Patents by Inventor Vernon Weng-Yew Chang
Vernon Weng-Yew Chang has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11495839Abstract: An internal battery heating system includes an electrical conversion device electrically coupled to an electrochemical sub-cell or battery modules to form a heating circuit. The electrical conversion device alternately raises and lowers a voltage of the heating circuit to drive current between the heating circuit and the electrochemical sub-cell or battery modules. A controller commands the electrical conversion device to cyclically charge and discharge the electrochemical sub-cell or battery modules for internally heating the battery modules. Alternatively, a battery module may be electrically coupled to electrochemical sub-cells via pairs of switches to form a heating circuit. The pairs of switches are adapted for switching the heating circuit alternately between a parallel arrangement and a series arrangement to alternate charging and discharging of the battery module which results in internal heating of the battery module.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2018Date of Patent: November 8, 2022Assignee: Textron Innovations, Inc.Inventors: Charles Bernard Beuning, Vernon Weng-Yew Chang, Robby Dale Starr
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Publication number: 20220344732Abstract: An internal battery heating system includes an electrical conversion device electrically coupled to an electrochemical sub-cell or battery modules to form a heating circuit. The electrical conversion device alternately raises and lowers a voltage of the heating circuit to drive current between the heating circuit and the electrochemical sub-cell or battery modules. A controller commands the electrical conversion device to cyclically charge and discharge the electrochemical sub-cell or battery modules for internally heating the battery modules. Alternatively, a battery module may be electrically coupled to electrochemical sub-cells via pairs of switches to form a heating circuit. The pairs of switches are adapted for switching the heating circuit alternately between a parallel arrangement and a series arrangement to alternate charging and discharging of the battery module which results in internal heating of the battery module.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2022Publication date: October 27, 2022Inventors: Charles Bernard Beuning, Vernon Weng-Yew Chang, Robby Dale Starr
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Patent number: 11014684Abstract: An expedited preflight readiness system for aircraft includes a power source having one or more battery modules for storing electrical power. An integrated controller is electrically and communicatively coupled with the power source for monitoring and controlling the power source to provide electrical power to aircraft subsystems. A mobile device is communicatively coupled with the integrated controller for communicating instructions to the integrated controller for initiating preflight readiness of the aircraft and for monitoring preflight readiness. A method for preconditioning an aircraft includes determining a state-of-charge of an APU and activating an environmental control subsystem for preconditioning the aircraft by adjusting a current temperature according to a preconditioning profile based on one or more of a target temperature, a target time, the current temperature, an outside air temperature, an amount of energy, and a state-of-charge of the APU.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2018Date of Patent: May 25, 2021Assignee: Textron Innovations, Inc.Inventors: Vernon Weng-Yew Chang, Charles Bernard Beuning, Adam Blake Wolfe, Phuong Ngoc Ta, Mark Christopher Hansen
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Patent number: 10974843Abstract: A distributed auxiliary-power-unit (APU) system for an aircraft includes one or more battery modules for storing electrical power, and a plurality of racks distributed throughout the aircraft for receiving the one or more battery modules to electrically connect with an electrical subsystem of the aircraft. A plurality of hot-swappable racks are adapted to receive the battery modules for electrically and communicatively coupling with the electrical subsystem and an integrated controller. A remote interface is communicatively coupled with the integrated controller for receiving user-input to direct electrical power from the battery modules to one or more subsystems of the aircraft. A number of battery modules installed is based on an amount of electrical power planned for a given flight of the aircraft.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2018Date of Patent: April 13, 2021Assignee: Textron Innovations, Inc.Inventors: Vernon Weng-Yew Chang, Charles Bernard Beuning, August Bryce Ratzlaff, David Lee Swartzendruber
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Patent number: 10864995Abstract: An auxiliary power unit (APU) for aircraft is provided. The APU includes one or more battery modules for storing electrical power and an integrated controller adapted to operate the one or more battery modules for electrically powering aircraft subsystems for preflight readiness. A remote interface is communicatively coupled with the integrated controller and is adapted for displaying data from the APU and for receiving user instructions for transmission to the integrated controller for governing flow of electrical current between the APU and the aircraft subsystems.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2018Date of Patent: December 15, 2020Assignee: Textron Innovations, Inc.Inventors: Vernon Weng-Yew Chang, Charles Bernard Beuning, Adam Blake Wolfe
