Starting/generating system and method for an aircraft turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11643221-B2
Application number	US-201917044737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2019
Priority date	Apr 9, 2018
Publication date	May 9, 2023
Grant date	May 9, 2023

Abstract

A starting/generating system for an aircraft turbine engine, the starting/generating system comprising at least one brushless drive motor/generator, at least one control module and at least one power module, the power module being configured to supply/receive electric power from the brushless drive motor/generator, the control module being connected to the brushless drive motor/generator by a control cable in order to control its operation, in which system the power module is configured to be mounted in the housing of the non-pressurized zone so as to be located adjacent to the brushless drive motor/generator and the control module is configured to be mounted in a pressurized zone of the aircraft, the control module being connected to the power module by a two-way communication cable in order to control its operation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft, comprising:
at least one turbine engine;
at least one pressurised zone;
at least one non-pressurised zone having a housing;
an on-board electrical network; and
at least one starting/generating system, the at least one starting/generating system comprising:
at least one brushless drive motor/generator positioned in the housing of the at least one non-pressurised zone and configured for starting the at least one turbine engine;
at least one control module connected to the at least one brushless drive motor/generator by a control cable in order to control its operation, the at least one control module is mounted in the at least one pressurised zone; and
at least one power module connected to the on-board electrical network, the at least one power module being configured to supply/receive electric power from the at least one brushless drive motor/generator, the at least one power module is mounted in the housing of the at least one non-pressurised zone so as to be located adjacent to the at least one brushless drive motor/generator;

wherein the at least one control module is connected to the at least one power module by a two-way communication cable in order to control its operation; and
wherein, the at least one power module further comprises at least one inverter-rectifier comprising transistors, the at least one control module further comprises a calculation device configured to calculate control duty cycles of the transistors of the inverter-rectifier.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one control module and the at least one power module are configured to exchange digitally via the two-way communication cable.

3. An aircraft, comprising:
at least one turbine engine;
at least one pressurised zone;
at least one non-pressurised zone having a housing;
an on-board electrical network; and
at least one starting/generating system, the at least one starting/generating system comprising:
at least one brushless drive motor/generator positioned in the housing of the at least one non-pressurised zone and configured for starting the at least one turbine engine;
at least one control module connected to the at least one brushless drive motor/generator by a control cable in order to control its operation, the at least one control module is mounted in the at least one pressurised zone; and
at least one power module connected to the on-board electrical network, the at least one power module being configured to supply/receive electric power from the at least one brushless drive motor/generator, the at least one power module is mounted in the housing of the at least one non-pressurised zone so as to be located adjacent to the at least one brushless drive motor/generator;

wherein the at least one control module is connected to the at least one power module by a two-way communication cable in order to control its operation; and
wherein, the at least one power module further comprises at least one inverter-rectifier comprising transistors, the at least one control module further comprises a calculation device configured to calculate control duty cycles of the transistors of the inverter-rectifier and at least one device for measuring one or more of the following parameters of the at least one brushless drive motor/generator: direct voltage in interface with the on-board electrical network, phase current, control signal, speed of a rotor, angular position of a rotor, temperature, the calculation device is configured to calculate the control duty cycles of the transistors of the inverter-rectifier according to one or more parameters measured by the measuring device.

4. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein, the at least one power module comprises at least one device for measuring one or more of the following parameters of the at least one brushless drive motor/generator: direct voltage in interface with the on-board electrical network, phase current, control signal, speed of a rotor, angular position of a rotor, and temperature.

5. The aircraft according to claim 3 , wherein, the at least one power module further comprises at least one inverter-rectifier comprising transistors, the at least one control module further comprises a calculation device configured to calculate control duty cycles of the transistors of the inverter-rectifier.

6. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the on-board electrical network is of the 28 VDC type.

7. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one starting/generating system comprises at least one cooling module, mounted in the housing of the at least one non-pressurised zone, configured to cool the at least one brushless drive motor/generator and the at least one power module.

8. A method for starting an aircraft according to claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:
powering the at least one brushless drive motor/generator from the on-board electrical network by the at least one control module emitting starting instructions to the at least one power module via the two-way communication cable so that the at least one power module powers the at least one brushless drive motor/generator; and
controlling a torque and/or a drive speed of the at least one brushless drive motor/generator by the at least one control module emitting a control signal to the at least one brushless drive motor/generator via the control cable in order to control the torque and/or the drive speed of the at least one brushless drive motor/generator.

9. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the housing of the at least one non-pressurised zone is metal such that the housing forms a Faraday cage which prevents an emission of electromagnetic disturbances.

10. The aircraft according to claim 9 , wherein the housing of the at least one non-pressurised zone is configured for preventing the emission of electromagnetic disturbances from affecting the control cable.

11. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the housing of the at least one non-pressurised zone is an aircraft nacelle.

12. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one power module and the at least one brushless drive motor/generator are separated by less than 10 cm.

13. The aircraft according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one cooling module is configured to simultaneously cool the at least one brushless drive motor/generator and the at least one power module in a synergistic manner.

14. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one control module is not mounted directly to the at least one power module such that the at least one control module is offset from the at least one power module.

15. A starting/generating system for an aircraft, comprising:
at least one brushless drive motor/generator configured for being positioned in a housing of at least one non-pressurised zone and for starting the at least one turbine engine;
at least one control module connected to the at least one brushless drive motor/generator by a control cable in order to control its operation, the at least one control module is configured for being mounted in at least one pressurised zone; and
at least one power module configured for being connected to an on-board electrical network of the aircraft, the at least one power module being configured to supply/receive electric power from the at least one brushless drive motor/generator, the at least one power module is configured for being mounted in the housing of the at least one non-pressurised zone so as to be located adjacent to the at least one brushless drive motor/generator,
wherein the at least one

Assignees

• Safran Electrical & Power

Inventors

• Lapalus Philippe
• Nierlich Florent

Classifications

• B64F1/34 Primary

  for starting propulsion plant · CPC title

• B64D33/00 Primary

  Arrangement in aircraft of power plant parts or auxiliaries not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64D27/10

  of gas-turbine type  (jet aircraft B64D27/16) · CPC title

• B64D2221/00

  Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft · CPC title

• B64D2201/00

  Airbags mounted in aircraft for any use · CPC title