Selectively regulating current in distributed propulsion systems

• US 10,640,225 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc. (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc. (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Armstrong, Michael James, Bollman, Andrew Mark, Loder, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Tulsidas C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ortega, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US15/784,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20190009920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/02 Aircraft characterised by the type or position of power plants fuselages specially adapted for mounting power plants B64C1/16; wings specially adapted for power plants B64C3/32
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/026 comprising different types of power plants, e.g. combination of a piston engine and a gas-turbine Hybrid electric aircraft B64D27/33
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 31/06 actuated automatically
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/007 Arrangements for selectively connecting the load or loads to one or several among a plurality of power lines or power sources for providing uninterruptable power supply H02J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/06 Controlling transfer of power between connected networks; Controlling sharing of load between connected networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/12 for adjusting voltage in ac networks by changing a characteristic of the network load
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2101/30 for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A distributed propulsion system includes a first propulsor and a second propulsor, a first generator configured to generate a first AC current, and a second generator configured to generate a second AC current. The system includes a power regulation circuit. The power regulation circuit includes a first current path that includes a first power electronics circuit, a second current path that includes a second power electronics circuit, a third current path that bypasses the first and second power electronics circuits, and a fourth current path that bypasses the first and second power electronics circuits. The power regulation circuit also includes a plurality of switches configured to selectively couple each respective input to a respective selected output to cause a respective current to flow from the respective input to the respective selected output via one of the first current path, second current path, third current path, or fourth current path.

Claims

1. A distributed propulsion system, comprising:

a first propulsor and a second propulsor;

a first generator configured to generate a first AC current;

a second generator configured to generate a second AC current; and

a power regulation circuit electrically coupled to the first propulsor via a first output, the second propulsor via a second output, the first generator via a first input, and the second generator via a second input, wherein the power regulation circuit comprises;

a first current path comprising a first power electronics circuit,

a second current path comprising a second power electronics circuit,

a third current path that bypasses the first and second power electronics circuits,

a fourth current path that bypasses the first and second power electronics circuits, and

a plurality of switches configured to selectively couple each respective input to a respective selected output to cause a respective current to flow from the respective input to the respective selected output via one of the first current path, the second current path, the third current path, or the fourth current path, the plurality of switches including a first switch and a second switch, and

control circuitry configured to;

cause the first AC current to flow through the first current path by at least opening the first switch;

cause the second AC current to flow through the second current path by at least opening the second switch;

cause the first AC current to flow through the third current path by at least closing the first switch; and

cause the second AC current to flow through the fourth current path by at least closing the second switch.

2. The distributed propulsion system of claim 1,

wherein the first power electronics circuit comprises a first rectifier electrically coupled to a first inverter, and

wherein the second power electronics circuit comprises a second rectifier electrically coupled to a second inverter.

3. The distributed propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

open the first switch to cause the first AC current to flow through the first power electronics circuit of the first current path; and

control the first power electronics circuit to reduce a frequency of the first AC current to cause rotation of the first propulsor to slow.

4. The distributed propulsion system of claim 3, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

in response to determining that a rotational speed of the first propulsor is less than or equal to a threshold speed;

open the second switch to cause the second AC current to flow through the second power electronics circuit of the second current path,

control the second power electronics circuit to reduce a frequency of the second AC current to cause rotation of the second propulsor to slow.

5. The distributed propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

open the first switch to cause the first AC current to flow through the first power electronics circuit of the first current path; and

control the first power electronics circuit to increase a frequency of the first AC current to cause rotation of the first propulsor to quicken.

6. The distributed propulsion system of claim 5, wherein increasing the frequency of the first AC current causes the rotation of the first propulsor to increase from a first speed to a second speed, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

open the second switch to cause the second AC current to flow through the second power electronics circuit of the second current path to increase a frequency of the second AC current to be equal to the frequency of the first AC current, such that a rotational speed of the second propulsor is equal to a rotational speed of the first propulsor.

7. The distributed propulsion system of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of switches includes a third switch;

in normal operation, the third switch is open, the first generator is electrically coupled to the first propulsor via one of the first current path or third current path and the second generator is electrically coupled to the second propulsor via one of the second current path or fourth current path;

the control circuitry is configured to;

determine whether a fault condition exists in the second generator or a connecting component; and

in response to determining that fault condition is present, close the third switch to electrically couple the first generator to the second propulsor via one of the first, second, third, or fourth current paths.

8. The distributed propulsion system of claim 7, wherein the control circuitry is configured to close the third switch to couple the first generator to the second propulsor via one of the first or second current paths.

9. The distributed propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the power regulation circuit is a first power regulation circuit and the plurality of switches are a first plurality of switches, the system further comprising:

a third propulsor and a fourth propulsor; and

a second power regulation circuit electrically coupled to the third propulsor via a third output, the fourth propulsor via a fourth output, the first generator via a third input, and the second generator via a fourth input, wherein the second power regulation circuit comprises;

a fifth current path comprising a third power electronics circuit,

a sixth current path comprising a fourth power electronics circuit,

a seventh current path that bypasses the third and fourth power electronics circuits,

an eighth current path that bypasses the third and fourth power electronics circuits, and

a second plurality of switches configured to selectively couple each respective input to a respective selected output to cause a respective current to flow from the respective input to the respective selected output via one of the fifth current path, the sixth current path, the seventh current path, or the eighth current path, the second plurality of switches including a third switch and a fourth switch, wherein the control circuitry is configured to;

cause the first AC current to flow through the fifth current path by at least opening the third switch;

cause the first AC current to flow through the seventh current path by at least closing the third switch;

cause the second AC current to flow through the sixth current path by at least opening the fourth switch; and

cause the second AC current to flow through the eighth current path by at least closing the fourth switch.