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Patent number: 10752376Abstract: An expedited preflight readiness system for aircraft includes a power source having one or more battery modules for storing electrical power. An integrated controller is electrically and communicatively coupled with the power source for monitoring and controlling the power source to provide electrical power to aircraft subsystems. A mobile device is communicatively coupled with the integrated controller for communicating instructions to the integrated controller for initiating preflight readiness of the aircraft and for monitoring preflight readiness. A method for preconditioning an aircraft includes determining a state-of-charge of an APU and activating an environmental control subsystem for preconditioning the aircraft by adjusting a current temperature according to a preconditioning profile based on one or more of a target temperature, a target time, the current temperature, an outside air temperature, an amount of energy, and a state-of-charge of the APU.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2018Date of Patent: August 25, 2020Assignee: Textron Innovations, Inc.Inventors: Vernon Weng-Yew Chang, Charles Bernard Beuning, Adam Blake Wolfe, Phuong Ngoc Ta, Mark Christopher Hansen
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Publication number: 20190115632Abstract: An internal battery heating system includes an electrical conversion device electrically coupled to an electrochemical sub-cell or battery modules to form a heating circuit. The electrical conversion device alternately raises and lowers a voltage of the heating circuit to drive current between the heating circuit and the electrochemical sub-cell or battery modules. A controller commands the electrical conversion device to cyclically charge and discharge the electrochemical sub-cell or battery modules for internally heating the battery modules. Alternatively, a battery module may be electrically coupled to electrochemical sub-cells via pairs of switches to form a heating circuit. The pairs of switches are adapted for switching the heating circuit alternately between a parallel arrangement and a series arrangement to alternate charging and discharging of the battery module which results in internal heating of the battery module.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 17, 2018Publication date: April 18, 2019Inventors: Charles Bernard Beuning, Vernon Weng-Yew Chang, Robby Dale Starr
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Publication number: 20180273197Abstract: An auxiliary power unit (APU) for aircraft is provided. The APU includes one or more battery modules for storing electrical power and an integrated controller adapted to operate the one or more battery modules for electrically powering aircraft subsystems for preflight readiness. A remote interface is communicatively coupled with the integrated controller and is adapted for displaying data from the APU and for receiving user instructions for transmission to the integrated controller for governing flow of electrical current between the APU and the aircraft subsystems.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2018Publication date: September 27, 2018Inventors: Vernon Weng-Yew Chang, Charles Bernard Beuning, Adam Blake Wolfe
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Publication number: 20180273211Abstract: An expedited preflight readiness system for aircraft includes a power source having one or more battery modules for storing electrical power. An integrated controller is electrically and communicatively coupled with the power source for monitoring and controlling the power source to provide electrical power to aircraft subsystems. A mobile device is communicatively coupled with the integrated controller for communicating instructions to the integrated controller for initiating preflight readiness of the aircraft and for monitoring preflight readiness. A method for preconditioning an aircraft includes determining a state-of-charge of an APU and activating an environmental control subsystem for preconditioning the aircraft by adjusting a current temperature according to a preconditioning profile based on one or more of a target temperature, a target time, the current temperature, an outside air temperature, an amount of energy, and a state-of-charge of the APU.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2018Publication date: September 27, 2018Inventors: Vernon Weng-Yew Chang, Charles Bernard Beuning, Adam Blake Wolfe, Phuong Ngoc Ta, Mark Christopher Hansen
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Publication number: 20180273209Abstract: An expedited preflight readiness system for aircraft includes a power source having one or more battery modules for storing electrical power. An integrated controller is electrically and communicatively coupled with the power source for monitoring and controlling the power source to provide electrical power to aircraft subsystems. A mobile device is communicatively coupled with the integrated controller for communicating instructions to the integrated controller for initiating preflight readiness of the aircraft and for monitoring preflight readiness. A method for preconditioning an aircraft includes determining a state-of-charge of an APU and activating an environmental control subsystem for preconditioning the aircraft by adjusting a current temperature according to a preconditioning profile based on one or more of a target temperature, a target time, the current temperature, an outside air temperature, an amount of energy, and a state-of-charge of the APU.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2018Publication date: September 27, 2018Inventors: Vernon Weng-Yew Chang, Charles Bernard Beuning, Adam Blake Wolfe, Phuong Ngoc Ta, Mark Christopher Hansen
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Publication number: 20180273198Abstract: A distributed auxiliary-power-unit (APU) system for an aircraft includes one or more battery modules for storing electrical power, and a plurality of racks distributed throughout the aircraft for receiving the one or more battery modules to electrically connect with an electrical subsystem of the aircraft. A plurality of hot-swappable racks are adapted to receive the battery modules for electrically and communicatively coupling with the electrical subsystem and an integrated controller. A remote interface is communicatively coupled with the integrated controller for receiving user-input to direct electrical power from the battery modules to one or more subsystems of the aircraft. A number of battery modules installed is based on an amount of electrical power planned for a given flight of the aircraft.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2018Publication date: September 27, 2018Inventors: Vernon Weng-Yew Chang, Charles Bernard Beuning, August Bryce Ratzlaff, David Lee Swartzendruber
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Patent number: 10069176Abstract: A battery heater system for a battery used in cold weather operations and methods for using the battery heater system are described. Embodiments of the battery heater system may incorporate a heater switch with an indicator, a timer circuit, a controller, a voltage meter, a temperature transducer, and a heating element. In some methods of using the device, the battery powers the heating element for a fixed cycle time based on the time to discharge the battery at a cold-soaked temperature. In other methods of using the device, the battery powers the heating element for a varying cycle time as necessary to discharge the battery to a discharge cut-off voltage value. In other methods of using the device, the heating element is operated using a duty cycle that is varied based on the battery temperature.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2017Date of Patent: September 4, 2018Assignee: Textron Innovations, Inc.Inventors: Charles Bernard Beuning, Vernon Weng-Yew Chang
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Publication number: 20180108951Abstract: A battery heater system for a battery used in cold weather operations and methods for using the battery heater system are described. Embodiments of the battery heater system may incorporate a heater switch with an indicator, a timer circuit, a controller, a voltage meter, a temperature transducer, and a heating element. In some methods of using the device, the battery powers the heating element for a fixed cycle time based on the time to discharge the battery at a cold-soaked temperature. In other methods of using the device, the battery powers the heating element for a varying cycle time as necessary to discharge the battery to a discharge cut-off voltage value. In other methods of using the device, the heating element is operated using a duty cycle that is varied based on the battery temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2017Publication date: April 19, 2018Inventors: Charles Bernard Beuning, Vernon Weng-Yew Chang
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Patent number: 9831534Abstract: A battery heater system for a battery used in cold weather operations and methods for using the battery heater system are described. Embodiments of the battery heater system may incorporate a heater switch with an indicator, a timer circuit, a controller, a voltage meter, a temperature transducer, and a heating element. In some methods of using the device, the battery powers the heating element for a fixed cycle time based on the time to discharge the battery at a cold-soaked temperature. In other methods of using the device, the battery powers the heating element for a varying cycle time as necessary to discharge the battery to a discharge cut-off voltage value. In other methods of using the device, the heating element is operated using a duty cycle that is varied based on the battery temperature.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2014Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventors: Charles Bernard Beuning, Vernon Weng-Yew Chang
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Publication number: 20160185461Abstract: A system for an aircraft includes a compressor for a vapor cycle cooling system (VCCS) for providing cabin air conditioning; an APU for mechanically driving the VCCS compressor; and a starter-generator-motor (SGM) apparatus operable in any of a starter mode, a generator mode, or a motor mode. The SGM apparatus includes: (i) a first coupling element for coupling the SGM apparatus to the APU such that, in the starter mode, the SGM apparatus is used in driving and starting the APU, (ii) a second coupling element for coupling the SGM apparatus to the VCCS compressor such that, in the motor mode, the SGM apparatus mechanically drives the VCCS compressor, and (iii) a set of electrical power terminals at which, in the generator mode, the SGM apparatus provides electrical output power for powering the aircraft electrical system (including the VCCS condenser fan and VCCS evaporator fans) and, in the starter mode and motor mode, the SGM apparatus receives electrical input power from an external electrical power source.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2014Publication date: June 30, 2016Applicant: Cessna Aircraft CompanyInventors: Charles Beuning, Nathan Roy Ebersole, John W. Gallman, Nathaniel David Diedrich, Vernon Weng-Yew Chang
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Publication number: 20150108114Abstract: A battery heater system for a battery used in cold weather operations and methods for using the battery heater system are described. Embodiments of the battery heater system may incorporate a heater switch with an indicator, a timer circuit, a controller, a voltage meter, a temperature transducer, and a heating element. In some methods of using the device, the battery powers the heating element for a fixed cycle time based on the time to discharge the battery at a cold-soaked temperature. In other methods of using the device, the battery powers the heating element for a varying cycle time as necessary to discharge the battery to a discharge cut-off voltage value. In other methods of using the device, the heating element is operated using a duty cycle that is varied based on the battery temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 17, 2014Publication date: April 23, 2015Inventors: Charles Bernard Beuning, Vernon Weng-Yew Chang