Patents by Inventor Benoit FERRAN

Benoit FERRAN 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).

  • Publication number: 20230399099
    Abstract: An aircraft having a hybrid power source includes two horizontal drive units, four vertical drive units, a vertical drive unit comprising a power supply bus the output of which may be connected to a single horizontal drive unit which may be connected to at least two vertical drive units via a switch, two power generation sources connected, on the one hand, to each of the power supply buses by a respective input of the corresponding vertical drive unit and, on the other hand, to each horizontal drive unit via the respective output of each vertical drive unit, and a power supply command arranged to send a power command to the power generation sources according to the power requirements of the vertical drive units and/or horizontal drive units. The power generation sources are also suitable for recharging power sources of the vertical drive units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2022
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Applicant: ASCENDANCE FLIGHT TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventors: Clément DINEL, Benoît FERRAN
  • Patent number: 10882413
    Abstract: A charging system for electrical accumulator vehicle batteries, comprising a charging station principally designed to generate a charging current for the batteries, a system for thermally conditioning the batteries, by the circulation of a heat transfer fluid. A vehicle-mounted segment comprises a component for measuring the battery temperatures, a system for measuring the state of charge of the batteries, and a heat transfer fluid distribution circuit. A non-vehicle-mounted segment comprises a ground module of the thermal conditioning system for generating a flux of a heat transfer fluid, a control-command module designed to determine, during charging, as a function of the states of charge of the batteries and the battery temperatures, the flow rates and temperatures of the heat transfer fluid and a charging current required to achieve a target final state, characterized by a target temperature and a target charge at the end of a given charging time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: AIRBUS SAS
    Inventors: Benoit Ferran, Emmanuel Joubert, Clément Dinel
  • Patent number: 10680294
    Abstract: A method for managing a battery according to a state of health of the battery, comprising, prior to using the battery, predetermining a maximum depth of discharge profile according to the state of health of the battery, the profile being dependent on a technology of the battery, on a nominal energy level to be made available each time the battery is discharged, the nominal energy level being substantially constant over a service life of the battery. While using the battery, a maximum depth of discharge of the battery is adjusted at regular intervals, each time the state of health of the battery decreases by a percentage corresponding to an update interval p % that is equal to p/100, that is, for all state of health values (SOHn) that are equal to SOH0-n×p %, where n is an integer comprised between 0 and 20/p.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Airbus SAS
    Inventors: Benoit Ferran, Emmanuel Joubert, Clément Dinel
  • Patent number: 10641834
    Abstract: A method for estimating a state of energy of a battery, comprising the steps of estimating a state of charge of the battery, determining a discrepancy between the state of charge and the state of energy as a function of the state of charge, computing the state of energy as a function of the estimated state of charge and of the determined discrepancy. Also a battery including apparatus configured to implement the method is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Sirbus SAS
    Inventors: Benoit Ferran, Clément Dinel
  • Patent number: 10569891
    Abstract: The vehicle receives batteries comprising cells arranged into at least one pack configured to be held in a vehicle structure, the pack being alternatively chosen from among at least one pack(P) and at least one pack(E) which are mechanically interchangeable and electrically substitutable. The pack(P) cells exhibit a maximum power density substantially higher than the pack(E) cells exhibit, and comprise cells exhibiting an energy density per unit mass substantially less than the pack(E) cells exhibit. The maximum electrical power of the pack(P) corresponds to the maximum electrical power needed to accomplish a first vehicle mission and the energy storage capacity of the pack(P) is at least sufficient to accomplish the first mission. The electrical energy storage capacity of the pack(E) corresponds to the electrical energy storage capacity needed to accomplish a second vehicle mission and the maximum electrical power is at least sufficient to accomplish the second mission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: AIRBUS SAS
    Inventors: Benoit Ferran, Emmanuel Joubert, Clément Dinel
  • Publication number: 20190033379
    Abstract: A method for estimating a state of energy of a battery, comprising the steps of estimating a state of charge of the battery, determining a discrepancy between the state of charge and the state of energy as a function of the state of charge, computing the state of energy as a function of the estimated state of charge and of the determined discrepancy. Also a battery including apparatus configured to implement the method is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Benoit Ferran, Clément Dinel
  • Publication number: 20190002114
    Abstract: The vehicle receives batteries comprising cells arranged into at least one pack configured to be held in a vehicle structure, the pack being alternatively chosen from among at least one pack(P) and at least one pack(E) which are mechanically interchangeable and electrically substitutable. The pack(P) cells exhibit a maximum power density substantially higher than the pack(E) cells exhibit, and comprise cells exhibiting an energy density per unit mass substantially less than the pack(E) cells exhibit. The maximum electrical power of the pack(P) corresponds to the maximum electrical power needed to accomplish a first vehicle mission and the energy storage capacity of the pack(P) is at least sufficient to accomplish the first mission. The electrical energy storage capacity of the pack(E) corresponds to the electrical energy storage capacity needed to accomplish a second vehicle mission and the maximum electrical power is at least sufficient to accomplish the second mission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Benoit FERRAN, Emmanuel JOUBERT, Clément DINEL
