ELECTRIC SYSTEM STABILIZING SYSTEM FOR AIRCRAFT

• US 20140197681A1
• Filed: 07/30/2012
• Published: 07/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited), The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited), The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: IWASHIMA, Atsushi, MATSUO, Kazuya, BREIT, Joseph S., NOZARI, Farhad, SUGIMOTO, Kazushige
• Application Number:
  US13/561,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20140197681A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/53 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/55 Capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/56 Mechanical storage means, e.g. fly wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 41/007 Ram air turbines
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/50 On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A power stabilizing device in a system includes as a portion of a power converter section, a second PWM converter provided between a second primary AC bus and a second DC bus in an electric system and configured to perform mutual conversion between DC power and AC power. A power stabilizing control section in the power stabilizing device controls charging and discharging of a secondary battery based on a voltage and a frequency in the second primary AC bus, thereby stabilizing the electric system.

Claims

1. An electric system stabilizing system for aircraft, comprising at least:

an electric system including a DC power supply and an AC power supply as an electric power supply device, an AC power supply bus connected to the AC power supply, a DC power supply bus connected to the DC power supply, and a power converter section for converting AC power from at least the AC power supply into DC power to supply the DC power to the DC power supply bus via the AC power supply bus, the electric system being configured to supply the electric power to an electrified device mounted in the aircraft via the AC power supply bus and the DC power supply bus; and

a power stabilizing device for stabilizing an electric power output of the electric power supply device;

wherein the DC power supply is configured to absorb regenerative power from the electrified device and transiently supply electric power to the electrified device;

wherein the power stabilizing device includes a power stabilizing control section for controlling conversion of the electric power in the power converter section; and

wherein the power stabilizing control section causes the DC power supply to be charged and discharged, based on a voltage in the AC power supply bus and a voltage in the DC power supply bus to stabilize electric power in the AC power supply bus and electric power in the DC power supply bus so that the electric system is stabilized.

2. The electric system stabilizing system for aircraft according to claim 1, wherein

the aircraft includes an auxiliary power unit (APU) and a ram air turbine (RAT);

the electric system includes as the AC power supplies an APU starter/generator mounted to the auxiliary power unit and configured to generate AC power, an AC power generator mounted to the engine, and a RAT generator mounted to the ram air turbine;

the electric system includes as the DC power supply, at least one of a secondary battery and a capacitor;

the DC power supply and the APU starter/generator are each connected to the power stabilizing device;

the AC power generator and the RAT generator are connected to the power stabilizing device via the AC power supply bus; and

the APU starter/generator is connected to the power stabilizing device via the AC power supply bus.

3. The electric system stabilizing system for aircraft according to claim 2,

wherein, to activate the auxiliary power unit in a deactivated state, the power stabilizing control section causes the power converter section to boost the DC power from the DC power supply and supply the DC power to activate the APU starter/generator.

4. The electric system stabilizing system for aircraft according to claim 2,

wherein in a state in which the DC power supply is in a chargeable state, the power stabilizing control section causes the power converter section to convert the AC power from the AC power generator or the APU starter/generator into the DC power, convert the DC power into a voltage adapted for charging by a boost converter, and supply the converted DC power to the DC power supply, to charge the DC power supply with the DC power.

5. The electric system stabilizing system for aircraft according to claim 2,

wherein the electric system includes:

an essential bus supplied with electric power from the AC power generator via the AC power supply bus and having a lower rated voltage than the DC power supply; and

a voltage converter interposed between the essential bus and the DC power supply;

wherein the DC power supply is always connected to the essential bus via the power converter section; and

wherein in a state in which the AC power is not supplied from the AC power generator to the essential bus, the electric power is supplied to the essential bus without discontinuation.

6. The electric system stabilizing system for aircraft according to claim 5,

wherein in a state in which the AC power generator is deactivated and the RAT generator is supplying the AC power to the AC power supply bus, the power stabilizing control section causes the power converter section to convert the AC power from the RAT generator into the DC power and supply the DC power to the essential bus.

7. The electric system stabilizing system for aircraft according to claim 2, wherein

in the electric system, the single engine is provided with a plurality of AC power generators;

and

each of the AC power generators is coupled with a system including the AC power supply bus, the power converter section, and the DC power supply bus, to construct a corresponding one of a plurality of lower systems, the plurality of lower systems corresponding to the plurality of AC power generators, respectively; and

in the plurality of lower systems, the AC power supply buses are connected to each other and the DC power supply buses are connected to each other.

8. The electric system stabilizing system for aircraft according to claim 7,

wherein in the plurality of lower systems included in the electric system, the DC power supply bus in at least one of the lower systems is connected to the APU starter/generator via a controller of the electrified device.

