Configurable aircraft power system

• US 6,470,224 B1
• Filed: 10/01/1999
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Drake, Paul R., Mierow, Robert H., Doubek, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Von Buhr, Maria N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garland, Steven R.
• Application Number:
  US09/411,813
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 700/22, 700/286, 700/292-294, 700/297, 700/298, 361/2, 361/93.2, 361/100, 701/3, 701/35, 701/29, 307/29, 307/9.1, 307/38-40, 307/86, 710/8, 713/300, 713/310, 323/255, 323/340, 370/386
• US Class Current: 700/22
• 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: H02H 3/08 responsive to excess current responsive to abnormal temperature caused by excess current H02H5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts

Abstract

An aircraft power system includes a secondary power distribution assembly (SPDA), a programmable solid state power controller (SSPC) disposed within the SPDA and a non-volatile memory disposed within the SPDA and adapted to store configuration information for the programmable SSPC. The configuration information stored by the non-volatile memory may include the name and current rating of the SSPC and whether that SSPC is enabled or disabled.

Claims

1. An aircraft secondary power system, comprising:

a secondary power distribution assembly;

a programmable solid state power controller disposed within the secondary power distribution assembly; and

a non-volatile memory disposed within the secondary power distribution assembly and adapted to store configuration information for the programmable solid state power controller, wherein the configuration information comprises an indication that the programmable solid state controller is disabled.

2. The aircraft secondary power system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface adapted to allow a user to enable the programmable solid state power controller.

3. The aircraft secondary power system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface adapted to allow a user to disable the programmable solid state power controller.

4. An aircraft secondary power system, comprising:

a secondary power distribution assembly;

a programmable solid state power controller disposed within the secondary power distribution assembly;

a multifunction control and display unit communicatively coupled to the secondary power distribution assembly and adapted to receive configuration information for the programmable solid state power controller from a user; and

a non-volatile memory disposed within the secondary power distribution assembly and adapted to store the configuration information, wherein the configuration information comprises an indication that the programmable solid state power controller should be disabled.