Electrical distribution system for an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9804653-B2
Application number	US-201514826741-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2015
Priority date	Aug 14, 2014
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

Electrical distribution system for an aircraft comprising at least one electrical supply path comprising at least one power unit capable of opening or closing the connection between at least one electrical energy source and at least one device of the aircraft. The system comprises protection cards ( 2 b, 2 n ) each comprising at least two microcontrollers each capable of sending a command to each power unit of the electrical supply paths protected by each protection card and, among the set of microcontrollers of the protection cards, at least two microcontrollers are provided with a communication and computation function with all of the microcontrollers of the protection cards ( 2 b, 2 n ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Electrical distribution system for an aircraft comprising at least one electrical supply path comprising at least one power unit capable of opening or closing the connection between at least one electrical energy source and at least one device of the aircraft, characterized in that it comprises
protection cards ( 2 b , 2 n ) each comprising at least two microcontrollers each capable of sending a command to each power unit of the electrical supply paths protected by each protection card, and
among the set of microcontrollers of the protection cards, at least two microcontrollers are provided with a communication and computation function with all of the microcontrollers of the protection cards ( 2 b , 2 n ).

2. System according to claim 1 , characterized in that the microcontrollers provided with a communication and computation function can be disposed on a same protection card ( 8 ),
the microcontrollers provided with a communication and computation function each having an interface with an aircraft bus ( 3 a , 3 b ).

3. System according to claim 1 , characterized in that the microcontrollers provided with a communication and computation function can be disposed on different protection cards ( 8 a , 8 b ), the microcontrollers provided with a communication and computation function each having an interface with an aircraft bus ( 3 a , 3 b ).

4. System according to claim 1 , characterized in that the microcontrollers provided with a communication and computation function are disposed on at least one protection card each connected to a daughter board comprising the interfaces with the aircraft bus.

5. System according to claim 4 , characterized in that it comprises at least two slots capable of receiving a protection card, each slot comprising electrical supplies and data connections allowing the functioning of the inserted protection card,
the daughter board being connected and disposed integral with a protection card slot.

6. System according to claim 4 , characterized in that the daughter board is connected and disposed in such a way that it is integral with a protection card.

7. System according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises at least two slots capable of receiving a protection card, each slot comprising electrical supplies and data connections allowing the functioning of the card,
the protection cards comprising microprocessors provided with a communication and computation function are protection cards configured to have the communication and computation function when they are disposed in a predetermined protection card slot.

8. System according to claim 2 , characterized in that the microcontrollers provided with a communication and computation function are disposed on a same protection card concentrating all of the information coming from the aircraft bus and from the discrete inputs of all the protection cards of the system, the microcontrollers being capable of calculating all the commands of the power units of the protection cards ( 2 b , 2 n ) via the internal bus.

9. System according to claim 1 , characterized in that the microcontrollers of each protection card receive information coming from the discrete inputs directly connected to each protection card, the microcontrollers being capable of determining and sending the commands of the power units as a function of the information coming from the discrete inputs read.

10. System according to claim 1 , characterized in that the microcontrollers of each protection card can receive information coming from the discrete inputs directly connected to each protection card, the microcontrollers being capable either of determining and sending the commands of the power units as a function of the information coming from the discrete inputs read, or of receiving commands calculated by at least one protection card comprising microcontrollers provided with a communication function.

Assignees

• Zodiac Aero Electric

Inventors

• Pradier Jean-Clair

Classifications

• H02J2105/32

  for aircrafts · CPC title

• H02J3/0073

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

• 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

• H02J9/00

  Circuit arrangements for emergency or stand-by power supply, e.g. for emergency lighting · CPC title