Integrated electrical power extraction for aircraft engines

• US 7,468,561 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Issued: 12/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kern, John Michael, Wiegman, Herman Lucas Norbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Waks; Joseph
• Application Number:
  US11/729,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20080238202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 290/4.A
• US Class Current: 290/4.00A
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2101/30 for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/302 Brushless excitation

Abstract

An aircraft power system includes an aircraft engine having a plurality of engine spools, a plurality of AC generators driven by at least one spool, wherein each AC generator is independently operational to supply AC power to a respective AC power bus or a respective power electronics module, and at least one generator driven by a different engine spool, wherein the at least one generator is operational to supply additional AC power to each AC power bus in synchronization with each respective AC generator, or to supply additional AC power to each power electronics module in parallel with the AC power delivered to each power electronics module by the plurality of AC generators. The power electronics module(s) are operational to selectively provide either AC or DC power to desired distribution buses. Each AC generator and the at least one generator may be responsive to commands from an electrical power extraction (EPX) controller. At least one generator may be directly driven to provide variable frequency power.

Claims

1. An aircraft power system comprising:

an aircraft engine comprising a plurality of engine spools;

a plurality of AC bus generators driven by at least one engine spool, wherein each AC bus generator is independently operational to supply AC power to a respective AC power bus; and

at least one generator driven by a different engine spool, wherein the at least one generator is operational to supply AC power to each AC power bus in synchronization with each respective AC bus generator.

2. The aircraft power system according to claim 1, wherein at least one generator comprises a directly driven generator.

3. The aircraft power system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one generator is disposed within the aircraft engine.

4. The aircraft power system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of AC bus generators and the at least one generator are disposed within the aircraft engine.

5. The aircraft power system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one generator is disposed external to the aircraft engine.

6. The aircraft power system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of AC bus generators and the at least one generator are disposed external to the aircraft engine.

7. The aircraft power system according to claim 1, further comprising an electrical power extraction (EPX) controller operational to adjust power output associated with the at least one generator and the plurality of AC bus generators in accordance with a high level decision to optimize desired aircraft parameters.

8. The aircraft power system according to claim 7, wherein the desired aircraft parameters are selected from fuel burn, and engine operating stability margins.

9. The aircraft power system according to claim 7, further comprising a power electronics system associated with each AC power bus, wherein each power electronics system is operational to adjust load sharing between the plurality of AC bus generators and the at least one generator.

10. The aircraft power system according to claim 9, wherein each power electronics system is operational to adjust load sharing via modification of a desired operating parameter of the at least one generator relative to at least one AC bus generator.

11. The aircraft power system according to claim 10, wherein the desired operating parameter is selected from a power angle and a voltage droop.

12. The aircraft power system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an aircraft engine controller; and

an electrical power extraction (EPX) controller in communication with the aircraft engine controller, the aircraft engine controller and EPX controller together operational to control operation of the at least one generator to pick-up or shed loads supplied by the plurality of AC bus generators.

13. The aircraft power system according to claim 12, further comprising a power electronics system associated with each AC power bus, wherein each power electronics system is operational to adjust load sharing between the plurality of AC bus generators and the at least one generator.

14. The aircraft power system according to claim 13, wherein each power electronics system is operational to adjust load sharing via modification of a power angle of the at least one generator relative to at least one AC bus generator.

15. The aircraft power system according to claim 12, wherein the engine controller is a full authority digital engine controller (FADEC).

16. The aircraft power system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an aircraft engine controller; and

an electrical power extraction (EPX) controller in communication with the aircraft engine controller, the aircraft engine controller and EPX controller together operational to selectively control loading of the plurality of spools.

17. The aircraft power system according to claim 16, wherein the engine controller is a full authority digital engine controller (FADEC).

18. The aircraft power system according to claim 1, wherein each AC power bus is a wild-frequency or a constant-frequency AC power bus.

19. An aircraft power system comprising:

an aircraft engine;

a plurality of AC generators driven by the aircraft engine, wherein each AC generator is independently operational to supply AC power to a desired power electronics module in response to commands from an electrical power extraction (EPX) controller; and

at least one generator driven by the aircraft engine, wherein the at least one generator is operational to selectively supply additional AC power to each desired power electronics module in parallel with each respective AC generator in response to commands from the EPX controller.

20. The aircraft power system according to claim 19, wherein each power electronics module is configured to provide DC power to a respective power distribution bus.

21. The aircraft power system according to claim 19, wherein at least one generator is a directly driven generator.

22. An aircraft power system comprising:

an aircraft engine comprising a plurality of engine spools;

a plurality of AC bus generators driven by at least one engine spool, wherein each AC bus generator is independently operational to supply AC power to a respective power electronics module; and

at least one generator driven by a different engine spool, wherein the at least one generator is operational to supply additional AC power to each power electronics module in parallel with each respective AC generator.

23. The aircraft power system according to claim 22, wherein each power electronics module is configured to provide DC power to a respective power distribution bus.

24. The aircraft power system according to claim 22, wherein at least one generator is a directly driven generator.

25. The aircraft power system according to claim 22, wherein the at least one generator is disposed within the aircraft engine.

26. The aircraft power system according to claim 22, wherein the plurality of AC bus generators and the at least one generator are disposed within the aircraft engine.

27. The aircraft power system according to claim 22, wherein the at least one generator is disposed external to the aircraft engine.

28. The aircraft power system according to claim 22, wherein the plurality of AC bus generators and the at least one generator are disposed external to the aircraft engine.

29. The aircraft power system according to claim 22, further comprising an electrical power extraction (EPX) controller operational to adjust power output associated with the at least one generator and the plurality of AC bus generators in accordance with a high level decision to optimize desired aircraft parameters.

30. The aircraft power system according to claim 29, wherein the desired aircraft parameters are selected from fuel burn, and engine operating stability margins.