Variations of an aerial vehicle, all with capability of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), with one variation comprising at least three engines, at least three rotors, a flight control system, battery, and propulsion system. The second VTOL aerial vehicle variation being a hybrid with engine-powered rotors and electric-powered rotors configured to work with a flight control system and battery. The first and second variations having the option of a genset system which recharges the battery. The third VTOL aerial vehicle variation being all-electric-powered rotors configured to work with a flight control system and a genset system which powers the rotors and/or recharges the battery.

Variations of an aerial vehicle, all with capability of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), with one variation comprising at least three engines, at least three rotors, a flight control system, battery, and propulsion system. The second VTOL aerial vehicle variation being a hybrid with engine-powered rotors and electric-powered rotors configured to work with a flight control system and battery. The first and second variations having the option of a genset system which recharges the battery. The third VTOL aerial vehicle variation being all-electric-powered rotors configured to work with a flight control system and a genset system which powers the rotors and/or recharges the battery.

A turbine engine system utilizes one or more augmented combustion modules to produce an exhaust that is fed into the turbine portion of the engine and wherein power is produced by the augmented combustion module for use to drive the main shaft and/or for auxiliary purposes. An augmented combustion module is configured between the compressor and the turbine of the engine and receives compressed air from the compressor and ignites an air/fuel-mixture to turn a shaft that can be used to produce power. The shaft may be coupled with an electrical power generator, a pump, a hydraulic or pneumatic power generator and/or power conversion or transmission devices and/or coupled with the main shaft of the turbine engine. The power from a power generator may be stored in a battery, hydraulic accumulator or pneumatic accumulator and may be used to power auxiliary electrical, hydraulic or pneumatic devices.

Aircraft power plants including combustion engines, and associated methods for recuperating waste heat from such aircraft power plants are described. A method includes transferring the heat rejected by the internal combustion engine to supercritical CO.sub.2 (sCO.sub.2) used as a working fluid in a heat engine. The heat engine converts at least some the heat transferred to the sCO.sub.2 to mechanical energy to perform useful work onboard the aircraft.

Aircraft power plants including combustion engines, and associated methods for recuperating waste heat from such aircraft power plants are described. A method includes transferring the heat rejected by the internal combustion engine to supercritical CO.sub.2 (sCO.sub.2) used as a working fluid in a heat engine. The heat engine converts at least some the heat transferred to the sCO.sub.2 to mechanical energy to perform useful work onboard the aircraft.

A UAV and its power system, and a system for minimizing UAV failure. The UAV power system has a propulsion propeller, which is arranged at the rear end of the UAV; the traction propeller which is arranged at the front end of the UAV; either the traction propeller or the propulsion propeller is the main propeller while the other is the backup one; when the UAV is in the level flight stage, at least one of the traction propeller and the propulsion propeller is in the working state; and the driving component which is used to drive the propulsion propeller and the traction propeller. The UAV power system provided by the disclosure is provided with a traction propeller and a propulsion propeller, respectively, to improve the failure redundancy and reduce the safety deficiency of the probability of common mode failure (CMF).

A method and system for controlling operation of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle (such as a remotely operable unmanned aerial vehicle) to perform or implement a control strategy for controlling operation of the engine. The method and system comprises providing first and second modes optionally available for operating the engine, and changing operation of the engine from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation following a determination that a characteristic of the operation of the engine (such as engine speed) has been requested to be modified to beyond a predetermined threshold or level. The method and system further comprises reverting control of operation of the engine from the second mode to the first mode once the requested characteristic is no longer beyond the predetermined threshold or level.

A method includes controlling an electric motor of a hybrid-electric powerplant for an aircraft using an EPC (electric powertrain controller) and controlling a heat engine of the hybrid-electric powerplant using an ECU (engine control unit). The method includes performing at least one of the following to protect the hybrid-electric powerplant: using the ECU to power down the electric motor, and/or using the EPC to power down the heat engine.

A method includes controlling an electric motor of a hybrid-electric powerplant for an aircraft using an EPC (electric powertrain controller) and controlling a heat engine of the hybrid-electric powerplant using an ECU (engine control unit). The method includes performing at least one of the following to protect the hybrid-electric powerplant: using the ECU to power down the electric motor, and/or using the EPC to power down the heat engine.

Provided is a high efficiency long range drone, and more particularly, a high efficiency long range drone capable of increasing flight time and efficiently using power during long range cruising flight by selectively using the power among an engine generator and a battery and applying an auxiliary wing.