Power distribution cabinet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9270113-B2
Application number	US-201213595288-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2012
Priority date	Aug 27, 2012
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A power supply module included in a power distribution cabinet distributes power from one or more power sources to a plurality of internal cabinet modules. The power supply module includes a plurality of input terminals, each input terminal connected to a different power source, wherein availability of each of the plurality of power sources varies during operation of the aircraft or vehicle. A plurality of output terminals connected to one or more of the plurality of input terminals to provide an output that represents a combination of selected power sources.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power supply module included in a power distribution cabinet of a vehicle that distributes power from a plurality of power sources to a plurality of internal cabinet modules, the power supply module comprising:
a plurality of input terminals, each input terminal connected to a different one of the plurality of power sources, wherein availability of each of the plurality of power sources varies during operation of the vehicle; and
a plurality of output terminals each connected to one or more of the plurality of input terminals to provide an output that represents a unique combination of selected power sources.

2. The power supply module of claim 1 , wherein a first output terminal is connected to receive power only from a first input terminal.

3. The power supply module of claim 2 , wherein a second output terminal is connected to receive power from a second input terminal or a third input terminal.

4. The power supply module of claim 3 , wherein a third output terminal is connected to receive power from either the first input terminal, the second input terminal, or the third input terminal.

5. The power supply module of claim 4 , further including:
a switching up/down converter that is connected to receive power from either the first input terminal, the second input terminal, or the third input terminal, and to provide hold-up power to the first output terminal, the second output terminal, and the third output terminal.

6. A power distribution cabinet with a plurality of input power sources and a plurality of internal cabinet modules, wherein availability of each of the plurality of power sources varies based on an operating mode of an aircraft, the power distribution cabinet comprising:
a power supply module having a plurality of input terminals and a plurality of output terminals, wherein each of the plurality of input terminals is connected to one of the plurality of power sources, and wherein each of the plurality of output terminals is connected to one or more of the input terminals to receive power from a unique combination of one or more of the plurality of power sources;
a plurality of backplane power buses, each backplane bus connected to one of the plurality of output terminals to distribute power provided by the output terminal; and
a plurality of internal cabinet modules, each module connected to receive power from one of the backplane power buses, wherein each of the plurality of modules are connected to a particular backplane bus based on power requirements of the module during various operating modes of the aircraft and power availability on the backplane bus during various operating modes of the aircraft.

7. The power distribution cabinet of claim 6 , wherein a first backplane power bus is connected by the power supply module to a first input terminal to receive power from a maintenance bus that is only powered during aircraft maintenance operations.

8. The power distribution cabinet of claim 7 , wherein a module with maintenance functions that requires power only during aircraft maintenance operations is connected to the first backplane power bus.

9. The power distribution cabinet of claim 7 , wherein a second backplane power bus is connected by the power supply module to a second input terminal to receive power from a permanent magnet generator that only supplies power during engine operation of the aircraft.

10. The power distribution cabinet of claim 9 , wherein a generator control unit (GCU) module that requires power only during engine operation of the aircraft is connected to the second backplane power bus.

11. The power distribution cabinet of claim 9 , wherein the second backplane bus is further connected by the power supply module to a third input terminal to receive power from a main power bus.

12. The power distribution cabinet of claim 9 , wherein a third backplane power bus is connected by the power supply module to receive power from any of the plurality of power sources connected to the plurality of input terminals.

13. The power distribution cabinet of claim 6 , further including an external feeder that connects an external power source directly to one or more of the plurality of cabinet modules without connection to the power supply module.

14. The power distribution cabinet of claim 13 , wherein modules connected directly to the external power source include a diode OR circuit for combining power from the external power source with power received from one of the cabinet backplane power buses.

15. The power distribution cabinet of claim 6 , wherein one or more of the plurality of modules are connected to two or more cabinet backplane power buses.

Assignees

• Bellis Andrew D
• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Bellis Andrew D

Classifications

• H02J1/108 Primary

  having arrangements for blocking reverse current flow, e.g. using diodes (H02J1/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J2105/32

  for aircrafts · CPC title