Selectively regulating current in distributed propulsion systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10640225-B2
Application number	US-201715784582-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2017
Priority date	Jul 10, 2017
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

A distributed propulsion system includes a first propulsor and a second propulsor, a first generator configured to generate a first AC current, and a second generator configured to generate a second AC current. The system includes a power regulation circuit. The power regulation circuit includes a first current path that includes a first power electronics circuit, a second current path that includes a second power electronics circuit, a third current path that bypasses the first and second power electronics circuits, and a fourth current path that bypasses the first and second power electronics circuits. The power regulation circuit also includes a plurality of switches configured to selectively couple each respective input to a respective selected output to cause a respective current to flow from the respective input to the respective selected output via one of the first current path, second current path, third current path, or fourth current path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A distributed propulsion system, comprising:
a first propulsor and a second propulsor;
a first generator configured to generate a first AC current;
a second generator configured to generate a second AC current; and
a power regulation circuit electrically coupled to the first propulsor via a first output, the second propulsor via a second output, the first generator via a first input, and the second generator via a second input, wherein the power regulation circuit comprises:
a first current path comprising a first power electronics circuit,
a second current path comprising a second power electronics circuit,
a third current path that bypasses the first and second power electronics circuits,
a fourth current path that bypasses the first and second power electronics circuits, and
a plurality of switches configured to selectively couple each respective input to a respective selected output to cause a respective current to flow from the respective input to the respective selected output via one of the first current path, the second current path, the third current path, or the fourth current path, the plurality of switches including a first switch and a second switch, and

control circuitry configured to:
cause the first AC current to flow through the first current path by at least opening the first switch;
cause the second AC current to flow through the second current path by at least opening the second switch;
cause the first AC current to flow through the third current path by at least closing the first switch; and
cause the second AC current to flow through the fourth current path by at least closing the second switch.

2. The distributed propulsion system of claim 1 ,
wherein the first power electronics circuit comprises a first rectifier electrically coupled to a first inverter, and
wherein the second power electronics circuit comprises a second rectifier electrically coupled to a second inverter.

3. The distributed propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
open the first switch to cause the first AC current to flow through the first power electronics circuit of the first current path; and
control the first power electronics circuit to reduce a frequency of the first AC current to cause rotation of the first propulsor to slow.

4. The distributed propulsion system of claim 3 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
in response to determining that a rotational speed of the first propulsor is less than or equal to a threshold speed:
open the second switch to cause the second AC current to flow through the second power electronics circuit of the second current path,
control the second power electronics circuit to reduce a frequency of the second AC current to cause rotation of the second propulsor to slow.

5. The distributed propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
open the first switch to cause the first AC current to flow through the first power electronics circuit of the first current path; and
control the first power electronics circuit to increase a frequency of the first AC current to cause rotation of the first propulsor to quicken.

6. The distributed propulsion system of claim 5 , wherein increasing the frequency of the first AC current causes the rotation of the first propulsor to increase from a first speed to a second speed, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
open the second switch to cause the second AC current to flow through the second power electronics circuit of the second current path to increase a frequency of the second AC current to be equal to the frequency of the first AC current, such that a rotational speed of the second propulsor is equal to a rotational speed of the first propulsor.

7. The distributed propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of switches includes a third switch;
in normal operation, the third switch is open, the first generator is electrically coupled to the first propulsor via one of the first current path or third current path and the second generator is electrically coupled to the second propulsor via one of the second current path or fourth current path;
the control circuitry is configured to:
determine whether a fault condition exists in the second generator or a connecting component; and
in response to determining that fault condition is present, close the third switch to electrically couple the first generator to the second propulsor via one of the first, second, third, or fourth current paths.

8. The distributed propulsion system of claim 7 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to close the third switch to couple the first generator to the second propulsor via one of the first or second current paths.

9. The distributed propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the power regulation circuit is a first power regulation circuit and the plurality of switches are a first plurality of switches, the system further comprising:
a third propulsor and a fourth propulsor; and
a second power regulation circuit electrically coupled to the third propulsor via a third output, the fourth propulsor via a fourth output, the first generator via a third input, and the second generator via a fourth input, wherein the second power regulation circuit comprises:
a fifth current path comprising a third power electronics circuit,
a sixth current path comprising a fourth power electronics circuit,
a seventh current path that bypasses the third and fourth power electronics circuits,
an eighth current path that bypasses the third and fourth power electronics circuits, and
a second plurality of switches configured to selectively couple each respective input to a respective selected output to cause a respective current to flow from the respective input to the respective selected output via one of the fifth current path, the sixth current path, the seventh current path, or the eighth current path, the second plurality of switches including a third switch and a fourth switch, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
cause the first AC current to flow through the fifth current path by at least opening the third switch;
cause the first AC current to flow through the seventh current path by at least closing the third switch;
cause the second AC current to flow through the sixth current path by at least opening the fourth switch; and
cause the second AC current to flow through the eighth current path by at least closing the fourth switch.

10. The distributed propulsion system of claim 9 ,
wherein the third power electronics circuit comprises a third rectifier electrically coupled to a third inverter, and
wherein the fourth power electronics circuit comprises a fourth rectifier electrically coupled to a fourth inverter.

11. The distributed propulsion system of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
open the first switch to cause the first AC current to flow through the first power electronics circuit of the first current path;
control the first power electronics circuit to reduce a frequency of the first AC current to cause rotation of the first propulsor to slow from a first speed to a second speed, and
in response to determining that the second speed is less than or equal to a threshold speed:
open the third switch to cause the second AC current to flow through the third power electronics circuit of the fifth current path; and
control the third power electronics circuit to increase a frequency of the second AC current received at the third propulsor to cause rotation of the third propulsor to quicken.

12.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Nam Tech Inc

Inventors

• Armstrong Michael James
• Bollman Andrew Mark
• Loder David

Classifications

• B64D2221/00

  Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft · CPC title

• H02J3/007

  Arrangements for selectively connecting one or more loads to one or more power sources or power lines · CPC title

• H02P2101/30

  for aircraft · CPC title

• H02J3/12

  Arrangements for adjusting voltage in AC networks by changing a characteristic of the network load · CPC title

• H02J3/06 Primary

  Controlling the transfer of power between connected networks; Controlling load sharing between connected networks · CPC title