Efficient and lightweight battery management system contributes to victory in the Green Flight Challenge 2011

Electric powered aircraft has been designed and flown for quite a while. However, until 2011 all the existing models had one major drawback, namely, a low range caused by the low energy capacity of the batteries. Besides the motor and motor controller, the battery system is one of the most critical components of the electric aircraft. Lightweight, high efficiency and high reliability are only a few challenges in the design process. The paper describes the battery system and a new active battery balancing method used for the Taurus G4 of the Pipistrel manufacture, the world's first four-seat electric aircraft, that won the 2011 Green Flight Challenge competition for being the most energy efficient aircraft ever built.

The Pipistrel Taurus G4, the world's first four-seat all-electric aircraft that won the 2011 Green Flight Challenge competition for being the most energy efficient aircraft ever built.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights
► Electric-powered aircraft Taurus G4 contains three battery stacks capable of storing over 95 kWh of energy.
► Passive balancing method failed due-to long balancing times and thermal problems.
► A new active battery balancing method was developed based on DC-DC power converters.
► The battery balancing method is optimized for high-energy capacity cell stacks.
► Most of the time, the battery balancing system took less than 4 h to balance the cells.