METHOD FOR ALLOCATING POWER IN AN ELECTRICAL POWER SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

• US 20180112599A1
• Filed: 10/21/2016
• Published: 04/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Dalal, Manish Ashvinkumar
• Granted Patent: US 10,443,504 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 33/00 Arrangements in aircraft of power plant parts or auxiliaries not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/262 Restarting after flame-out
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/268 Starting drives for the rotor , acting directly on the rotor of the gas turbine to be started
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/32 in gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/76 an electrical generator
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/13 to control two or more engines simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• 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

Abstract

An electrical power system architecture and method for allocating power includes a power distribution bus configured to receive power generated by a first engine having a first generator and a second generator, a first set of electrical buses connected with the power distribution bus and associated with the first engine, and a second set of electrical buses configured to selectively connect with the power distribution bus.

Claims

1. An electrical power system architecture, comprising:

a power distribution bus configured to receive power generated by a first engine having a first generator system and a second generator system;

a first set of electrical buses connected with the power distribution bus and associated with the first engine;

a second set of electrical buses configured to selectively connect with the power distribution bus, including at least an essential bus, and associated with a second engine; and

a share regulator configured to provide a set of share ratios values to the first generator system and the second generator system, and configured to receive an operational status of the second engine;

wherein, upon receipt of non-operational status of the second engine, the power distribution bus is configured to selectively disconnect the second set of electrical buses except for the essential bus, and the share regulator is configured to provide the set of share ratio values to the first generator system and second generator system selected to enabled the first and second generator systems to share allocation of power generation sufficient to energize the first set of electrical buses and the essential bus.

2. The electrical power system architecture of claim 1 wherein the share regulator is configured to provide a desired power signal to at least one of the first generator system or the second generator system.

3. The electrical power system architecture of claim 2 wherein the at least one of the first or the second generator systems are configured to alter a power output in accordance with the desired power signal.

4. The electrical power system architecture of claim 3 wherein the at least one of the first or the second generator systems are configured to operate in overload mode in response to the desired power signal.

5. The electrical power system architecture of claim 1 wherein the second engine includes a third generator system.

6. The electrical power system architecture of claim 5 wherein the third generator system includes a starter/generator.

7. The electrical power system architecture of claim 6 wherein, upon receipt of non-operational status of the second engine, the share regulator is configured to provide the set of share ratio values to the first generator system and the second generator system, wherein the share ratio values are selected to enabled the first and second generator systems to share allocation of power generation sufficient to energize the starting of the second engine by way of the starter/generator system.

8. The electrical power system architecture according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the first or the second generator systems are mechanically connected to a high pressure spool in the first engine.

9. The electrical power system architecture according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the first or the second generator systems are mechanically connected to a low pressure spool in the first engine.

10. A method for allocating power in an electrical power system architecture, comprising:

determining an operational status of a first engine system; and

in response to determining the first engine system is non-operational;

selectively disconnecting a first set of electrical loads associated with the first engine system from a power distribution bus except for a subset of essential electrical loads associated with the first engine system;

providing a set of share ratio values to a second operational engine system having at least a first generator and a second generator; and

operating the first and the second generators in accordance with the set of share ratio values such that the first and the second generators allocate a desired combined power output to the power distribution bus sufficient to energize a second set of electrical loads associated with the second engine system and the subset of essential electrical loads associated with the first engine system.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the providing includes providing a desired power signal corresponding to the desired combined power output.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the operating includes altering the power output of at least one of the first or the second generators such that the first and the second generators allocate the desired combined power output based on the desired power signal.

13. The method of claim 10, further including starting the non-operational first engine system having a starter/generator mechanically connected with the first engine system by selectively supplying a starting power from the power distribution bus to the starter/generator, and operating the starter/generator in a starting mode.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the operating includes operating the first and the second generators such that the first and the second generators allocate a desired combined power output to the power distribution bus sufficient to supply the starting power to the starter/generator and operating the starter/generator in the starting mode.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the method includes restarting a non-operational gas turbine on an aircraft during flight.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the providing includes providing a set of share ration values based on a flight phase of an aircraft having the first engine and the second engine.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein operating the first and the second generator include operating at least one of the first or second generators in overload mode.

18. A method for restarting a non-operational engine of a flying aircraft, the method comprising:

disabling a set of electrical loads associated with the non-operational engine from a power distribution bus except for a subset of essential electrical loads associated with the non-operational engine;

selectively allocating a combined power output between at least two generator systems driven by at least one operational engine of the flying aircraft; and

restarting the non-operational engine by way of a mechanically connected starter/generator supplied with at least a portion of the combined power output;

wherein the selectively allocating the combined power output is based at least on the summation of a first power demand for a set of electrical loads associated with the operational engine, a second power demand for the subset of essential electrical loads associated with the non-operational engine, and a third power demand for the restarting the non-operational engine.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the selectively allocating the combined power output includes providing at least one of a set of share ratio values or a desired power signal corresponds to a desired combined power output to the at least two generator systems.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the selectively allocating the combined power output is based upon the phase of flight of the aircraft.