AIRCRAFT DC POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20160359324A1
• Filed: 06/03/2015
• Published: 12/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: KNOWLES, JEFFREY A., CLEEK, KEITH J., LEE, CHRIS K., THENO, TAD W., WONG, IVAN H.
• Granted Patent: US 10,090,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/00 Equipment not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/02 Conversion of ac power input into dc power output without possibility of reversal

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for distributing DC power in an aircraft. In one example, a method is provided that includes generating a plurality of DC voltages from a plurality of independent sources driven by one or more turbines of the aircraft, providing each of the plurality of DC voltages to respective dedicated DC buses, and setting a plurality of switches that selectively couples a first set of dedicated DC buses to a synchronization bus to allow for bus sharing between the first set of dedicated DC buses and bus isolation of a second set of dedicated DC buses.

Claims

1. An aircraft power system comprising:

a plurality of generators that generate respective AC voltage signals in response to mechanical energy generated by one or more aircraft turbines;

a plurality of AC/DC converters that each receive a respective AC output signal from a respective generator and generate a respective DC voltage;

a plurality of dedicated DC buses, wherein each dedicated DC bus is associated with a respective generator and a respective AC/DC converter to receive a respective DC voltage, each dedicated bus providing power to one or more associated dedicated bus loads; and

a synchronization bus selectively coupleable to each dedicated DC bus by respective synchronization bus line switches to allow for bus sharing between a first set of dedicated DC buses of the plurality of dedicated DC buses and bus isolation of a second set of selected dedicated DC buses of the plurality of dedicated DC buses.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a bus controller that controls the selective closing and opening of the synchronization bus line switches.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the bus controller is communicatively coupled to a vehicle management system of the aircraft to receive commands, and/or share status information on the state of the power distribution system and/or the aircraft.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the bus controller receives discrete input feedback from the power distribution system in determining the state of the synchronization bus line switches.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the generators is associated with a high pressure spool of the aircraft, and at least one of the generators is associated with a low pressure spool of the aircraft.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the generators is associated with an auxiliary power unit of the aircraft.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each AC/DC converter is part of an inverter controller that communicates with the bus controller to share status information of the power distribution system.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each inverter controller includes a bus line contactor switch that couples and decouples the AC/DC converter from its respective dedicated bus.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of generators comprises a first generator associated with a first high pressure spool coupled to a first engine of the aircraft and a second generator associated with a first low pressure spool coupled to the first engine of the aircraft, and a second generator associated with a second high pressure spool coupled to a second engine of the aircraft and a second generator associated with a second low pressure spool coupled to the second engine of the aircraft.

10. An aircraft power system comprising:

a first generator that generates a first AC voltage signal from a high pressure spool;

a second generator that generates a second AC voltage signal from a low pressure spool;

a first AC/DC converter that converts the first AC voltage signal to a first DC voltage;

a second AC/DC converter that converts the second AC voltage signal to a second DC voltage signal;

a first dedicated DC bus that receives the first DC voltage and provides the first DC voltage to one or more first dedicated bus loads;

a second dedicated DC bus that receives the second DC voltage and provides the second DC voltage to one or more second dedicated bus loads;

a synchronization bus selectively coupleable to the first dedicated bus by a first bus line switch and the second dedicated bus by a second bus line switch to allow for selective bus sharing between the first and second dedicated buses, wherein there are not any bus loads that are directly coupled to the synchronization bus; and

a bus controller that controls the selective closing and opening of the synchronization bus line switches.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the bus controller is communicatively coupled to a vehicle management system of the aircraft to receive commands, and/or share status information on the state of the power distribution system and/or the aircraft.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the bus controller receives discrete input feedback from the power distribution system.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a third generator that generates a third AC voltage signal from an auxiliary power unit;

a third AC/DC converter that converts the third AC voltage signal to a third DC voltage;

a third dedicated DC bus that receives the third DC voltage and provides the third DC voltage to one or more third dedicated bus loads, wherein the synchronization bus is selectively coupleable to the third dedicated bus by a third bus line switch to allow for selective bus sharing and bus isolation between the first, second and third dedicated buses via the bus controller.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein each AC/DC converter is part of an inverter controller that communicates with the bus controller to share status information of the power distribution system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each inverter controller includes a bus line contactor switch that couples and decouples the AC/DC converter from its respective dedicated bus.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a third generator that generates a third AC voltage signal from a second high pressure spool;

a fourth generator that generates a fourth AC voltage signal from a second low pressure spool;

a third AC/DC converter that converts the third AC voltage signal to a third DC voltage;

a fourth AC/DC converter that converts the fourth AC voltage signal to a fourth DC voltage signal;

a third dedicated DC bus that receives the third DC voltage and provides the third DC voltage to one or more third dedicated bus loads;

a fourth dedicated DC bus that receives the fourth DC voltage and provides the fourth DC voltage to one or more fourth dedicated bus loads, wherein the synchronization bus is selectively coupleable to the third dedicated bus by a third bus line switch and the fourth dedicated bus by a fourth bus line switch to allow for selective bus sharing between the first, second, third and fourth dedicated buses.

17. A method of distributing DC power in an aircraft, the method comprising;

generating a plurality of DC voltages from a plurality of independent sources driven by one or more turbines of the aircraft;

providing each of the plurality of DC voltages to respective dedicated DC buses;

setting a plurality of switches that selectively couples a first set of dedicated DC buses to a synchronization bus to allow for bus sharing between the first set of dedicated DC buses and bus isolation of a second set of dedicated buses.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising monitoring one or more parameters of the aircraft and dynamically setting the plurality of switches based on changes in the monitored one or more parameters.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising dynamically setting the plurality of switches based on commands received from a vehicle management system of the aircraft.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the independent sources comprise one or more high pressure spools, one or more low pressure spools and an auxiliary power unit.