Power regulating device for an aircraft

• US 8,403,258 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Arendt, Martin, Frahm, Lars, Westenberger, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US12/563,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20100071371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 244/53.R, 244/58, 244/60, 903/908
• US Class Current: 244/53.R
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/003 of fuel cells with other electrochemical devices, e.g. capacitors, electrolysers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/40 Combination of fuel cells with other energy production systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04082 Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04365 of other components of a fuel cell or fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0444 Concentration; Density H01M8/04492 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04619 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04626 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04805 of fuel cell exhausts
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2495 of fuel cells of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/30 The power source being a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A power regulator and a process regulator, or a power regulating device for regulating hybrid energy sources are provided for an aircraft. The power regulator and process regulator is equipped such that the requirement of a required means of a consumer is measurable. In this arrangement the power regulating device is equipped such that a first operating characteristic of a first energy source and a second operating characteristic of a second energy source are determinable. By means of the first energy source a first requirement share can be generated, and by means of the second energy source a second requirement share of the required means can be generated. The power regulating device can regulate the first energy source and the second energy source such that depending on the first operating characteristic and on the second operating characteristic the first requirement share and the second requirement share of the required means can be provided to the consumer.

Claims

1. An energy system for an aircraft, comprising:

a first energy source with a first operating characteristic;

a second energy source with a second operating characteristic;

a consumer that has a required means for the operation of the consumer; and

a power regulating device in communication with the first energy source and the second energy source to determine the first operating characteristic and the second operating characteristic, and the power regulating device measures a requirement of the required means of the consumer, controls the first energy source to generate a first requirement share of the required means based on the first operating characteristic and controls the second energy source to generate a second requirement share of the required means based on the second operating characteristic, with the first requirement share and the second requirement share making up the required means for the operation of the consumer,

wherein the first operating characteristic and the second operating characteristic change based on the flight phase of the aircraft.

2. The power regulating device of claim 1 wherein the power regulating device measures a second requirement for a second required means of a second consumer, and controls the first energy source and the second energy source depending on the first operating characteristic and on the second operating characteristic such that the second required means is provided to the second consumer.

3. The power regulating device of claim 2 wherein the power regulating device assigns a priority to the consumer and to the second consumer, and depending on the priority, the required means or second required means is supplied to the respective one of the consumer and the second consumer.

4. The power regulating device of claim 3, wherein the power regulating device assigns the priority based on flight safety aspects.

5. The power regulating device of claim 1, wherein the power regulating device is designed to control educts from one of the first energy source and the second energy source in order to control the first requirement share generated by the first energy source and the second requirement share generated by the second energy source.

6. The power regulating device of claim 1, wherein the required means is selected from a group comprising:

electrical power and an additional product; and

wherein the additional product is selected from the group comprising;

water, thermal energy and low-oxygen outgoing air.

7. The power regulating device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first energy source or the second energy source further comprises a fuel cell system.

8. The power regulating device of claim 7, wherein the fuel cell system further comprises a compressor that regulates an air supply or an oxygen supply of the fuel cell system and the power regulating device regulates the compressor.

9. The power regulating device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first energy source and of the second energy source further comprises an engine generator.

10. The power regulating device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first energy source and of the second energy source is further selected from a group comprising:

batteries, electrical direct-current generators, electrical alternating-current generators, storage batteries and solar cells.

11. The power regulating device of claim 2, wherein the consumer and second consumer are selected from a group comprising:

electrical direct-current systems, electrical alternating-current systems, water consumers, inerting systems and de-icing systems.

12. A method for regulating hybrid energy sources for an aircraft, comprising:

measuring the requirement of a required means of a consumer with a power regulating device;

determining a first operating characteristic of a first energy source and a second operating characteristic of a second energy source with the power regulating device;

generating a first requirement share of the required means with the first energy source and a second requirement share of the required means with the second energy source;

regulating the first energy source and the second energy source with the power regulating device such that depending on the first operating characteristic and on the second operating characteristic the first requirement share and the second requirement share of the required means are provided to the consumer; and

determining the first operating characteristic and the second operating characteristic depending on a flight phase of the aircraft with the power regulating device.

13. An energy system for an aircraft comprising:

a first energy source;

a second energy source;

a power regulating device that measures a requirement of a required means of a consumer and determines;

a first operating characteristic of the first energy source and a second operating characteristic of the second energy source depending on the actual flight phase of the aircraft and controls

the first energy source and the second energy source depending on the first operating characteristic and on the second operating characteristic such that the first requirement share and the second requirement share of the required means is provided to the consumer.

14. An energy system for an aircraft, comprising:

a fuel cell system with a first operating characteristic;

a second energy source with a second operating characteristic;

a first consumer that has a first electrical power requirement for the operation of the first consumer;

a second consumer that has a second electrical power requirement for the operation of the second consumer;

a power regulating device in communication with the fuel cell system and the second energy source to determine the first operating characteristic and the second operating characteristic, and the power regulating device measures the electrical power requirement of the first consumer and second consumer, controls the fuel cell system based on the first operating characteristic to generate a first requirement share of the first electrical power requirement and controls the second energy source based on the second operating characteristic to generate a second requirement share of the first electrical power requirement, with the first requirement share and the second requirement share being provided to the first consumer to supply the first consumer with the first electrical power requirement, and the power regulating device controls the fuel cell system based on the first operating characteristic to generate a third requirement share of the second electrical power requirement and controls the second energy source based on the second operating characteristic to generate a fourth requirement share of the second electrical power requirement, with the third requirement share and the fourth requirement share being provided to the second consumer to supply the second consumer with the second electrical power requirement,

wherein the power regulating device prioritizes the supply of the first electrical power requirement and second electrical power requirement based on a flight phase of the aircraft.