Remote modular equipment center architecture

• US 9,533,636 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2013
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Brouwer, Todd B., Hasenoehrl, Thomas R
• Primary Examiner(s): AMAYA, CARLOS DAVID
• Application Number:
  US14/052,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20150102663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0238 Electrical distribution centers
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• 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

Abstract

A plurality of remote module equipment centers (RMECs) distributed throughout a vehicle to aggregate sensor and control information into localized areas of the vehicle. The RMECs provide power and bidirectional communications to vehicle subsystems thereby localizing the computing and networking functions close to the associated electrical components of the subsystem. In one or more configurations, the RMECs are utilized outside the pressure vessel of an aircraft to minimize the routing distance and size of the wire bundle passing through the pressure vessel.

Claims

1. A distributed power and communications system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a plurality of modular equipment centers (MECs) spatially distributed throughout the vehicle, each of the plurality of MECs providing electrical power and communication data for independently servicing equipment loads; and

a plurality of remote modular equipment centers (RMECs) distributed throughout the vehicle, wherein each RMEC of the plurality of RMECs is positioned and associated with a zone of one or more power and communication data elements in proximity of the RMEC, wherein each RMEC is configured to;

receive electrical power and communication data from a proximally closest MEC of the plurality of MECs,

distribute the received electrical power to and collect data from, the one or more power and communication data elements of the associated zone, and

route communications to a selected one of the plurality of MECs based on a time-sensitivity of the communications.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each MEC of the plurality of MECs:

independently receives primary power from one or more primary power sources, and

independently provides secondary electrical power to at least one of the plurality of RMECs to service equipment loads within the associated zone of the RMEC.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of RMECs communicate with one or more of the plurality of MECs distributed throughout the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of MECs comprises at least one primary MEC and at least one secondary MEC, and wherein time-sensitive communication data from one or more of the plurality of RMECs is routed to the primary MEC and other-than-time-sensitive communication data from one or more of the plurality of RMECs is routed to the secondary MEC.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft, and wherein at least one of the plurality of RMECs is housed within a line-replaceable unit (LRU) of the aircraft.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of RMECs and at least one of the power and communication data elements are included within a subsystem of the system, the subsystem being production-qualified prior to installation of the subsystem within the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of RMECs is positioned in a wheel well of the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a plurality of vehicle sections that are coupled together to define a vehicle body having one or more section breaks between adjacent vehicle sections, wherein the vehicle body defines one or more pressurized portions and one or more unpressurized portions, wherein at least one RMEC of the plurality of RMECs is positioned within the one or more unpressurized portions.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one other RMEC of the plurality of RMECs is positioned within the one or more pressurized portions of the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one other RMEC positioned within the one or more pressurized portions interfaces with one or more power and communication data elements of a passenger entry door subsystem.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one RMEC positioned within the one or more unpressurized portions communicate with one or more of the plurality of MECs that are disposed inside the one or more pressurized portions.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one RMEC positioned within the one or more unpressurized portions comprises a concentrator configured to combine data from multiple power and communication data elements in an associated zone in order to minimize a size of a penetration into the one or more pressurized portions.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein no direct power path and no direct data path exists between power and communication data elements outside of positioned within the one or more unpressurized portions and one or more MECs disposed inside the one or more pressurized portions due to the at least one RMEC.

14. An aircraft having a distributed power and communications system, the aircraft comprising:

a line-replaceable unit (LRU) housing a remote modular equipment center (RMEC), the LRU receiving secondary electrical power and communication data from a first modular equipment center (MEC) to service the RMEC, the LRU positioned within a zone of one or more power elements and one or more data elements in proximity of the LRU,

wherein the RMEC is configured to;

distribute the secondary electrical power to the one or more power elements and to collect data from the one or more data elements of the zone, and

selectively route communications to the first MEC based on a time-sensitivity of the communications.

15. The aircraft of claim 14, further comprising a second MEC, wherein the RMEC is configured to route time-sensitive communications to the first MEC and to route other-than-time-sensitive communications to the second MEC.

16. A method for providing power and data to remote power and data elements of a vehicle, the method comprising:

distributing primary power to a plurality of modular equipment centers (MECs) distributed throughout the vehicle;

distributing, to a remote modular equipment center (RMEC) disposed within the vehicle, secondary power from a proximally closest MEC of the plurality of MECs, the RMEC associated with one or more power and data elements in proximity of the RMEC; and

distributing the secondary power to the one or more power and data elements associated with the RMEC; and

routing communications from the RMEC to a selected one of the plurality of MECs based on a time-sensitivity of the communications.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the MEC providing secondary power from the RMEC is positioned in an unpressurized portion of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the RMEC and the one or more power and data elements are included within a subsystem of the vehicle, the subsystem being production-qualified prior to installation within the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of MECs comprises a primary MEC and a secondary MEC, wherein routing communications from the RMEC comprises:

routing time-sensitive communications from the RMEC to the primary MEC; and

routing other-than-time-sensitive communications from the RMEC to the secondary MEC.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

routing communications, using the RMEC, from outside a pressurized portion of the vehicle to inside of a pressurized portion of the vehicle.