INTEGRATED AIRCRAFT POWER CONDITIONING UNIT

• US 20100080027A1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Wiegman, Herman Lucas Norbert, Carlson, William Eugene
• Granted Patent: US 8,218,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/126
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/797 using semiconductor devices only

Abstract

An integrated power conditioning unit includes a DC bus, a first terminal for connection to first AC equipment, a second terminal for connection to second AC equipment, a first inverter circuit providing bi-directional AC-DC conversion between a first AC power signal and a first DC power signal, and a converter assembly providing bi-directional AC-DC conversion between a second AC power signal and a second DC power signal. A control module controls the first inverter circuit such that the first DC power signal may flow from/to the DC bus and the first AC power signal may flow from/to the first terminal. The control module also controls the converter assembly such that the second AC signal power signal may flow from/to the second terminal and the second DC power signal may flow from/to the DC bus.

Claims

1. An integrated power conditioning unit, comprising:

a DC bus;

a first terminal for connection to first AC equipment;

a second terminal for connection to second AC equipment;

a first inverter circuit providing bi-directional AC-DC conversion between a first AC power signal and a first DC power signal, the first DC power signal flowing from/to the DC bus and the first AC power signal flowing from/to the first terminal; and

a converter assembly providing bi-directional AC-DC conversion between a second AC power signal and a second DC power signal, the second DC power signal flowing from/to the DC bus and the second AC power signal flowing from/to the second terminal.

2. The integrated power conditioning unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a control module controlling the first inverter circuit such that the first DC power signal flows from the DC bus to the first inverter circuit and the first AC power signal flows from the first inverter circuit to the first terminal, and controlling the converter assembly such that the second AC power signal flows from the second terminal to the converter assembly and the second DC power flows from the converter assembly to the DC bus.

3. The integrated power conditioning unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a control module controlling the first inverter circuit such that the first AC power signal flows from the first terminal to the first inverter circuit and the first DC power signal flows from the first inverter circuit to the DC bus, and controlling the converter assembly such that the second DC power flows from the DC bus to the converter assembly and the second AC signal power flows from the converter assembly to the second terminal.

4. The integrated power conditioning unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a third terminal for connection to an AC source providing a third AC power signal;

an AC-DC converter connected to the third terminal, the AC-DC converter converting the third AC power signal to a third DC power signal and supplying the DC bus with the third DC power signal.

5. The integrated power conditioning unit of claim 1, wherein the converter assembly comprises:

a DC-DC bi-directional converter providing bi-directional DC-DC conversion between the second DC power signal and a fourth DC power signal;

an AC-DC bi-directional inverter connected to the DC-DC bi-directional converter and providing bi-directional AC-DC conversion between the fourth DC power signal and a fourth AC power signal; and

a filter connected to the AC-DC bi-directional inverter and providing filtering between the fourth AC power signal and the second AC power signal.

6. A starter/generator system for an aircraft, the starter/generator system comprising:

an engine startup-motor/generator;

an AC bus; and

a power conditioning unit comprising;

a DC bus,

a first inverter circuit providing bi-directional AC-DC conversion between a first AC power signal and a first DC power signal, the first DC power signal flowing from/to the DC bus and the first AC power signal flowing from/to the engine startup-motor/generator, and

a converter assembly providing bi-directional AC-DC conversion between a second AC power signal and a second DC power signal, the second DC power signal flowing from/to the DC bus and the second AC power signal flowing from/to the AC bus.

7. The starter/generator system for an aircraft of claim 6, further comprising:

a control module for controlling the power conditioning unit in at least one of a startup operation mode and a flight operation mode.

8. The starter/generator system for an aircraft of claim 7, wherein the DC bus is connected to an onboard battery.

9. The starter/generator system for an aircraft of claim 8, wherein, during the startup operation mode, the control module controls the first inverter circuit such that the first DC power signal flows from the DC bus to the first inverter circuit and the first AC power signal flows from the first inverter circuit to the engine startup-motor/generator, and controls the converter assembly such that the second AC power signal flows from the AC bus to the converter assembly and the second DC power signal flows from the converter assembly to the DC bus.

10. The starter/generator system for an aircraft of claim 9, wherein the AC bus is connected to an AC ground cart.

11. The starter/generator system for an aircraft of claim 10, wherein the AC bus is connected to 115 VAC, 400 Hz equipment.

12. The starter/generator system for an aircraft of claim 7, wherein, during the startup operation mode, the control module controls the first inverter circuit such that the first DC power signal flows from the DC bus to the first inverter circuit and the first AC power signal flows from the first inverter circuit to the engine startup-motor/generator, and controls the converter assembly such that the second DC power signal flows from the DC bus to the converter assembly and the second AC power signal flows from the converter assembly to the AC bus.

13. The starter/generator system for an aircraft of claim 12, wherein the DC bus is connected to a DC ground cart.

14. The starter/generator system for an aircraft of claim 8, wherein, during the flight operation mode, the control module controls the first inverter circuit such that the first AC power signal flows from the engine startup-motor/generator to the first inverter circuit and the first DC power signal flows from the first inverter circuit to the DC bus, and controls the converter assembly such that the second DC power signal flows from the DC bus to the converter assembly and the second AC power signal flows from the converter assembly to the AC bus.

15. The starter/generator system for an aircraft of claim 14, wherein the AC bus is connected to 115 VAC, 400 Hz equipment.

16. The starter/generator system for an aircraft of claim 7, further comprising:

an AC-DC converter with an input connected to an emergency generator that provides a third AC power signal when the aircraft is wind-milling, the AC-DC converter having an output connected to the DC bus;

17. The starter/generator system for an aircraft of claim 16, wherein, during an emergency operation mode, the control module controls the AC-DC converter to provide a third DC power signal to the DC bus, and controls the converter assembly such that the second DC power flows from the DC bus to the converter assembly and the second AC power signal flows from the converter assembly to the AC bus.

18. The starter/generator system for an aircraft of claim 6, wherein the converter assembly comprises:

a DC-DC bi-directional converter providing bi-directional DC-DC conversion between the second DC power signal and a fourth DC power signal;

an AC-DC bi-directional inverter connected to the DC-DC bi-directional converter and providing bi-directional AC-DC conversion between the fourth DC power signal and a fourth AC power signal; and

a filter connected to the AC-DC bi-directional inverter and providing filtering between the fourth AC power signal and the second AC power signal.