  • Publication number: 20180361866
    Abstract: A charging system for electrical accumulator vehicle batteries, comprising a charging station principally designed to generate a charging current for the batteries, a system for thermally conditioning the batteries, by the circulation of a heat transfer fluid. A vehicle-mounted segment comprises a component for measuring the battery temperatures, a system for measuring the state of charge of the batteries, and a heat transfer fluid distribution circuit. A non-vehicle-mounted segment comprises a ground module of the thermal conditioning system for generating a flux of a heat transfer fluid, a control-command module designed to determine, during charging, as a function of the states of charge of the batteries and the battery temperatures, the flow rates and temperatures of the heat transfer fluid and a charging current required to achieve a target final state, characterized by a target temperature and a target charge at the end of a given charging time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Benoit FERRAN, Emmanuel JOUBERT, Clément DINEL
  • Patent number: 10150570
    Abstract: A device for cooling at least one autonomous electric power source of an aircraft, includes: an inlet for air cooling a cooling fluid; the cooling fluid being fed towards at least one autonomous electric power source of the aircraft; a convergent hot air outlet, including moving elements for controlling the air flowrate; and supervision elements of the aircraft, which control the moving elements for controlling the air flowrate depending on the need for cooling of the autonomous electric power source. A method for cooling at least one autonomous electric power source of an aircraft and an aircraft including such a device are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Airbus SAS
    Inventors: Emmanuel Joubert, Benoit Ferran, Antonin Sanitas
  • Publication number: 20180346139
    Abstract: A method and an architecture for implementing the method for the management of a hybrid thermal/electrical propulsion aircraft in the course of its various flight phases. The hybrid propulsion receives at each instant i a total power command Ptot,com,i distributed between thermal Pth,com,i and electrical Pe,com,i power commands. The method includes steps of calculating a maximum admissible thermal power command Pth,com,max,i for compliance with acoustic objectives on the ground, selecting the thermal power command Pth,com,i in a bounded range of values, determining the electrical power command Pe,com,i. The thermal Pth,com,i and electrical Pe,com,i power commands supplied by the hybrid propulsion are thus adjusted in the course of the different flight phases depending on a height hi of the aircraft in order to make it possible to comply with acoustic requirements on the ground.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Benoit FERRAN, Emmanuel JOUBERT, Nicolas Fouquet, Jonathan LANDOLT
  • Publication number: 20180301767
    Abstract: A method for managing a battery according to a state of health of the battery, comprising, prior to using the battery, predetermining a maximum depth of discharge profile according to the state of health of the battery, the profile being dependent on a technology of the battery, on a nominal energy level to be made available each time the battery is discharged, the nominal energy level being substantially constant over a service life of the battery. While using the battery, a maximum depth of discharge of the battery is adjusted at regular intervals, each time the state of health of the battery decreases by a percentage corresponding to an update interval p % that is equal to p/100, that is, for all state of health values (SOHO that are equal to SOHo-n×p %, where n is an integer comprised between 0 and 20/p.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: Benoit FERRAN, Emmanuel JOUBERT, Clément DINEL
  • Patent number: 10017264
    Abstract: The aircraft (10) includes: at least one electric motor (135); at least one stand-alone electrical power supply (110, 120) supplying power to the electric motor; propulsion elements (130) referred to as “auxiliary propulsion elements”, included in the group including: a stand-alone electrical power supply (130) supplying power to the electric motor, a power supply converting thermal energy into electrical energy and supplying power to the electric motor, and an internal combustion engine; and a structure (100) configured to integrate each electric motor, each stand-alone electrical power supply and the auxiliary propulsion elements, the parameters of the structure being substantially identical regardless of the auxiliary propulsion elements. A method of fitting out such an aircraft is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: AIRBUS GROUP SAS
    Inventors: Emmanuel Joubert, Benoit Ferran, Antonin Sanitas, Germain Morin
  • Publication number: 20160167796
    Abstract: The aircraft (10) includes: at least one electric motor (135); at least one stand-alone electrical power supply (110, 120) supplying power to the electric motor; propulsion elements (130) referred to as “auxiliary propulsion elements”, included in the group including: a stand-alone electrical power supply (130) supplying power to the electric motor, a power supply converting thermal energy into electrical energy and supplying power to the electric motor, and an internal combustion engine; and a structure (100) configured to integrate each electric motor, each stand-alone electrical power supply and the auxiliary propulsion elements, the parameters of the structure being substantially identical regardless of the auxiliary propulsion elements. A method of fitting out such an aircraft is also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Emmanuel JOUBERT, Benoit FERRAN, Antonin SANITAS, Germain MORIN
  • Publication number: 20160167800
    Abstract: A device (10) for cooling at least one autonomous electric power source (115) of an aircraft, includes: an inlet (105) for air (110) cooling a cooling fluid (110); the cooling fluid (110) is fed towards at least one autonomous electric power source of the aircraft; a convergent hot air (120) outlet (130), including moving elements (125) for controlling the air flowrate; and supervision elements (150) of the aircraft, which control the moving elements for controlling the air flowrate depending on the need (145) for cooling of the autonomous electric power source. A method for cooling at least one autonomous electric power source of an aircraft and an aircraft including such a device are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Emmanuel JOUBERT, Benoit FERRAN, Antonin SANITAS