10. The distributed propulsion system of claim 9,

wherein the third power electronics circuit comprises a third rectifier electrically coupled to a third inverter, and

wherein the fourth power electronics circuit comprises a fourth rectifier electrically coupled to a fourth inverter.

11. The distributed propulsion system of claim 9, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

open the first switch to cause the first AC current to flow through the first power electronics circuit of the first current path;

control the first power electronics circuit to reduce a frequency of the first AC current to cause rotation of the first propulsor to slow from a first speed to a second speed, and

in response to determining that the second speed is less than or equal to a threshold speed;

open the third switch to cause the second AC current to flow through the third power electronics circuit of the fifth current path; and

control the third power electronics circuit to increase a frequency of the second AC current received at the third propulsor to cause rotation of the third propulsor to quicken.

12. The distributed propulsion system of claim 9, wherein the first and second propulsors are located on a side of a vessel opposite the third and fourth propulsors.

13. The distributed propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of switches includes a third switch, the system further comprising:

a first electrical bus configured to provide the first AC current from the first generator to the power regulation circuit;

a second electrical bus configured to provide the second AC current from the second generator to the power regulation circuit;

a third propulsor selectively coupled to first electrical bus; and

a fourth propulsor selectively coupled to second electrical bus,

wherein the control circuitry is configured to synchronize the fourth propulsor to the second generator by at least being configured to;

decouple the second electrical bus from the second generator;

open the first switch to cause the first AC current to flow from the first generator to the first power electronics circuit via the first electrical bus;

regulate the first AC current to a frequency that is synchronized to a frequency of the second AC current generated by the second generator; and

close the third switch to couple the first current path to the fourth current path to cause the regulated first AC current to flow from the first power electronics circuit to the fourth propulsor via the second electrical bus.

14. The distributed propulsion system of claim 13, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to synchronize the fourth propulsor to the second generator by at least being configured to:

electrically decouple the first propulsor from the power regulation circuit by opening at least a fourth switch of the plurality of switches; and

electrically decouple the second propulsor from the power regulation circuit by opening at least a fifth switch of the plurality of switches.

15. The distributed propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of switches includes a third switch, and wherein the control circuitry is configured electrically couple the first generator to the second propulsor by at least closing the third switch.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, by a power regulation circuit of a distributed propulsion system, a first AC current from a first generator of the distributed propulsion system via a first input of the power regulation circuit, wherein the power regulation circuit is electrically coupled to a first propulsor via a first output,

receiving, by the power regulation circuit, a second AC current from a second generator of the distributed propulsion system via a second input of the power regulation circuit, wherein the power regulation circuit is electrically coupled to a second propulsor via a second output,

causing, by control circuitry of the distributed propulsion system, the first AC current to flow through a first current path by at least opening a first switch of a plurality of switches of the power regulation circuit, the first current path including a first power electronics circuit,

causing, by the control circuitry, the second AC current to flow through a second current path by at least opening a second switch of the plurality of switches, the second current path including a second power electronics circuit,

causing, by the control circuitry, the first AC current to flow through a third current path by at least closing the first switch, the third current path bypassing the first power electronics circuit and the second power electronics circuit, and

causing, by the control circuitry, the second AC current to flow through a fourth current path by at least closing the second switch, the fourth current path bypassing the first power electronics circuit and the second power electronics circuit.

17. The method of claim 16,

wherein the first power electronics circuit comprises a first rectifier electrically coupled to a first inverter, and

wherein the second power electronics circuit comprises a second rectifier electrically coupled to a second inverter.

18. A system comprising:

a power regulation circuit configured to selectively regulate a first AC current generated by a first generator and a second AC current generated by a second generator, output the first AC current to a first propulsor, and output the second AC current to a second propulsor, the power regulation circuit comprising;

a first current path comprising a first power electronics circuit,

a second current path comprising a second power electronics circuit,

a third current path that bypasses the first and second power electronics circuits,

a fourth current path that bypasses the first and second power electronics circuits, and

a plurality of switches configured to selectively routing the first AC current and the second AC current via one of the first current path, the second current path, the third current path, or the fourth current path, the plurality of switches including a first switch and a second switch; and

control circuitry configured to;

cause the first AC current to flow through the first current path by at least opening the first switch;

cause the second AC current to flow through the second current path by at least opening the second switch;

cause the first AC current to flow through the third current path by at least closing the first switch; and

cause the second AC current to flow through the fourth current path by at least closing the second switch.

19. The system of claim 18,

wherein the first power electronics circuit comprises a first rectifier electrically coupled to a first inverter, and

wherein the second power electronics circuit comprises a second rectifier electrically coupled to a second inverter.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the plurality of switches includes a third switch;

in normal operation, the third switch is open, the first generator is electrically coupled to the first propulsor via one of the first current path or third current path and the second generator is electrically coupled to the second propulsor via one of the second current path or fourth current path;

the control circuitry is configured to;

determine whether a fault condition exists in the second generator or a connecting component; and

in response to determining that fault condition is present, close the third switch to electrically couple the first generator to the second propulsor via one of the first, second, third, or fourth current paths.