Electrical system for an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9302636-B2
Application number	US-201213718836-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2012
Priority date	Dec 20, 2011
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

An electrical system for an aircraft is provided. The system comprises an inverter for transforming a first alternating current from an on-board network having a variable frequency into a second alternating current, and at least a first electrical load and at least a second electrical load, which are configured to be operated simultaneously by the second alternating current.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical system for an aircraft, the electrical system being configured to drive a group of electric motors which drive a fluid conveying device, the electrical system comprising:
an inverter for transforming a first alternating current from an on-board network having a variable frequency into a second alternating current;
at least a first electrical load and at least a second electrical load, which are operated simultaneously by the second alternating current;
wherein the first electrical load comprises the group of electric motors;
wherein the electrical system is configured to, if an electric motor of the group of electric motors is out of operation, increase the frequency of the second alternating current and operate the remaining electric motors at a higher frequency.

2. The electrical system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first load switch for disconnecting the first electrical load from the inverter; and
a second load switch for disconnecting the second electrical load from the inverter.

3. The electrical system according to claim 1 , wherein the inverter is a first inverter and the electrical system further comprises:
a second inverter; and
a collector line that connects the first inverter to the second inverter,
wherein the first electrical load and the second electrical load are connectable to the first inverter and the second inverter via the collector line.

4. The electrical system according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a first collector line switch for disconnecting the first inverter from the collector line; and
a second collector line switch for disconnecting the second inverter from the collector line.

5. The electrical system according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a third collector line switch for disconnecting a first part of the collector line, which is connected to the first inverter, from a second part of the collector line, which is connected to the second inverter,
wherein at least the first electrical load is connectable to the first part of the collector line.

6. The electrical system according to claim 5 , wherein at least the second electrical load is connectable to the second part of the collector line.

7. The electrical system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a control unit that controls the inverter in such a way that an adjustable output frequency is produced for the second alternating current.

8. The electrical system according to claim 7 , wherein the control unit controls switches of the electrical system to at least one of open and close the switches.

9. The electrical system according claim 1 , wherein the second electrical load comprises a second motor.

10. The electrical system according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrical load comprises a first conveying device and the second electrical load comprises a second conveying device.

11. An aircraft, comprising:
a generator that is mechanically coupled with a drive of the aircraft to supply an on-board network of the aircraft with electrical energy; and
an electrical system that includes an inverter that transforms a first alternating current from an on-board network having a variable frequency into a second alternating current, and at least a first electrical load and at least a second electrical load that are operable simultaneously by the second alternating current,
wherein the electrical system is coupled with the on-board network via the inverter,
wherein the electrical system is configured to drive a group of electric motors which drive a fluid conveying device,
wherein the first electrical load comprises the group of electric motors;
wherein the electrical system is configured to, if an electric motor of the group of electric motors is out of operation, increase the frequency of the second alternating current and operate the remaining electric motors at a higher frequency.

12. A method for operating an electrical system of an aircraft, comprising:
transforming an alternating current from an on-board network having a variable first frequency into a second alternating current having a second frequency; and
operating at least one first electrical load and at least one second electrical load with the second alternating current;
driving a group of electric motors with the second alternating current, wherein the group of electric motors drive a fluid conveying device,
if an electric motor of the group of electric motors is out of operation, increasing the frequency of the second alternating current and operating the remaining electric motors at a higher frequency.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one first electrical load further comprises a first conveying device and the at least one second electrical load further comprises a second conveying device, and the method further comprises:
determining a common conveying capacity of the first conveying device and the second conveying device; and
operating the at least one first electrical load and the at least one second electrical load in such a way that the common conveying capacity is provided.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one first electrical load further comprises a first motor for driving the first conveying device and the at least one second electrical load further comprises a second motor for driving the second conveying device, and the method further comprises:
changing a frequency of the second alternating current depending on the common conveying capacity; and
switching on the first motor and the second motor depending on the common conveying capacity.

15. The method according to claim 12 , the method further comprising:
transforming the first alternating current from the on-board network by means of a first inverter;
disconnecting the first inverter from the at least one first electrical load and the at least one second electrical load;
connecting a second inverter to the at least one first electrical load and the at least one second electrical load; and
transforming the first alternating current from the on-board network by means of the second inverter.

16. A computer program product, comprising:
a non-volatile storage medium readable by a processor and storing instructions for execution by the processor for performing a method comprising:
transforming an alternating current from an on-board network having a variable first frequency into a second alternating current having a second frequency;
operating at least one first electrical load and at least one second electrical load with the second alternating current;
driving a group of electric motors with the second alternating current, wherein the group of electric motors drive a fluid conveying device,
if an electric motor of the group of electric motors is out of operation, increasing the frequency of the second alternating current and operating the remaining electric motors at a higher frequency.

17. A control unit for an electrical system of an aircraft, which is configured to carry out a method comprising:
transforming an alternating current from an on-board network having a variable first frequency into a second alternating current having a second frequency; and
operating at least one first electrical load and at least one second electrical load with the second alternating current;
driving a group of electric motors with the second alternating current, wherein the group of electric motors drive a fluid conveying device,
if an electric motor of the group of electric motors is out of operation, increasin

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Schult Jens
• Everth Henning
• Kraus Fabian

Classifications

• 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

• B64D2221/00

  Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft · CPC title

• B60R16/03 Primary

  for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems {or for (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00)} · CPC title

• H02J2105/32

  for aircrafts · CPC title