Remote device control and power supply

• US 9,561,764 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2015
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerovironment
• Original Assignee: Aerovironment
• Inventors: Sechrist, William Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, TOAN T
• Application Number:
  US14/829,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20160167606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/08 Three-wire systems; Systems having more than three wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/082 Plural DC voltage, e.g. DC supply voltage with at least two different DC voltage levels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts

Abstract

An actuator controller with a power supply that steps down a high voltage for use by remote auxiliary loads in an aircraft is provided. A high voltage power bus running through the aircraft may use high gage or smaller diameter wiring, resulting in weight savings in the power bus. A control network running through the aircraft may use fiber optic cabling, providing further weight reductions. An actuator controller may receive the high voltage from the power bus and provide a lower voltage to a remote device. The actuator controller may facilitate communication between the control network and the remote device. The integration of control and power supply may enhance endurance, reliability, and enable localized calibration of the remote device. Modular wing components may include interface controllers, high and low power busswork, and remote devices. The modular wing components may include power and control interconnections.

Claims

1. A system for supplying power to a remote auxiliary load located in an aircraft,

a power plant configured to place a high voltage onto a high gage wire;

an actuator interface controller comprising a power supply, the power supply being interconnected with the high gage wire and a low gage wire, the high gage wire being of higher gage wiring than the low gage wire, where the high gage wire acts as a high voltage power bus and provides the high voltage to the power supply;

the power supply being configured to step down the high voltage received to a first low voltage that is lower than the high voltage on the high voltage power bus, and to place the first low voltage onto the low gage wire that acts as a low voltage power bus;

the low voltage power bus is interconnected with a remote auxiliary load and provides the first low voltage to the remote auxiliary load;

a local processor located in the actuator interface controller, the local processor being interconnected with a control network via an optic fiber interface;

where the actuator interface controller is electrically interchangeable with other actuator interface controllers, and the local processor of the actuator interface controller includes mission specific software that facilitates control of the remote auxiliary load, such that depending on a particular mission, one actuator interface controller with a first mission specific software may be physically replaced by a second actuator interface controller with a second mission specific software; and

where the power supply is configured to provide a second low voltage to the local processor.

2. The system of claim 1, where the local processor of the actuator interface controller includes a memory with embedded software that facilitates remote calibration of the remote auxiliary load, the remote calibration being directed by the local processor in accordance with the embedded software.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a signal conditioner located in the actuator interface controller, the signal conditioner being interconnected with the remote auxiliary load, and where the actuator interface controller is configured to control the operation of the remote auxiliary load via the local processor directing the signal conditioner to send control signals to the remote auxiliary load.

4. The system of claim 1, where the actuator interface controller, the remote auxiliary load, and the low gage wire are positioned in a modular wing tip configured to interconnect with an adjoining wing component that provides a connection to the high gage wire.

5. The system of claim 1, where the local processor is configured to continuously run check health routines, and upon detection of a fault due to an external event, to automatically reboot the actuator interface controller.

6. The system of claim 5, where the local processor is further configured to transmit warning alarm signals to the control network in response to detecting the fault.

7. A system for supplying power to a remote device located in an aircraft, the system comprising:

a power plant configured to place a high voltage onto a high voltage power bus;

an actuator interface controller interconnected with the high voltage power bus

and having a power supply, the power supply configured to reduce the high voltage received from the high voltage power bus to a low voltage that is lower than the high voltage on the high voltage power bus, and to place the low voltage onto a low voltage power bus exiting the actuator interface controller; and

a remote device interconnected with the low voltage power bus and being powered from the low voltage carried by the low voltage power bus;

where the actuator interface controller comprises a local processor that is configured to (1) direct the operation of the remote device and (2) automatically reboot itself upon detecting an event that disrupts normal operation, and

where power reaches the remote device being located in a wing by traversing a

first distance over the high voltage power bus that is greater than a second distance over which the power traverses the low voltage power bus.

8. The system of claim 7, where the actuator interface controller, the remote device, and the low voltage power bus are positioned in a modular wing tip configured to interconnect with an adjoining wing component that provides a connection to the high voltage power bus.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the actuator interface controller further comprises:

a signal conditioner configured to send control signals to, and receive feedback signals from, the remote device, and

where the local processor is interconnected with a control network via a fiber optic interface.

10. The system of claim 9, where the local processor is configured to continuously run check health routines to detect a fault event that disrupts normal operation and to transmit warning alarm signals to the control network in response to detecting the fault.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the local processor is further configured to wirelessly transmit to and receive data from a control network.

12. A method of controlling and supplying power to a remote device located in an aircraft, the method comprising:

providing an interface controller that is interchangeable with other interface controllers;

interconnecting the interface controller with a power plant located in a fuselage of the aircraft and with a remote device located at a remote location of the aircraft, where a distance between the interface controller and the power plant is greater than that between the interface controller and the remote device;

providing a local processor on the interface controller, the local processor configured to control the remote device and relay feedback from the remote device to a control network of the aircraft;

loading a mission specific interface controller with a mission specific package of software associated with directing the remote device to perform a mission specific operation; and

replacing the interface controller with the mission specific interface controller, wherein the mission specific interface controller is configured to locally calibrate the remote device such that the remote device is calibrated for use with the mission specific interface controller without the need to re-calibrate one or more other remote devices located in a wing of the aircraft that are interconnected with other interface controllers that have not been replaced,

where the interface controller is interconnected with the power plant with a high gage wire and is interconnected with the remote device with a low gage wire.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

rebooting the local processor on the interface controller automatically if a fault associated with the interface controller is detected.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

continuously run check health routines by the local processor to detect a fault event that disrupts normal operation and to transmit warning alarm signals to the control network in response to detecting the fault.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing a fiber optic interface for communication between the local processor on the interface controller with the control network of the aircraft.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing the interface controller, the remote device, and the low gage wiring in a modular wing tip configured to interconnect with an adjoining wing component that provides a connection to the high gage wiring.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

locally calibrating an individual remote device via calibration routines and data embedded on the interface controller.