Electrically driven distributed propulsion system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11670942-B2
Application number	US-202117483308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2021
Priority date	Sep 23, 2021
Publication date	Jun 6, 2023
Grant date	Jun 6, 2023

Abstract

A system includes a starter generator configured to provide power to a first bus and a first inverter, a second inverter coupled to the first inverter, a first switch configured to selectively couple the second inverter to the first bus and to a second bus, a second switch configured to selectively couple a first motor to the first bus and to the second bus, and a controller. The controller sets the first switch to a second position and the second switch to a second position, causes the second inverter to convert the power from the first inverter to a starting power for starting the first motor, causes the second inverter to increase the starting power to match the power provided to the first bus from the starter generator, and switches the second switch to the first position, when the starting power matches the power from the starter generator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a hybrid propulsion system, the method comprising:
setting a first switch to a second position and a second switch to a second position, wherein a first motor is electrically coupled with a second inverter and a starter generator via a second bus;
causing the second inverter to convert an alternating current (AC) power received from a first inverter to a starting AC power for starting the first motor;
causing the second inverter to increase the starting AC power to match the AC power provided to a first bus from the starter generator; and
switching the second switch to a first position, when the starting AC power matches the AC power provided to the first bus from the starter generator.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing the second inverter to increase a frequency of the starting AC power to match a first frequency of the AC power provided to the first bus from the starter generator.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing the second inverter to increase a voltage of the starting AC power to match a first voltage of the AC power provided to the first bus from the starter generator.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing cause the second inverter to adjust a phase of the starting AC power to match a phase of the AC power provided to the first bus from the starter generator.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
setting the first switch to the second position and a third switch to a second position, wherein a second motor is electrically coupled with the second inverter and the starter generator via the second bus;
causing the second inverter to convert the AC power received from the first inverter to the starting AC power for starting the second motor;
causing the second inverter to increase the starting AC power to match the AC power provided to the first bus from the starter generator; and
switching the third switch to the first position, when the starting AC power matches the AC power provided to the first bus from the starter generator.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
setting the first switch to the first position and the second switch to a disconnected position, wherein the first inverter and the second inverter are electrically coupled to the starter generator via the first bus,
causing the first inverter and the second inverter supply AC power from an auxiliary power source to the starter generator such that the starter generator starts an engine.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining whether the engine is operating at or above a predetermined idle speed, and
in response to determining that the engine is operating below the predetermined idle speed, causing the first inverter and the second inverter to increase the AC power provided to the starter generator and thereby increasing a speed of the engine.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
setting the first switch to the first position, wherein the second inverter is electrically coupled to the first bus, and
causing the second inverter to inject additional AC power from an auxiliary power source to the first bus to provide additional AC power to the first motor.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
setting the first switch to the first position, wherein the second inverter is electrically coupled to the first bus, and
cause the second inverter to inject AC power having a lagging or leading power factor from an auxiliary power source to the first bus such that reactive power is provided to the first motor.

10. A hybrid propulsion system, comprising:
a starter generator configured to provide AC power to a first bus and a first inverter;
a second inverter electrically coupled to the first inverter;
a first switch configured to selectively couple the second inverter to the first bus when in a first position and to a second bus when in a second position;
a second switch configured to selectively couple a first motor to the first bus when in a first position and to the second bus when in a second position; and
a controller electrically coupled to the second inverter, the first switch, and the second switch, wherein the controller is configured to:
set the first switch to the second position and the second switch to the second position, wherein the first motor is electrically coupled with the second inverter and the starter generator via the second bus,
cause the second inverter to convert the AC power received from the first inverter to a starting AC power for starting the first motor,
cause the second inverter to increase the starting AC power to match the AC power provided to the first bus from the starter generator, and
switch the second switch to the first position, when the starting AC power matches the AC power provided to the first bus from the starter generator.

11. The hybrid propulsion system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the second inverter to increase a frequency of the starting AC power to match a first frequency of the AC power provided to the first bus from the starter generator.

12. The hybrid propulsion system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the second inverter to increase a voltage of the starting AC power to match a first voltage of the AC power provided to the first bus from the starter generator.

13. The hybrid propulsion system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the second inverter to adjust a phase of the starting AC power to match a phase of the AC power provided to the first bus from the starter generator.

14. The hybrid propulsion system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a third switch configured to selectively couple a second motor to the first bus when in a first position and to the second bus when in a second position and the controller is further configured to:
set the first switch to the second position and the third switch to the second position, wherein the second motor is electrically coupled the second inverter and the starter generator via the second bus,
cause the second inverter to convert the AC power received from the first inverter to the starting AC power for starting the second motor,
cause the second inverter to increase the starting AC power to match the AC power provided to the first bus from the starter generator, and
switch the third switch to the first position, when the starting AC power matches the AC power provided to the first bus from the starter generator.

15. The hybrid propulsion system of claim 10 , further comprising an auxiliary power source electrically coupled to the first inverter and the second inverter, and an engine electromechanically coupled to the starter generator, wherein the controller is configured to:
set the first switch to the first position and the second switch to a disconnected position, wherein the first inverter and the second inverter are electrically coupled to the starter generator via the first bus,
cause the first inverter and the second inverter supply AC power from the auxiliary power source to the starter generator such that the starter generator starts the engine.

16. The hybrid propulsion system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determines whether the engine is operating at or above a predetermined idle speed, and
in response to determining that the engine is operating below the predetermined idle speed, cause the first inverter and the second inverter to increase the AC power provided to the starter generator and thereby

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Pan Di
• Huh Kum Kang

Classifications

• H02P1/46

  for starting an individual synchronous motor {(H02P27/04 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B64D2221/00

  Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft · CPC title

• H02P1/08

  Manually-operated on/off switch controlling power-operated multi-position switch or impedances for starting a motor · CPC title

• H02P27/06

  using DC to AC converters or inverters (H02P27/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02P1/00 Primary

  Arrangements for starting electric motors or dynamo-electric converters (starting of synchronous motors with electronic commutators H02P6/20, H02P6/22; starting dynamo-electric motors rotating step by step H02P8/04; vector control H02P21/00) · CPC title