9. The electric system stabilizing system for aircraft according to claim 1, wherein

the electric system includes, as the power converter section, a PWM converter for performing mutual conversion between the DC power and the AC power, and a boost converter coupled to the PWM converter via the DC power supply bus;

and

the power stabilizing control section causes the power converter section to charge and discharge the DC power supply based on a voltage in the AC power supply bus and a voltage in the DC power supply bus, to stabilize the electric power in the AC power supply bus and the electric power in the DC power supply bus.

10. The electric system stabilizing system for aircraft according to claim 9, wherein

the power stabilizing control section measures the voltage in the AC power supply bus and determines that a first-order lag value of a measurement value of the voltage in the AC power supply bus is a target value in control;

the power stabilizing control section adjusts a preset reference voltage value for the boost converter based on a deviation between the target value and the measurement value;

the power stabilizing control section controls an output current of the boost converter based on a deviation between the adjusted reference voltage value and the measurement value; and

the power stabilizing control section controls the electric power received in the PWM converter based on a deviation between a measurement value of the voltage in the DC power supply bus and the preset reference voltage value of the PWM converter.

11. The electric system stabilizing system for aircraft according to claim 9,

wherein in a state in which AC power is not supplied from an AC power generator to the electrified device via the AC power supply bus, the power stabilizing control section causes the power converter section to convert the DC power from the DC power supply into the AC power and supply the AC power to the electrified device via the AC power supply bus for a specified time period.

12. The electric system stabilizing system for aircraft according to claim 1, wherein

the electric system includes as the power converter section, a rectifier provided between the AC power supply bus and the DC power supply bus to convert the AC power into the DC power;

and a boost converter connected to the DC power supply bus; and

the power stabilizing control section causes the DC power supply to be charged and discharged based on a voltage in the AC power supply bus and a voltage in the DC power supply bus to stabilize electric power in the AC power supply bus and electric power in the DC power supply bus.

13. The electric system stabilizing system for aircraft according to claim 1,

wherein the power stabilizing control section monitors a state of charge (SOC) of the DC power supply and makes compensation for a charging/discharging amount of the DC power supply based on a deviation between a measurement value of the SOC and a preset target value of a charging rate.

14. The electric system stabilizing system for aircraft according to claim 9,

wherein when the AC power generated in the AC power supply has a variable frequency, the power stabilizing control section causes the power converter section to charge the DC power supply with active power in proportion to an increase in the voltage, to output reactive power with a leading power factor in proportion to the increase in the voltage, or to charge the DC power supply with the active power in proportion to the increase in the voltage and output the reactive power with the leading power factor in proportion to the increase in the voltage, if the increase in the voltage is monitored;

and

wherein the power stabilizing control section causes the power converter section to discharge the active power from the DC power supply in proportion to a decrease in the voltage, to output the reactive power with a lagging power factor in proportion to the decrease in the voltage, or to discharge the active power from the DC power supply in proportion to the decrease in the voltage and output the reactive power with the lagging power factor in proportion to the decrease in the voltage, if the decrease in the voltage is monitored.

15. The electric system stabilizing system for aircraft according to claim 9,

wherein when the AC power generated in the AC power supply has a constant frequency;

the power stabilizing control section causes the power converter section to charge the DC power supply with active power, in proportion to an increase in the frequency if the increase in the frequency is monitored; and

wherein the power stabilizing control section causes the power converter section to discharge the active power from the DC power supply in proportion to a decrease in the frequency if the decrease in the frequency is monitored.

16. The electric system stabilizing system for aircraft according to claim 9,

wherein when the AC power generated in the AC power supply has a constant frequency, the power stabilizing control section causes the power converter section to output reactive power with a leading power factor in proportion to an increase in the voltage if the increase in the voltage is monitored;

and

wherein the power stabilizing control section causes the power converter section to output reactive power with a lagging power factor in proportion to a decrease in the voltage if the decrease in the voltage is monitored.

17. The electric system stabilizing system for aircraft according to claim 1, wherein

in the aircraft, at least either a hydraulic system or a breed air system is electrically driven;

and

a controller of the hydraulic system or breed air system which is electrically driven, is connected to the DC power supply bus.

18. A method of stabilizing an electric system for aircraft, the electric system including a DC power supply and an AC power supply as an electric power supply device, an AC power supply bus connected to the AC power supply, a DC power supply bus connected to the DC power supply, and a power converter section for converting AC power from at least the AC power supply into DC power to supply the DC power to the DC power supply bus via the AC power supply bus, the electric system being configured to supply the electric power to an electrified device mounted in the aircraft via the AC power supply bus and the DC power supply bus, the method comprising:

using as the DC power supply, a DC power supply configured to absorb regenerative power from the electrified device and transiently supply electric power to the electrified device; and

charging and discharging the DC power supply based on a voltage in the AC power supply bus and a voltage in the DC power supply bus, to stabilize electric power in the AC power supply bus and electric power in the DC power supply bus, thereby stabilizing the electric system.