Apparatus for generating power from a turbine engine

• US 8,492,920 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2013
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Huang, Hao, Jia, Xiaochuan, Karipides, David Dimitri
• Primary Examiner(s): Ponomarenko, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US13/769,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20130154359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 154 Days
• Field of Search: 290/52, 290/7, 322/89, 322/100
• US Class Current: 290/52
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 25/22 Multiple windings; Windings for more than three phases
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/00 Arrangements for controlling electric generators for the purpose of obtaining a desired output

Abstract

An electrical architecture for an aircraft providing power for the aircraft by generating power from a high pressure spool and a low pressure spool of a turbine engine. The spools can be used to drive corresponding generators; the power from which can be used to supply the various loads of the aircraft.

Claims

1. An electrical architecture for a turbine engine having a high pressure (HP) spool and a low pressure (LP) spool comprising:

a first generator driven by the HP spool and providing a first DC output;

a second generator driven by the LP spool and providing a second DC output;

a first DC bus connected to the first DC output;

a second DC bus connected to the second DC output; and

wherein the first and second DC buses are selectively connected.

2. The electrical architecture of claim 1 further comprising an accessory gearbox connecting the HP spool to the first generator.

3. The electrical architecture of claim 2 further comprising a constant speed device connecting the HP spool to the first generator.

4. The electrical architecture of claim 1 further comprising an AC output integrated with at least one of the first generator and the second generator.

5. The electrical architecture of claim 4 further comprising an AC bus connected to the AC output.

6. The electrical architecture of claim 5 further comprising a plurality of DC loads connected to at least one of the first and second DC buses and a plurality of AC loads connected to the AC bus.

7. The electrical architecture of claim 6 further comprising a first plurality of DC loads connected to the first DC bus and a second plurality of DC loads connected to the second DC bus, wherein the first and second DC buses are selectively coupled to provide load balancing for the first and second plurality of loads.

8. The electrical architecture of claim 7 further comprising an auxiliary power unit providing a third DC output, which is selectively connected to at least one of the first and second DC buses.

9. The electrical architecture of claim 8 further comprising an external power source providing a fourth DC output, which is selectively connected to at least one of the first and second DC buses.

10. The electrical architecture of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of DC loads connected to at least one of the first and second DC buses.

11. The electrical architecture of claim 10 further comprising a first plurality of DC loads connected to the first DC bus and a second plurality of DC loads connected to the second DC bus, wherein the first and second DC buses are selectively coupled to provide load balancing for the first and second plurality of loads.

12. The electrical architecture of claim 1 further comprising an auxiliary power unit providing a third DC output, which is selectively connected to at least one of the first and second DC buses.

13. The electrical architecture of claim 1 further comprising an external power source providing a third DC output, which is selectively connected to at least one of the first and second DC buses.

14. The electrical architecture of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second generators comprises an integrated rectifier to output the corresponding first and second DC output.

15. The electrical architecture of claim 14 wherein both the first and second generators comprise an integrated rectifier to output the corresponding first and second DC outputs.