Energy buffer device for an aircraft

• US 8,368,244 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Wisch, Bodo, Rowold, Lars
• Primary Examiner(s): Amrany, Adi
• Application Number:
  US11/813,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20080143186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,575 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices

Abstract

An energy buffer device supplies energy to a consumer in an aircraft, and an electrical system for an aircraft. In one example, the device includes an energy feed device, an energy storage device and an energy supply device. The energy supply device may have line with a larger cross-sectional area than a corresponding line of the energy feed device. With the use of an energy buffer device, power may be switched on only for a short period of time. In addition, in case of a voltage breakdown in an on-board network, energy may be stored in an energy storage device. Supply of energy may thus occur over a short time at correspondingly high power, without placing a load on an on-board network or a generator.

Claims

1. An electrical system for a passenger aircraft, comprising:

an energy storage device coupled to a charge-electronics module, the charge electronics module being coupled to a generator of electricity, the energy storage device being coupled to the charge-electronics module by an energy feed line system comprising a first cross sectional area and a first length;

a consumer of electrical energy coupled with the energy storage device by an energy supply line system having a second cross sectional area and a second length;

wherein the energy storage device is arranged between the consumer and the generator,

wherein the energy storage device decouples the consumer, such that all the power required for the consumer is drawn from the energy storage device and operation of the consumer does not directly place a load on the generator;

wherein the second cross sectional area is greater than the first cross sectional area and the second length is shorter than the first length; and

wherein the storage device provides a common voltage both to the energy feed line system and to the energy supply line system; and

the charge-electronics module controls the power that is fed to the energy storage device via the energy feed line system.

2. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the energy storage device is designed such that energy provided to the consumer is capable of being drawn independently in time from the generator to the energy storage device for charging the energy storage device.

3. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the energy storage device has low electrical resistance of 0.001 to 0.002 Ohms.

4. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the energy storage device is a capacitor.

5. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the energy feed line system and the energy supply line system are designed and arranged to take into consideration statistical parameters of electrical feed and pickup.

6. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein the supply line system connects a plurality of discrete lift drives to a single energy storage device isolated from the generator by the charge electronics module during operation of the plurality of discrete lift drives.

7. The electrical system of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional storage device, wherein the feed line system connects the energy storage device and the at least one additional storage device to the generator.

8. The electrical system of claim 7, wherein the feed line system comprises a junction, such that the energy storage device and the at least one additional storage device are coupled to the charge-electronics module and the charge-electronics module is coupled to the generator via a single line.

9. The electrical system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of discrete lift drives are connected by the supply line system and the supply line system comprises a fewest possible number of second lines for directing electrical energy to each of a plurality of discrete lift drives.