Energy supply system of an aircraft

• US 20090104493A1
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH (Liebherr-International AG)
• Original Assignee: Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH (Liebherr-International AG)
• Inventors: Ludwig, Matthias, Metzler, Dirk, Herzog, Jacques, Cremer, Ralf, Ried, Georg
• Application Number:
  US12/009,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20090104493A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/515
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2041/005 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 41/00 Power installations for auxiliary purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04223 during start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04225 during start-up
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

The present invention relates to an energy supply system of an aircraft comprising a fuel cell and having one or more consumers which are or can be connected to the fuel cell such that they are supplied with energy directly or indirectly from the fuel cell in emergency operation as well has having at least one active energy store which is or can be connected to at least one of the consumers such that the consumer(s) is/are supplied with energy from the active energy store at least at times.

Claims

1. An energy supply system of an aircraft comprising at least one fuel cell, having one or more consumers which are or can be connected to the fuel cell such that they are supplied with energy directly or indirectly from the fuel cell in emergency operation as well has having at least one active energy store which is or can be connected to at least one of the consumers such that the consumer(s) is/are supplied with energy from the active energy store at least at times.

2. An energy supply system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a converter connected before the energy store, preferably a bidirectional converter, is provided which is connected to the normal energy supply of the aircraft and is charged via the energy store in normal operation of the aircraft before and/or after during a flight.

3. An energy supply system in accordance claim 1, wherein a converter, preferably a bidirectional converter, is provided which is designed such that it enables an energy flow from the energy store or from any other energy source to the normal energy supply of the aircraft.

4. An energy supply system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a converter, preferably a bidirectional converter, is provided which is designed such that it enables an energy flow from the energy store or from any other energy source to the emergency power supply of the aircraft and/or from the emergency power supply of the aircraft to the energy store or to any other energy source.

5. An energy supply system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the energy store is a supercapacitor.

6. An energy supply system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the energy supply system furthermore comprises a multiconverter which contains power electronic components of the energy supply system.

7. An energy supply system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the power electronic components are designed as replaceable modules or as integrated assemblies.

8. An energy supply system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one electric motor pump is provided for the hydraulic supply and a drive unit is provided for the drive of the motor pump, with the drive unit including at least two electric motors which are or can be connected to different energy sources.

9. An energy supply system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the at least two electric motors drive the pump via a common motor shaft or via a differential transmission.

10. An energy supply system in accordance with claim 8, wherein at least one of the electric motors is made such that it is supplied with energy by the normal energy supply of the aircraft in normal operation of the aircraft.

11. An energy supply system in accordance with claim 8, wherein at least one of the electric motors is designed such that it is supplied with energy by the fuel cell or the active energy store in emergency operation of the aircraft.

12. An energy supply system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the drive unit of the pump has at least two electric motors of different types.

13. An energy supply system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a control device is provided which controls the energy store such that it supplies energy for at least so long until the fuel cell is available for the energy supply.

17. An energy supply system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a cooling system is provided for the cooling of components of the aircraft or of the energy supply system;

and the fuel cell is or can be connected to this cooling system for the purpose of setting a suitable operating temperature of the fuel cell.

18. An energy supply system in accordance claim 2, wherein a converter, preferably a bidirectional converter, is provided which is designed such that it enables an energy flow from the energy store or from any other energy source to the normal energy supply of the aircraft.

19. An energy supply system in accordance with claim 18, wherein a converter, preferably a bidirectional converter, is provided which is designed such that it enables an energy flow from the energy store or from any other energy source.

20. An energy supply system in accordance with claim 2, wherein a converter, preferably a bidirectional converter, is provided which is designed such that it enables an energy flow from the energy store or from any other energy source.

14. An energy supply system wherein a cooling system is provided for the cooling of components of the aircraft or of the energy supply system;

and the fuel cell is or can be connected to this cooling system for the purpose of setting a suitable operating temperature of the fuel cell.

15. An energy supply system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the cooling system is a cooling system for the cooling of electronic components.

16. An energy supply system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the cooling system has at least one heat exchanger which is a ram air duct heat exchanger or a skin heat exchanger.