System for controlling the electrical power supply of an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11249527-B2
Application number	US-201615225067-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2016
Priority date	Jul 31, 2015
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

A system for controlling electrical power supply of an aircraft includes at least two control boards and at least two switching members. Each switching member is connected to each control board. Each control board includes a processor. Each processor is configured to determine a command for switching states of switch contacts of each switching member and to determine information relating to validity of each switching command. Each switching member includes a transmitter to determine a command to be transmitted to a detector to detect parallelization, a power actuator configured to transmit a power signal to the switch contacts depending on the command received from the detector, and switch contacts configured to selectively open or close an electrical power supply line. The command is selected from the switching commands and the information relating to the validity of each switching command.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling electrical power supply of an aircraft, the system comprising:
at least two control boards; and
at least two switching members, wherein:
each control board comprises a processor, each processor being: (i) uni-directionally connected to the at least two switching members, providing redundant electrical power from each of the at least two control boards and their associated processors to the at least two switching members, (ii) directly connected to the at least two switching members with no intermediate members between the control boards and the at least two switching members, and (iii) configured to determine a switching command for switching states of mechanical switch contacts of each switching member and to determine information relating to validity of each switching command; and

each switching member comprises members for converting and interpreting commands, including: mechanical switch contacts; a detector to detect parallelization; a transmitter to determine a command to be transmitted to the detector, the command selected from the switching commands and the information relating to the validity of each switching command; and a power actuator configured to transmit a power signal to the mechanical switch contacts depending on the command received from the detector; wherein the mechanical switch contacts are configured to selectively open or close an electrical power supply line.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each control board is connected to each transmitter through a connection comprising a reference strand and a strand carrying a control current transmitted by the control board.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each control board is configured to perform modulation of the switching command for switching the states of the mechanical switch contacts of each switching member and the information relating to the validity of each switching command, and
wherein each switching member is correspondingly configured to perform demodulation.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the modulation comprises amplitude modulation.

5. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the modulation comprises pulse width modulation.

6. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the modulation comprises dual-tone frequency modulation.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:
each control board further comprises:
first and second current sources;
a first switch fixably connected to the first current source and switchably connected to one of the at least two switching members; and
a second switch fixably connected to the second current source and switchably connected to one of the at least two switching members.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the processor of a respective control board is: (i) connected to the first switch via a first terminal that transmits a control signal, (ii) connected to the second switch via a second terminal that transmits a validity signal, and (iii) configured to control a switch state of the first switch using the control signal and control a switch state of the second switch using the validity signal.

Assignees

• Zodiac Aero Electric

Inventors

• Balbinot Jean-Pierre

Classifications

• H02J2105/32

  for aircrafts · CPC title

• H02J4/00 Primary

  Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as AC or DC; Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks combining AC and DC sections or sub-networks (arrangements using intermediate DC-AC-DC conversion H02J1/002; arrangements using high-voltage DC [HVDC] links H02J3/36) · CPC title

• G05B9/03

  with multiple-channel loop, i.e. redundant control systems · CPC title

• G06F1/26 Primary

  Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) · CPC title

• B64D2221/00

  Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft · CPC title