Modular Equipment Center Zonal Standalone Power System Control Architecture

• US 20150102662A1
• Filed: 10/11/2013
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Brouwer, Todd B., Currier, Thomas F., Hasenoehrl, Thomas R., Kerr, Carolyn, Liffring, Mark E., Schaffner, Lowell W., Shander, Mark S., Walstrom, Steven M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,561,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• 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: 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 plurality of modular equipment centers (MECs) spatially distributed throughout a vehicle servicing equipment loads. Each MEC independently provides localized power and communication to service the equipment loads. A zone of electrical loads is assigned to and serviced by the nearest MEC. Power and communication data are synchronized in that each equipment load receives power and data from the same MEC. In one embodiment, if a MEC experiences an operational inconsistency, one or more other MECs are assigned the equipment loads of the operationally inconsistent MEC.

Claims

1. A distributed power system control architecture for a vehicle, comprising a plurality of modular equipment centers (MECs) spatially distributed from one another, each of the MECs providing electrical power and communication data for independently servicing equipment loads in proximity of each MEC, and each of the MECs managing electrical power distribution through data communications between one another for overall power and data management.

2. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 1, wherein overall power distribution data is shared among the plurality of MECs but each MEC is only responsible for servicing equipment loads in proximity of each MEC.

3. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 1, wherein each MEC manages data associated with a zone of nearest equipment loads such that each MEC independently performs operations within its associated zone of equipment loads.

4. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 1, wherein each MEC of the plurality of MECs has two communication channels, and a portion of the plurality of MECs comprise at least one network switch, each network switch of a MEC in communication with switches of at least two other MECs across one of the communication channels and all of said plurality of MECs connected directly to at least two other MECs across the other communication channel.

5. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 1, wherein when a main power source fails and one of the primary MECs is unpowered, the primary power switching bus of one or more of the other primary MECs is configured real time to reroute primary electrical power from another power source to the unpowered primary MEC.

6. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of MECs is a primary MEC and at least one is a secondary MEC, and wherein if the primary MECs fails the secondary MEC provides electrical power and communication data to service equipment loads of the failed primary MEC.

7. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 1, further comprising at least one main power source and a standby MEC powered by a standby power source configured to be powered by a RAM air turbine (RAT), battery, a fuel cell, or a combination thereof, wherein all of the MECs are unpowered due to failure of the at least one main power source, and wherein the standby MEC distributes power and communication data to the MECs that are unpowered.

8. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 1, wherein when one of the MECs fails management of equipment loads within a zone associated with the failed MEC is real-time transferred to one or more other MECs in closest proximity to the failed MEC.

9. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 1, wherein when one of the MECs fails management of the equipment loads within a zone associated with the failed MEC is real-time transferred to a plurality of other MECs such that zones associated with the plurality of other MECs are expanded to manage the equipment loads of the failed MEC.

10. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 1, wherein each MEC generates configuration information associated with servicing equipment loads in an associated zone, and wherein the configuration information of each MEC is shared with the other MECs for overall power and data management.

11. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 10, wherein each MEC utilizes configuration information of the other MECs to determine how to service equipment loads.

12. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 10, wherein each MEC utilizes configuration information of the other MECs to determine a zone of associated equipment loads to service.

13. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 1 wherein the distributed power system control architecture is implemented in an aircraft.

14. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 13 wherein the vehicle comprises a plurality of vehicle sections coupled together defining a section break between adjacent vehicle sections.

15. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 14, wherein when one of the MECs fails management of equipment loads within a zone associated with the failed MEC is real-time transferred to a MEC in one of the vehicle sections along with the failed MEC, thereby expanding a zone associated with the MEC subsequently servicing the equipment loads of the failed MEC.

16. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 14, wherein when one of the MECs fails management of equipment loads within a zone associated with the failed MEC is real-time transferred to another of the MECs in proximity of the equipment loads and in one of the vehicle sections which does not include the failed MEC.

17. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 13, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft having a fuselage defined by a section break between one or more forward sections and one or more aft sections, and wherein primary electrical power is distributed to both the plurality of MECs forward of the section break and to the plurality of MECs aft of the section break.

18. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 17, wherein the primary electrical power distributed forward of the section break is distributed to MECs servicing equipment loads on a left side of the vehicle and to MECs servicing equipment loads on a right side of the vehicle, and wherein the primary electrical power distributed aft of the section break is distributed to MECs servicing equipment loads on the left side of the vehicle and to MECs servicing equipment loads on the right side of the vehicle.

19. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 17, comprising a pair of oppositely disposed primary MECs forward of the section break and a pair of oppositely disposed primary MECs aft of the section break, each of the primary MECs comprising a network switch, each network switch of a pair of oppositely disposed primary MECs on one side of the section break and on one of either of a left side or a right side of the vehicle in communication with one network switch of either one of a pair of oppositely disposed primary network switches on the other of the left side or right side of section break and on the other of either the left or right of the vehicle.

20. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 19, further comprising a standby MEC on one of the left side or the right side of the section break having a plurality of network switches, one of the network switches of the standby MEC communicating with the network switch of one of the primary MECs on the same one of the left side or the right side of the section break and with the network switch of one of the primary MECs on the other of either the left side or the right side of the section break.

21. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 20, wherein the standby MEC is aft of the section break and on the left side of the vehicle, and one of the network switches of the standby MEC communicates with the network switch of the aft primary MEC on the left side of the vehicle and the network switch on the forward MEC on the right side of the vehicle, and wherein the other network switch of the standby MEC communicates with the network switch of the aft primary MEC on the right side of the vehicle and the network switch on the forward MEC on the left side of the vehicle.

22. The distributed power system control architecture of claim 20, wherein another of the plurality of network switches of the standby MEC communicates with the network switch of the other primary MEC on the same one of the left side or the right side of the section break and with the network switch of the other primary MECs on the other one of the left side or the right side of the section break.

23. A distributed power system control architecture for a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of vehicle sections coupled together defining a section break between adjacent vehicle sections; and

a plurality of modular equipment centers (MECs) spatially distributed throughout the vehicle such that one or more MECs of the plurality of MECs is located in each of the vehicle sections, each of the MECs providing electrical power and communication data for independently servicing equipment loads in proximity of each MEC and within the same vehicle section as each MEC, and each of the MECs managing electrical power distribution through data communications between one another for overall vehicle power and data management.

24. A method for synchronizing power distribution and communications within a vehicle, the method comprising:

spatially distributing a plurality of modular equipment centers (MECs) throughout the vehicle;

powering the plurality of MECs with at least one primary source of power;

servicing a zone of equipment loads nearest each MEC;

in response to each MEC servicing a zone of equipment loads, providing both power and bidirectional communication data originating from the same MEC to the equipment loads within each zone; and

in response to a MEC becoming operationally inconsistent, rerouting both power and bidirectional data originating from another MEC for servicing the equipment loads within the zone associated with the MEC becoming operationally inconsistent.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising sharing overall vehicle power distribution data among the plurality of MECs and each MEC only servicing equipment loads within its zone of associated equipment loads.

26. A method for initially powering up a power distribution and communication system, the method comprising:

powering a plurality of modular equipment centers (MECs);

initiating communications with each of the plurality of MECs;

performing power-on tests on each of the MECs;

reporting results of the power-on tests to each of the plurality of MECs;

providing configuration information to each of the plurality of MECs; and

each of the MECs configuring itself for operation.