Control for a target common bus voltage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022261022-A1
Application number	US-202117177664-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 17, 2021
Priority date	Feb 17, 2021
Publication date	Aug 18, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

In some examples, a system includes a bus and a first power converter connected to the bus. The system also includes a second power converter connected to the bus, the second power converter having a topology different from the topology of the first power converter. The system further includes a power source and an energy storage device connected to the bus via the first and second power converters, respectively. In addition, the system includes a source controller configured to control the first power converter and a storage controller configured to control the second power converter. The system also includes a system controller configured to determine a first set point for the first power converter, transmit an indication of the first set point to the source controller, determine a second set point for the second power converter, and transmit an indication of the second set point to the storage controller.

First claim

1 . An aircraft comprising:
a bus; a first power converter connected to the bus, wherein the first power converter comprises a first topology; a second power converter connected to the bus, wherein the second power converter comprises a second topology, and wherein the first topology is different from the second topology; a power source configured to deliver power to the bus via the first power converter; an energy storage device configured to receive power from the bus via the second power converter; a source controller configured to control the first power converter; a storage controller configured to control the second power converter; and a system controller configured to:
determine a first set point for the first power converter;
transmit an indication of the first set point to the source controller;
determine a second set point for the second power converter; and
transmit an indication of the second set point to the storage controller; and an electrical motor configured to propel the aircraft using power sourced from the bus.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third power converter; wherein the electrical motor is configured to receive power from the bus via the third power converter; and a load controller configured to control the third power converter, wherein the system controller is configured to:
determine a third set point for the third power converter; and
transmit an indication of the third set point to the load controller.

3 . The system of claim 2 ,
wherein the third power converter comprises a third topology, and wherein the second topology is different from the third topology.

4 . (canceled)

5 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the load controller is configured to:
set a threshold level based on the indication of the third set point received from the system controller; determine that a voltage magnitude on the bus is not less than the threshold level in a first instance; cause the third power converter to deliver a first magnitude of power to the electric motor in response to determining that the voltage magnitude on the bus is not less than the threshold level in the first instance; determine that the voltage magnitude on the bus is less than the threshold level in a second instance; and cause the third power converter to deliver a second magnitude of power to the electric motor in response to determining that the voltage magnitude on the bus is less than the threshold level in the second instance, wherein the second magnitude of power is less than the first magnitude of power.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the load controller is configured to:
determine a fault on a communication line between the load controller and the system controller; and cause the third power converter to operate in an autonomous mode in response to determining the fault on the communication line between the load controller and the system controller.

7 . The system of claim 5 , further comprising a motor configured to drive the electric motor based on power received from the third power converter,
wherein the third power converter comprises an inverter configured to convert direct-current electricity on the bus to alternating-current electricity to drive the motor.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the power source comprises a generator that is coaxial with an engine shaft.

9 . The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the first power converter comprises a rectifier, and wherein the second power converter comprises a direct current/direct current converter.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the storage controller is configured to:
set a first threshold level or a second threshold level based on the indication of the second set point received from the system controller; determine that a voltage magnitude on the bus is less than the first threshold level in a first instance; cause the energy storage device to deliver power to the bus in response to determining that the voltage magnitude on the bus is less than the first threshold level; determine that the voltage magnitude on the bus is greater than the second threshold level in a second instance, wherein the second threshold level is greater than the first threshold level; and cause the energy storage device to receive power to the bus in response to determining that the voltage magnitude on the bus is greater than the second threshold level.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the storage controller is configured to cause the energy storage device to refrain from discharging or charging in response to determining that the voltage magnitude on the bus is within a voltage deadband defined between the first threshold level and the second threshold level.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the energy storage device is a first energy storage device, the system further comprising:
a low-voltage power converter connected to the first power converter and connected to the first energy storage device; an auxiliary load; and a second energy storage device connected to low-voltage second power converter, wherein the energy storage device is configured to provide power to the auxiliary load.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the storage controller is configured to:
determine a fault on the second energy storage device; and control the low-voltage power converter to deliver power from the first energy storage device to the auxiliary load in response to determining the fault on the second energy storage device.

14 . A method for controlling a system of an aircraft that includes a bus, the method comprising:
determining, by a system controller, a first set point for a first power converter connected to the bus, wherein the first power converter comprises a first topology; transmitting, by the system controller, an indication of the first set point to a source controller, wherein the source controller is configured to control the first power converter; determining, by the system controller, a second set point for a second power converter connected to the bus, wherein the second power converter comprises a second topology, and wherein the first topology is different from the second topology; transmitting, by the system controller, an indication of the second set point to a storage controller, wherein the storage controller is configured to control the second power converter; and providing, by a third power converter connected to the bus, power to an electric motor that propels the aircraft.

15 . The method of claim 14 ,
wherein the first power converter comprises a rectifier, and wherein the second power converter comprises a direct current/direct current converter.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining a third set point for the third power converter, wherein the third power converter comprises a third topology, wherein the second topology is different from the third topology; and transmitting an indication of the third set point to a load controller, wherein the load controller is configured to control the third power converter.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the third power converter comprises an inverter configured to convert direct-current electricity on the bus to alternating-current electricity to drive the electric motor.

18 . A device comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon, configured to be executable by processing circuitry of an aircraft for causing the processing circuitry to:
determine a first set point fo

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Singapore Pte Ltd
• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Dasgupta Souvik
• Ooi Gabriel
• Gajanayake Chandana Jayampathi
• Mukherjee Suvajit
• Dougherty Michael P
• Long Stephen Andrew

Classifications

• H02J2105/32

  for aircrafts · CPC title

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title

• H02J1/14

  Balancing load and power generation in DC networks · CPC title

• H02J1/106

  for load balancing, symmetrisation, or sharing · CPC title

• B64D2221/00

  Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft · CPC title