-ion battery packs used in aircraft in-flight entertainment systems experience non-uniform aging, leading to safety issues due to overheating and uneven power distribution, necessitating improved battery management systems to ensure reliable and safe operation.
Innovation Solution
An application power controller is introduced, equipped with a network interface, processor, and memory, which communicates with a battery monitor to assess the health and capacity of battery packs and selectively deactivates applications to prevent overheating and ensure safe battery usage by controlling power distribution based on predefined rules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If lithium-ion battery packs are used to power in-flight processing systems, then energy density and power density are improved, but non-uniform aging and safety issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The battery management system continuously monitors the state of charge and health of each individual battery cell, and dynamically adjusts the power distribution to processing systems based on real-time feedback. When non-uniform aging is detected, the system redistributes power to prevent overheating and maintain safety, thus resolving the contradiction between high energy density and battery safety.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of treating the battery pack as a uniform unit, the system monitors and manages each battery cell individually, recognizing that different cells have different states of charge and health. This localized management approach allows the system to address non-uniform aging in specific cells while maintaining overall pack performance and safety.
2Power
If multiple battery cells are connected in series or parallel to increase capacity, then power output is improved, but non-uniform aging and uneven power distribution worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous monitoring of each cell's voltage, temperature, and state of charge within the series-parallel configuration, and dynamically adjusts power distribution ratios for different cells based on their individual states. This feedback mechanism prevents any single cell from becoming a bottleneck or safety hazard, maintaining both high power output and uniform aging characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery management system dynamically reconfigures the power distribution ratios among series-parallel connected cells based on their real-time state of charge and health. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to maintain optimal power output while compensating for differences in cell characteristics and aging rates.
3Productivity
If applications are continuously executed to provide entertainment services, then productivity is improved, but power consumption increases and battery health deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system selectively activates and deactivates applications based on battery state of charge and health metrics. When battery levels are sufficient, more applications can run to provide comprehensive entertainment services. When battery levels drop below thresholds, the system selectively deactivates non-essential applications to conserve power, thus maintaining productivity at optimal levels without excessive power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery management system periodically evaluates battery state of charge and health, and adjusts application execution accordingly. This periodic monitoring and adjustment ensures that entertainment services are provided at high productivity levels when battery capacity allows, while automatically reducing power consumption when battery levels decline, preventing both over-discharge and unnecessary energy waste.
Data Source
AI summary
An application power controller controls power supplied from rechargeable battery packs to a set of aircraft in-flight processing systems that are executing applications. Operations access a repository of application information to obtain a list of applications to be executed by the aircraft in-flight processing systems and power consumption information for the applications. Further operations obtain information from the battery monitor indicating health and capacity of the battery packs. The operations initiate an application deactivation action based on determining that the indicated health and/or capacity of the battery packs does not satisfy a battery protection rule defining constraints on battery usage. The operations then select one of the applications from among the list that is to be deactivated responsive to the application deactivation action, and communicate a command to at least one of the in-flight application processing systems to trigger the selected application to cease being executed.