Device and method for transmitting and providing the power of capacitive actuators

• US 7,579,715 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2003
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Helicopters Deutschland Gmbh (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Eurocopter Deutschland Gesellschaft Mit Beschrã¤Nkter Haftung (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Inventors: Reiners, Dieter, Luther, Juergen, Seelig, Anton
• Primary Examiner(s): Paladini; Albert W
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAPLAN, HAL IRA
• Application Number:
  US10/542,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20060267523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,082 Days
• Field of Search: 307/75, 307/89, 307/123, 244/7.A
• US Class Current: 307/75
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33592 having a synchronous rectifier circuit or a synchronous freewheeling circuit at the secondary side of an isolation transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/065 Large signal circuits, e.g. final stages
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A device for contactless electrical power transmission in a system including at least one stationary and one moving part, power being transmitted between the at least one stationary part and the at least one moving part includes an inductive transformer including a primary winding disposed on the stationary part and a secondary winding disposed on the moving part, the inductive transformer bridging an isolating point between the stationary part and the moving part. The device also includes a frequency generator having a series-resonant circuit capacitor connected to the primary winding and at least one actuator control element connected to the secondary winding and including a matrix arrangement of a plurality of switchable power semiconductors. At least portions of the inductive transformer, frequency generator and at least one actuator control element are disposed in an area of a rotor shaft and a rotor head of a rotary-wing aircraft.

Claims

1. A device for contactless electrical power transmission in a rotary-wing aircraft system including a stationary portion of a rotor shaft bearing of a rotary-wing aircraft and a rotor shaft of the rotary-wing aircraft, power being transmitted between the stationary portion of the rotor shaft bearing of the rotary-wing aircraft and the rotor shaft of the rotary-wing aircraft, the device comprising:

an inductive transformer including a primary winding disposed on the stationary portion of the rotor shaft bearing of the rotary-wing aircraft and a secondary winding disposed on the rotor shaft of the rotary-wing aircraft, the inductive transformer bridging an isolating point between the stationary portion of the rotor shaft bearing of the rotary-wing aircraft and the rotor shaft of the rotary-wing aircraft;

a frequency generator having a series-resonant circuit capacitor connected to the primary winding; and

at least one capacitive actuator disposed in operative connection with at least one actuator control element,

the at least one actuator control element being connected to the secondary winding and including a matrix arrangement of a plurality of switchable power semiconductors, wherein at least portions of the inductive transformer, frequency generator and at least one actuator control element are disposed in an area of the rotor shaft and a rotor head of the rotary-wing aircraft,

the at least one actuator control element including a plurality of generating devices, a regulator, and a controller,

the controller being configured to impress positive and negative half-waves or half-wave segments of a high-frequency alternating current into the actuator,

the regulator being connected to the controller so as to form difference sized half-wave segments of a current using a magnitude signal as a function of a magnitude of a difference between a setpoint actuator voltage and an actual actuator voltage, and so as to control the power semiconductors using a polarity signal as a function of a polarity sign of the difference between the setpoint actuator voltage and the actual actuator voltage, in such a way that, when the polarity sign of the difference is negative, a successive charge or power is withdrawn from the actuator from one half-wave to the next and, when the polarity sign of the difference is positive, a successive charge or power is supplied to the actuator from one half-wave to a next half-wave,

the controller being connected to the generating devices so as to generate switching grid signals of a switching grid synchronized with the alternating current, and the controller being connected to the regulator so as to supply the polarity signal so as to set a direction of the shift and a magnitude signal so as to set a magnitude of the shift, the controller including;

a logic device configured to form switching signals of an initial position of pairs of the switchable semiconductors connected in series using the switching grid signals, and

a shift advance device configured to advance switching of a switch pair by a shift relative to the initial position during a rectifier operation and the controller includes a shift lag device configured to subtract switching-of the switch pair by the shift relative to the initial position during an inverter operation.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one capacitive actuator is disposed in at least one rotor blade of the rotary-wing aircraft.

3. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein:

a) the plurality of switchable power semiconductors include unipolar switchable power semiconductors configured to form an output voltage of the actuator control element with only one polarity of at least one output conductor; and

b) the unipolar switchable power semiconductors are disposed in direction relative to the only one polarity of the output voltage and are configured to take up the output voltage as blockage voltage and to switch the current from a positive one of at least one output conductor to an alternating current input.

4. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of switchable power semiconductors include bipolar switchable power semiconductors configured to form an output voltage of the actuator control element with alternating polarity of output conductors, the bipolar semiconductors selectively blocking positive or negative voltages and switching currents in both conduction directions.

