METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THE VOLTAGE SUPPLY OF AIRCRAFT CABIN MODULES

• US 20100264727A1
• Filed: 04/14/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Berkhahn, Sven-Olaf, Riedel, Christian, Bauer, Hans-Achim
• Granted Patent: US 8,212,381 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/9.100
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2011/0046 Modular or preassembled units for creating cabin interior structures
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/001 Hot plugging or unplugging of load or power modules to or from power distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/082 Plural DC voltage, e.g. DC supply voltage with at least two different DC voltage levels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00036 the elements or equipment being or involving switches, relays or circuit breakers circuits for indication of single switches H01H9/167
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5416 by adding signals to the wave form of the power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/545 Audio/video application, e.g. interphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/548 the power on the line being DC arrangements for feeding power H04L12/10; extracting feeding power from signals H04L25/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission

Abstract

System and method for the voltage supply of aircraft cabin modules (1). An electric supply voltage and an additive data signal are transmitted via a cable (3). The aircraft cabin modules (1) have a connection plug (2) for plugging onto the cable (3) and an isolating circuit (5), which isolates the transmitted supply voltage from the data signal.

Claims

1. Aircraft cabin module (1) comprising:

(a) a connection plug (2) for connecting a cable (3) having at least one electric data line and a sheath for electromagnetic shielding;

(b) an isolating circuit (5), which isolates a data signal from a direct supply voltage, wherein the direct supply voltage and the data signal additively superposed on the direct supply voltage are received via the electric data line of the cable (3), and wherein the direct supply voltage can be switched over between various voltage levels.

2. Aircraft cabin module according to claim 1, comprising an interface via which the amplitude of the direct supply voltage transmitted via the data line can be configured.

3. Aircraft cabin module (1) according to claim 1, wherein the cable (3) has at least one electric data feed line and at least one electric return data line.

4. Aircraft cabin module (1) according to claims 1 to 3, wherein the aircraft cabin module (1) is a passenger supply unit (PSU) or a cabin illumination unit (IBU).

5. Aircraft cabin module (1) according to claims 1 to 4, wherein the aircraft cabin module (1) can be serially linked via the cable (3) to further aircraft cabin modules to form an aircraft cabin module chain.

6. Aircraft cabin module (1) according to claim 5, wherein an aircraft cabin module chain can be connected to a decoding/coding unit (6).

7. Aircraft cabin module (1) according to claim 6, wherein the decoding/coding unit (6) is connected to an aircraft cabin server (8).

8. Aircraft cabin module (1) according to claim 7, wherein the supply voltage is fed in at the decoding/coding unit (6).

9. Aircraft cabin module (1) according to claims 1 to 8, wherein the voltage levels of the direct supply voltage have a normal direct voltage level, an emergency direct voltage level and a high direct voltage level.

10. Aircraft cabin module (1) according to claims 1 to 9, wherein the cable (3) is laid in a supply duct of an aircraft.

11. Aircraft cabin module (1) according to claims 1 to 10, wherein the isolating circuit (5) has two isolating transformers (10A, 10B), which are in each case connected via a throttle (11A, 11B) for signal suppression to the connection plug (2).

12. Aircraft cabin module (1) according to claim 11, wherein the isolating transformers (10A, 10B) in each case have a primary coil, which is connected via a throttle (11A, 11B) to the connection plug (2), and in each case have a secondary coil, which is connected to a data processing unit to process the transmitted data signal.

13. Aircraft cabin module (1) according to claim 12, wherein the transmitted supply voltage for the voltage supply of the aircraft cabin module (1) can be tapped at a central tap of the primary coils of the isolating transformers (10A, 10B).

14. Aircraft cabin module (1) according to claim 13, wherein the two central taps of the primary coils of the isolating transformers (10A, 10B) are connected to a bridge rectifier circuit.

15. Aircraft cabin module (1) according to claim 9, wherein the normal direct voltage level is 28V or 42V.

16. Aircraft cabin module (1) according to claims 1 to 15, wherein the aircraft cabin module (1) can be plugged in or unplugged during running operation by means of the connection plug (2).

17. Network with a plurality of aircraft cabin modules (1) according to claims 1 to 16, which are serially connected to one another via the cable (3).

18. Method for the voltage supply of at least one aircraft cabin module (1) comprising the steps of:

a data signal additively superposed on a direct supply voltage being received by the aircraft cabin module (1) via an electric data line of a matched cable (3),

separating the direct supply voltage from the superposed data signal; and

switching the direct supply voltage over between various voltage levels.

19. Method according to claim 18, wherein the amplitude of the direct supply voltage transmitted via the data line is configured via an interface of the aircraft cabin module (1).