POWER DISTRIBUTION ARCHITECTURE FOR AIRCRAFT

• US 20110037315A1
• Filed: 04/01/2010
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Beutel, Michael, Maier, Josef
• Granted Patent: US 8,890,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/00 Installations of electric cables or lines or protective tubing therefor in or on buildings, equivalent structures or vehicles installations of bus-bars H02G5/00; overhead installations H02G7/00; installations in or on the ground H02G9/00

Abstract

An aircraft power distribution architecture includes a power rail extending generally along the length of an aircraft for receiving power from a generator, and for distributing power through plug-in modules located along the length of the power rail.

Claims

1. An aircraft power distribution architecture comprising:

a power rail, said power rail extending generally along the length of an aircraft and receiving power from a generator, for distributing power through a plurality of plug-in modules located along the length of the power rail.

2. The architecture as set forth in claim 1, wherein the generator includes a primary generator associated with a gas turbine engine connected into the power rail, and an APU generator also connected into the power rail.

3. The architecture as set forth in claim 2, wherein an external power source may also communicate power into the power rail.

4. The architecture as set forth in claim 1, wherein some of said plurality of plug-in modules allow the connection of a plurality of components to the power rail.

5. The architecture as set forth in claim 4, wherein the plug-in modules may receive a secondary power distribution module, and control elements may be associated with the plug-in module.

6. The architecture as set forth in claim 5, wherein said control elements may include a transformer rectifier unit.

7. The architecture as set forth in claim 6, wherein said control elements include a generator control unit.

8. The architecture as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plug-in modules include solid state power control modules.