Fuel Cell Aircraft Drag Control to Prevent Battery Overcharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
In flying objects with fuel cells and secondary batteries, excess power generated for high potential avoidance, refreshing operations, or rapid warm-up can lead to overcharging and ignition due to safety issues.
Innovation Solution
A flying object equipped with a fuel cell, secondary battery, motor, and air resistance increasing device, controlled by a unit that manages power distribution to maintain flight state and consume excess power through increased air resistance when necessary, using spoilers or flaps to manage power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If excess power is charged in the secondary battery to maintain high potential avoidance, refreshing operation, or rapid warm-up capabilities, then the fuel cell system maintains operational flexibility and performance, but the secondary battery may experience overcharging leading to ignition and safety issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful excess power that would otherwise cause overcharging and ignition into beneficial operational functions. By deliberately using excess power for high potential avoidance, refreshing operations, and rapid warm-up of the fuel cell, the system transforms a safety risk into operational advantages that enhance the overall performance and adaptability of the flying object.
2Reliability
If the air resistance increasing device is operated to consume excess power, then overcharging of the secondary battery is prevented, but additional mechanical components and control complexity are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The air resistance increasing device serves multiple functions: it acts as a power consumption mechanism to prevent overcharging, serves as a flight control element for high potential avoidance, and can be integrated with the existing propulsion system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity while achieving the safety objective.
3Power
If threshold-based control is implemented for power consumption control, then precise management of excess power is achieved, but control system complexity and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements threshold-based control by monitoring the charge amount of the secondary battery and comparing it against predetermined threshold values. When the charge amount exceeds the first threshold, power consumption control is activated; when it falls below the second threshold, control is deactivated. This parameter-based approach provides precise power management through simple comparative operations rather than complex continuous control algorithms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Suppresses secondary battery ignition from overcharging by effectively consuming excess power, enhancing safety and maintaining flight stability.
Implementation Method 1
the air resistance increasing device is capable of increasing the air resistance... the air resistance may be increased by opening both flat plates during the power consumption control
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
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AI summary
To provide a flying object capable of suppressing ignition of a secondary battery due to overcharging. A flying object includes a fuel cell, a secondary battery, a motor, an air resistance increasing device capable of increasing the air resistance, and a control unit. The motor drives a propulsion propeller. The fuel cell, the secondary battery, and the motor are electrically connected. The motor is driven by obtaining power from at least one of the fuel cell and the secondary battery. When the fuel cell generates an amount of power exceeding a power consumption amount, the control unit increases an amount of power supplied to the motor from the fuel cell while increasing the air resistance by operating the air resistance increasing device, and performs a power consumption control to maintain a flight state.