5. The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising an azimuth sensor disposed on the rotor shaft and having an output connected to the actuator control element.

6. The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

an aerodynamically active-device actuated by a capacitive actuator and having an output connected to the capacitive actuator; and

at least one sensor disposed in an area of a rotor blade and configured to detect a position of the aerodynamically effective device.

7. The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising electrical controls and wherein the actuator control element and the electrical controls are disposed in the rotor head and are connected to the inductive transformer via lines disposed in the rotor shaft.

8. A method to provide power of at least one capacitive actuator wherein the at least one actuator is arranged on a moving part system that is separated from a stationary system by an isolating point, the method comprising:

generating a high-frequency alternating current from a direct voltage using a frequency generator disposed in the stationary system, the high-frequency alternating current having an amplitude independent of a phase angle and of an amplitude of a reverse voltage;

transmitting the alternating current from a primary winding of an inductive transformer that bridges the isolating point; and

separating the alternating current coming from a secondary winding of the inductive transformer in the moving part system into positive and negative half-waves or segments of these half-waves and always impressing the alternating current into the at least one actuator using an electronic control element in a direction such that a length change of the actuator occurs in a desired direction in each half-wave,

the electronic control element including a plurality of switchable power semiconductors, a plurality of generating devices, a regulator, and a controller,

the controller being configured to impress positive and negative half-waves or half-wave segments of a high-frequency alternating current into the actuator,

the regulator being connected to the controller so as to form difference sized half-wave segments of a current using a magnitude signal as a function of a magnitude of a difference between a setpoint actuator voltage and an actual actuator voltage, and so as to control the power semiconductors using a polarity signal as a function of a polarity sign of the difference between the setpoint actuator voltage and the actual actuator voltage, in such a way that, when the polarity sign of the difference is negative, a successive charge or power is withdrawn from the actuator from one half-wave to the next and, when the polarity sign of the difference is positive, a successive charge or power is supplied to the actuator from one half-wave to a next half-wave,

the controller being connected to the generating devices so as to generate switching grid signals of a switching grid synchronized with the alternating current, and the controller being connected to the regulator so as to supply the polarity signal so as to set a direction of the shift and a magnitude signal so as to set a magnitude of the shift, the controller including;

a logic device configured to form switching signals of an initial position of pairs of the switchable semiconductors connected in series using the switching grid signals, and

a shift advance device configured to advance switching of a switch pair by a shift relative to the initial position during a rectifier operation and the controller includes a shift lag device configured to subtract switching-of the switch pair by the shift relative to the initial position during an inverter operation.

9. A method to provide power of at least one capacitive actuator, the method comprising:

generating a high-frequency alternating current from a direct voltage using a frequency generator, the high-frequency alternating current having an amplitude independent of a phase angle and of an amplitude of a reverse voltage;

separating the high-frequency alternating current into positive and negative half-waves or segments of these half-waves; and

always impressing the high-frequency alternating current into the actuator using an electronic control element in such a direction that a length change of the actuator occurs in a desired direction in each half-waves,

the electronic control element including a plurality of switchable power semiconductors, a plurality of generating devices, a regulator, and a controller,

the controller being configured to impress positive and negative half-waves or half-wave segments of a high-frequency alternating current into the actuator,

the regulator being connected to the controller so as to form difference sized half-wave segments of a current using a magnitude signal as a function of a magnitude of a difference between a setpoint actuator voltage and an actual actuator voltage, and so as to control the power semiconductors using apolarity signal as a function of a polarity sign of the difference between the setpoint actuator voltage and the actual actuator voltage, in such a way that, when the polarity sign of the difference is negative, a successive charge or power is withdrawn from the actuator from one half-wave to the next and, when the polarity sign of the difference is positive, a successive charge or power is supplied to the actuator from one half-wave to a next half-wave,

the controller being connected to the generating devices so as to generate switching grid signals of a switching grid synchronized with the alternating current, and the controller being connected to the regulator so as to supply the polarity signal so as to set a direction of the shift and a magnitude signal so as to set a magnitude of the shift, the controller including;

a logic device configured to form switching signals of an initial position of pairs of the switchable semiconductors connected in series using the switching grid signals, and

a shift advance device configured to advance switching of a switch pair by a shift relative to the initial position during a rectifier operation and the controller includes a shift lag device configured to subtract switching-of the switch pair by the shift relative to the initial position during an inverter operation.