ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FOR AN AIRCRAFT

• US 20160048186A1
• Filed: 08/14/2015
• Published: 02/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Electronics & Defense Cockpit Solutions
• Original Assignee: Zodiac Aero Electric
• Inventors: Pradier, Jean-Clair
• Granted Patent: US 9,804,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/36 for access to common bus or bus system
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/0073 for providing alternative feeding paths between load and source when the main path fails, e.g. transformers, busbars
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/00 Circuit arrangements for emergency or stand-by power supply, e.g. for emergency lighting

Abstract

Electrical distribution system for an aircraft comprising at least one electrical supply path comprising at least one power unit capable of opening or closing the connection between at least one electrical energy source and at least one device of the aircraft. The system comprises protection cards (2b, 2n) each comprising at least two microcontrollers each capable of sending a command to each power unit of the electrical supply paths protected by each protection card and, among the set of microcontrollers of the protection cards, at least two microcontrollers are provided with a communication and computation function with all of the microcontrollers of the protection cards (2b, 2n).

Claims

1. Electrical distribution system for an aircraft comprising at least one electrical supply path comprising at least one power unit capable of opening or closing the connection between at least one electrical energy source and at least one device of the aircraft, characterized in that it comprises

protection cards (2b, 2n) each comprising at least two microcontrollers each capable of sending a command to each power unit of the electrical supply paths protected by each protection card, and

among the set of microcontrollers of the protection cards, at least two microcontrollers are provided with a communication and computation function with all of the microcontrollers of the protection cards (2b, 2n).

2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the microcontrollers provided with a communication and computation function can be disposed on a same protection card (8),

the microcontrollers provided with a communication and computation function each having an interface with an aircraft bus (3a, 3b).

3. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the microcontrollers provided with a communication and computation function can be disposed on different protection cards (8a, 8b), the microcontrollers provided with a communication and computation function each having an interface with an aircraft bus (3a, 3b).

4. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the microcontrollers provided with a communication and computation function are disposed on at least one protection card each connected to a daughter board comprising the interfaces with the aircraft bus.

5. System according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises at least two slots capable of receiving a protection card, each slot comprising electrical supplies and data connections allowing the functioning of the inserted protection card,

the daughter board being connected and disposed integral with a protection card slot.

6. System according to claim 4, characterized in that the daughter board is connected and disposed in such a way that it is integral with a protection card.

7. System according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least two slots capable of receiving a protection card, each slot comprising electrical supplies and data connections allowing the functioning of the card,

the protection cards comprising microprocessors provided with a communication and computation function are protection cards configured to have the communication and computation function when they are disposed in a predetermined protection card slot.

8. System according to claim 2, characterized in that the microcontrollers provided with a communication and computation function are disposed on a same protection card concentrating all of the information coming from the aircraft bus and from the discrete inputs of all the protection cards of the system, the microcontrollers being capable of calculating all the commands of the power units of the protection cards (2b, 2n) via the internal bus.

9. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the microcontrollers of each protection card receive information coming from the discrete inputs directly connected to each protection card, the microcontrollers being capable of determining and sending the commands of the power units as a function of the information coming from the discrete inputs read.

10. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the microcontrollers of each protection card can receive information coming from the discrete inputs directly connected to each protection card, the microcontrollers being capable either of determining and sending the commands of the power units as a function of the information coming from the discrete inputs read, or of receiving commands calculated by at least one protection card comprising microcontrollers provided with a communication function.