Patent ID: 8694180

Claim:
A method for the optimized utilization of at least one of a plurality of available energy resources including a generator of an electrical system in an aircraft, the method being executed on board the aircraft during an operational state of the aircraft, the method comprising: determining performance parameters L Ist (e.g. current I, voltage U, temperature T, power P D (P verlust ), P E (P wirk ), efficiency, etc.) of a preferred energy resource connected to the electrical system in the aircraft with a measuring device in electrical communication with the preferred energy resource, wherein the generator is the preferred energy resource; entering the performance parameters L Ist of the energy resource into a thermal model of a power management module electrically connected in the aircraft between the preferred energy resource and loads; comparing, by the thermal model, at least one performance parameter L Ist of the energy resource with a specified performance limit parameter L Soll at a specified threshold level of the energy resource; determining, by a calculating device of the power management module, a value for an energy reservoir E Rest of the energy resource using the one or more identified performance parameters L Ist at the threshold level of the energy resource; maintaining, by an energy source control unit of the power management module, an operational state of the aircraft or the current utilization by connecting at least one additional one of the available energy resources to the electrical system in the aircraft depending on an operational state of the preferred energy resource based upon the one or more identified performance parameters L Ist ; calculating, by the calculating device, a remaining time T Max for maintaining the operational state of the aircraft depending on the energy reservoir E Rest of the energy resource and using the one or more identified performance parameters L Ist ; and choosing information among current performance parameters of the loads, operational states, the remaining time T Max prioritized shutdowns, and energy reserves available in the aircraft, and displaying the chosen information on a display unit of the aircraft.