NON-PROPULSIVE UTILITY POWER (NPUP) GENERATION SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING SECONDARY POWER IN AN AIRCRAFT

• US 20150151847A1
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Published: 06/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Krug, David S., Karimi, Kamiar J., Currier, Thomas F., Roe, George M., Liffring, Mark E., Severns, Christopher M., Bayliss, Andrew J., Lesyna, Mark W., Johnson, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,815,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 13/00 Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passengers, or freight space , or structural parts of the aircraft treatment rooms with artificial climate for medical purposes A61G10/02; respiratory apparatus in general A62B; for vehicles in general B60H
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/04 Hot gas application
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 41/00 Power installations for auxiliary purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/06 with automatic change-over , e.g. UPS systems

Abstract

An aircraft may include at least one secondary power system requiring secondary power, at least two main engines, and at least three non-propulsive utility power (NPUP) generation systems. The NPUP generation systems may each be configured to provide full-time secondary power during operation of the aircraft. The NPUP generation systems may be configured to provide at least a portion of the secondary power required by the secondary power system.

Claims

1. An aircraft, comprising:

at least one secondary power system requiring secondary power;

at least two main engines; and

at least three non-propulsive utility power (NPUP) generation systems that are each configured to provide full-time secondary power during operation of the aircraft, wherein the at least three NPUP generation systems are configured to provide at least a portion of the secondary power required by the at least one secondary power system.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the at least two main engines provide a portion of the secondary power required by the at least one secondary power system.

3. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the at least three NPUP generation systems provide substantially all of the secondary power required by the at least one secondary power system.

4. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising at least three NPUP generation sources, wherein the at least three NPUP generation systems each include one of the at least three NPUP generation sources.

5. The aircraft of claim 4, further comprising at least three NPUP generators that are each coupled to one of the at least three NPUP generation sources.

6. The aircraft of claim 5, wherein the at least three NPUP generators provide substantially all electrical power required by the aircraft.

7. The aircraft of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of main engine generators that are each coupled to one of the at least two main engines, wherein the main engine generators are redundant electrical power sources.

8. The aircraft of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of environmental control systems (ECSs) that each use compressed air.

9. The aircraft of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of pneumatic compressors that are each coupled to one of the at least three NPUP generation sources, wherein the pneumatic compressors are configured to provide at least a portion of the compressed air to the ECSs.

10. The aircraft of claim 9, wherein bleed air is extracted from the at least two main engines, and wherein a portion of the bleed air is supplied to the ECSs.

11. The aircraft of claim 10, wherein the bleed air is used to provide wing ice protection.

12. The aircraft of claim 4, further comprising at least one hydraulic power system requiring hydraulic power.

13. The aircraft of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of main engine hydraulic pumps that are each coupled to one of the at least two main engines.

14. The aircraft of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of auxiliary NPUP hydraulic pumps that are each driven by one of the at least three NPUP generation sources.

15. The aircraft of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of electrically driven auxiliary NPUP hydraulic pumps and a plurality of NPUP generators each coupled to one of the at least three NPUP generation sources, wherein the NPUP generators provide electrical power to the electrically driven auxiliary NPUP hydraulic pumps.

16. The aircraft of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of NPUP hydraulic pumps that are each coupled to one of the at least three NPUP generation sources.

17. The aircraft of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of supplementary hydraulic pumps that are each driven by one of the at least two main engines.

18. The aircraft of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of auxiliary NPUP hydraulic pumps that are each driven by one of the at least three NPUP generation sources.

19. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein each of the at least three NPUP generation systems operate independently with respect to one another.

20. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising a fourth NPUP generation system configured to provide full-time secondary power during operation of the aircraft.

21. A method of providing secondary power in an aircraft, wherein the aircraft includes at least one secondary power system requiring the secondary power and at least two main engines, the method comprising:

generating at least a portion of the secondary power required by the at least one secondary power system by at least three non-propulsive utility power (NPUP) generation systems, wherein the at least three NPUP generation system are configured to provide full-time secondary power during operation of the aircraft.

22. The method of claim 21, comprising generating a portion of secondary power required by the at least one secondary power system by the at least two main engines.

23. The method of claim 21, comprising generating substantially all of the secondary power required by the at least one secondary power system by the at least three NPUP generation systems.

24. An aircraft, comprising:

a plurality of electrical power systems requiring electrical power;

at least one hydraulic power system requiring hydraulic power;

at least two main engines; and

at least two non-propulsive utility power (NPUP) generation systems that are each configured to provide full-time secondary power during operation of the aircraft, wherein the at least two NPUP generation systems are configured to provide at least a portion of the electrical power required by the electrical power systems.

25. The aircraft of claim 24, wherein the at least two NPUP generation systems provide at least a portion of the hydraulic power required by the at least one hydraulic power system.

26. The aircraft of claim 24, wherein the at least two NPUP generation systems provide substantially all of the hydraulic power required by the at least one hydraulic power system.

27. The aircraft of claim 24, further comprising at least two NPUP generation sources, wherein the at least two NPUP generation systems each include one of the at least two NPUP generation sources.

28. The aircraft of claim 27, further comprising at least two NPUP generators each coupled to one of the at least two NPUP generation sources.

29. The aircraft of claim 28, further comprising a plurality of main engine generators each coupled to one of the at least two main engines, wherein the main engine generators are redundant electrical power sources.

30. The aircraft of claim 27, further comprising a third NPUP generation source, wherein at least three NPUP generators are each coupled to one of the at least two NPUP generation sources.

31. The aircraft of claim 30, wherein the at least three NPUP generators provide substantially all electrical power required by the aircraft.

32. The aircraft of claim 27, further comprising a plurality of main engine hydraulic pumps that are each coupled to one of the at least two main engines.

33. The aircraft of claim 32, further comprising a plurality of electrically driven auxiliary NPUP hydraulic pumps and a plurality of NPUP generators each coupled to one of the at least two NPUP generation sources, wherein the NPUP generators provide electrical power to the electrically driven auxiliary NPUP hydraulic pumps.

34. The aircraft of claim 27, further comprising a plurality of NPUP hydraulic pumps that are each coupled to one of the at least two NPUP generation sources.

35. The aircraft of claim 34, further comprising a plurality of auxiliary NPUP hydraulic pumps that are each driven by one of the at least two NPUP generation sources.

36. The aircraft of claim 24, further comprising a plurality of electric motor driven compressors (EMDCs) configured to provide compressed air to a plurality of environmental control systems (ECSs).