POWER SUPPLY AND CONTROL DEVICE FOR ACTUATORS, CORRESPONDING ACTUATION ASSEMBLY, AND AIRCRAFT COMPRISING SUCH A DEVICE

• US 20130082149A1
• Filed: 06/17/2011
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Electronics & Defense
• Original Assignee: Sagem Defense Securite SA (Safran SA)
• Inventors: Nauroy, Pascal, Weibel, Jean-Francois, Wong, David, Nguyen, Van Lam, Guyamier, Alexandre, Boucaud, Arnaud, Pontrucher, Marc, Elie, Philippe
• Granted Patent: US 8,840,070 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/228
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/24 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc

Abstract

A power supply and control device for a plurality of electric actuators, the device comprising a control circuit and a power circuit, the power circuit having an inverter module connected to a switch module provided with connection means for connection to the actuators, the control circuit being connected to the switch module to operate it so as to connect the actuators sequentially to the inverter module, wherein the control circuit is arranged to control the inverter module and the switch module sequentially, and wherein the control circuit includes a monitoring module arranged to detect a malfunction of the device. An actuator assembly comprising a plurality of actuators and such a power supply and control device, and an aircraft including a plurality of actuators and such a power supply and control device of the above-specified type.

Claims

1. A power supply and control device for a plurality of electric actuators, the device comprising a control circuit and a power circuit, the power circuit having an inverter module connected to a switch module provided with connection means for connection to the actuators, the control circuit being connected to the switch module to operate it so as to connect the actuators sequentially to the inverter module, wherein the control circuit is arranged to control the inverter module and the switch module sequentially, and wherein the control circuit includes a monitoring module arranged to detect a malfunction of the device.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the switch module has at least one switch relay and the control circuit is arranged to allow the position of the switch relay to change only at zero voltage and current.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is arranged to prevent the supply of power in the event of the switch relay being in a wrong position.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring module is arranged to inhibit the switch relay when the monitoring module has detected a failure.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is connected via a connection interface to sensors for sensing the voltage and the current of the inverter and via isolation means to a driver of the inverter module.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is connected via a connection interface to sensors for sensing the position and the current of the switch module and via isolation means to at least one switch relay of the switch module.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is connected via a first connection interface to sensors for sensing the voltage and the current of the inverter and via isolation isolation means to a driver of the inverter module, wherein the control circuit is connected via a second connection interface to sensors for sensing the position and the current of the switch module and via second isolation means to at least one switch relay of the switch module, and wherein the monitoring module is connected to the first and second connection interfaces.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring module is connected via isolation means to a circuit breaker of the inverter module in order to control said circuit breaker, and is also connected to the circuit breaker in order to verify an operating state.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring module is arranged to perform at least one of the following tasks:

issue a warning to the outside in the event of a malfunction;

cause the power circuit to stop;

cause at least one safety component to be reinitialized after eliminating a cause of failure;

verify at least one regulation loop by comparing at least one setpoint issued by the control circuit and a state of the inverter module; and

verify the validity of measurements returned by at least one sensor.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring module is connected to a connection interface leading to a maintenance device and to a connection interface leading to the actuators.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit includes a chopper module connected to the inverter module.

12. The actuator assembly comprising a plurality of actuators and a power and control device according to claim 1.

13. The assembly according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the actuators is a permanent magnet synchronous motor.

14. An aircraft including a plurality of electric actuators, an electricity network for powering the actuators, and a piloting unit arranged to enable a pilot to control the actuators, wherein the aircraft includes at least one power supply and control device connecting at least one group of actuators to the power supply network, the power supply and control device being in accordance with claim 1 and having a power circuit controlled by a control circuit and connected to the piloting unit, the control circuit being arranged to cause power to be supplied sequentially to the actuators of the group of actuators.

15. The aircraft according to claim 14, having a plurality of identical power supply and control devices each connected to a respective group of actuators.

16. The aircraft according to claim 15, wherein the aircraft has two wings, each provided with a plurality of actuators, and the aircraft has two power supply and control devices so that each of them controls the actuators associated with a respective one of the wings.

17. An aircraft according to claim 16, wherein the actuators of each wing are connected to elements such as at least one movable wing surface and at least one landing gear element.

18. The aircraft according to claim 17, wherein the movable wing surfaces are taken from a group comprising flaps and spoilers, and the landing gear element is taken from a group comprising an undercarriage hatch and an undercarriage leg.

19. The aircraft according to claim 16, including a power supply and control device connected to an actuator for actuating a nose landing gear leg and to an actuator for steering a nose wheel.