Fault tolerant starting/generating system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A power conversion system, comprising:
- first and second prime movers;
first and second pairs of generators coupled to the first and second prime movers, respectively;
a load bus;
a power source; and
a power converter interconnecting the generators, the load bus and the power source and operable in a starting mode of operation such that power from the power source is conditioned and supplied to one of the generators of the first pair of generators to cause the one generator to operate as a motor and start the first prime mover and the power converter being subsequently operable to provide power from the one generator to a generator of the second pair of generators to cause such generator to operate as a motor and thereby start the second prime mover.
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Abstract
A power conversion system allows for redundant starting and generating functions together with fault tolerant operation through the multiple use of power conversion equipment.
104 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A power conversion system, comprising:
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first and second prime movers; first and second pairs of generators coupled to the first and second prime movers, respectively; a load bus; a power source; and a power converter interconnecting the generators, the load bus and the power source and operable in a starting mode of operation such that power from the power source is conditioned and supplied to one of the generators of the first pair of generators to cause the one generator to operate as a motor and start the first prime mover and the power converter being subsequently operable to provide power from the one generator to a generator of the second pair of generators to cause such generator to operate as a motor and thereby start the second prime mover. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A power conversion system for an aircraft, comprising:
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first and second aircraft engines; an auxiliary power unit (APU); first and second pairs of generators coupled to the first and second aircraft engines, respectively, and a third pair of generators coupled to the APU; a first load bus coupled to an electrically driven hydraulic pump; a second, variable frequency bus; a first switch matrix coupled to the generators; first through sixth power converter units coupled to the first switch matrix; a second switch matrix coupled between the first through sixth power converter units and the load buses; and a control operable in a starting mode to cause at least one of the power converter units to provide conditioned power to at least one of the generators to cause the at least one generator to operate as a motor and start the APU or the aircraft engine coupled thereto and subsequently operable to cause the at least one of the power converter units to provide power selectively to each of the remaining generators to cause the remaining generators to operate as motors and thereby start the APU and/or aircraft engines coupled thereto and further operable in a generating mode to provide power developed by one or more of the generators to the load buses. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A power conversion system for an aircraft having first and second pairs of generators coupled to first and second aircraft engines, respectively, and a third pair of generators coupled to an auxiliary power unit (APU) wherein the aircraft further includes a first set of load buses coupled to electrically driven hydraulic pumps, a second set of load buses coupled to variable frequency loads and a DC bus coupled to DC loads, comprising:
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a first switch matrix coupled to the generators; identical first through sixth power converter units coupled to the first switch matrix; a second switch matrix coupled between the first through sixth power converter units and the first and second sets of load buses; and a control for controlling the first and second switch matrices and the power converter units and operable in a starting mode to cause at least one of the power converter units to provide conditioned power to one of the generators to cause the one generator to operate as a motor and start the APU or the aircraft engine coupled thereto and subsequently operable to cause the at least one of the power converter units to provide power developed by the one generator selectively to each of the remaining generators to cause the remaining generators to operate as motors and thereby start the APU and/or aircraft engines coupled thereto and further operable in a generating mode to provide conditioned AC power to the first set of load buses, variable frequency AC power to the second set of load buses and DC power to the DC bus; wherein each power converter unit comprises a rectifier circuit coupled between the first switch matrix and a DC link and an inverter coupled between the DC link and the second switch matrix. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification