Modular equipment center solid state primary power switching network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9676351-B2
Application number	US-201314052426-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2013
Priority date	Oct 11, 2013
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

A solid state primary power switching network for modular equipment centers (MECs) distributing primary power throughout a vehicle. The solid state primary power switching network includes multiple primary power switch network devices (PPSNDs) of a MEC for controlling and distributing primary power to other MECs spatially distribute throughout a vehicle. In one or more configurations, the PPSNDs have a universal structure in that each includes a common power input source and a plurality of common power outputs. In one or more configurations, primary power sources to the vehicle are switched without a perceivably visible break in power.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A primary power switching network for use with a vehicle, the power switching network comprising:
a plurality of modular equipment centers (MECs) spatially distributed throughout the vehicle, each of the MECs comprising at least one primary power input configured for receiving primary power;
a plurality of equipment loads throughout the vehicle, each of the equipment loads serviced by the nearest MEC; and
a plurality of primary power switching network devices (PPSNDs) within each of the MECs, the plurality of PPSNDs having a common configuration relative to one another, wherein each of the PPSNDs receives a different phase of a power signal provided by a common power input source, and wherein each of the PPSNDs comprises a plurality of common power outputs.

2. The primary power switching network of claim 1 , wherein each PPSND further comprises a primary power bus configured for distributing primary power to one or more other MECs.

3. The primary power switching network of claim 1 , wherein each PPSND further comprises at least one tie bus configured for distributing primary power to other MECs.

4. The primary power switching network of claim 1 , wherein each PPSND further comprises at least one tie bus configured for receiving primary power from other MECs.

5. The primary power switching network of claim 1 , wherein each PPSND further comprises a plurality of common power output connections configured for distributing primary power.

6. The primary power switching network of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the common power output connections is configured for distributing primary power to a primary MEC.

7. The primary power switching network of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the common power output connections is configured for distributing primary power to a secondary MEC.

8. The primary power switching network of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the common power output connections is configured for distributing power to a high voltage AC load.

9. The primary power switching network of claim 1 , further comprising at least one power distribution module configured for receiving power from the PPSNDs of a MEC of the plurality of MECs and distributing secondary power to equipment loads of the MEC.

10. The primary power switching network of claim 1 , wherein at least one PPSND is coupled to a multi-layered integrated truss system, the multi-layered integrated truss system comprising at least one power transfer layer wherein the power transfer layer receives electrical power from a high power portion of the MEC through the PPSND and the power transfer layer includes a path for providing the electrical power to a low power portion of the MEC.

11. The primary power switching network of claim 1 , wherein the common power input source is a primary power source configured to distribute primary power to the plurality of MECs and wherein the power signal comprises a poly-phase primary power.

12. The primary power switching network of claim 1 , wherein each PPSND further comprises a plurality of contactors, at least a portion of the plurality of contactors on each PPSND arranged in a common configuration relative one another for switching power from the common power input source and to the common power outputs.

13. The primary power switching network of claim 1 , wherein the common power input source provides three-phase primary power to each of the PPSNDs, each of the PPSNDs within each of the MECs receiving a different phase of the three-phase primary power.

14. A solid state primary power switching network for use with a vehicle, the power switching network comprising:
first and second modular equipment centers (MECs) spatially distributed throughout the vehicle;
first and second primary power sources each distributing a respective poly-phase primary power signal to the first and second MECs;
a plurality of equipment loads throughout the vehicle, each of the equipment loads serviced by the nearest of the first and second MECs; and
a plurality of primary power switching network devices (PPSNDs) within each of the first and second MECs, the plurality of PPSNDs sharing a common configuration relative to one another such that each of the PPSNDs comprise at least one common power input source and a plurality of common power outputs,
wherein each PPSND within the first MEC receives a different phase of the respective poly-phase primary power signal from the first primary power source and each PPSND within the second MEC receives a different phase of the respective poly-phase primary power signal from the second primary power source.

15. The solid state primary power switching network of claim 14 , wherein the first and second MECs are primary MECs and the first and second primary power sources are generators.

16. A primary power switching network for use with a vehicle, the power switching network comprising:
a modular equipment center (MEC) for use within the vehicle;
at least one primary power source configured to distribute a three-phase primary power signal to the MEC;
a plurality of equipment loads in the vehicle serviced by the MEC; and
at least three primary power switching network devices (PPSNDs) within the MEC, the PPSNDs having a common configuration relative to one another such that each of the PPSNDs comprise at least one common power input source and a plurality of common power outputs,
wherein each of the PPSNDs within the MEC receives a different phase of the three-phase primary power signal generated from the primary power source.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Shander Mark S
• Lurton N Evan
• Currier Thomas F
• Brouwer Todd B
• Liffring Mark E
• Dhondt Jon J
• Kerr Carolyn
• Holley Robert D
• Schaffner Lowell W
• Solodovnik Eugene
• Thomas Terrance L

Classifications

• H02J3/0073 Primary

  by providing alternative feeding paths when the main path fails · CPC title

• B60R16/03 Primary

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

• H02J4/00

  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

• H02J3/381

  Dispersed generators · CPC title

• H02J3/006

  Electricity · mapped topic