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CN-122009496-A - Power generation system for aircraft

CN122009496ACN 122009496 ACN122009496 ACN 122009496ACN-122009496-A

Abstract

An electrical power generation system for an aircraft is disclosed. The present disclosure is in the field of aircraft, and in particular relates to an electrical power generation system for an aircraft and an emergency power solution therefor. The invention also relates to an electric power network comprising said electric power generation system and to an aircraft comprising an electric power generation system.

Inventors

  • Gabriel Josephine Christian Debraul

Assignees

  • 空中客车西班牙有限责任公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20251107
Priority Date
20241112

Claims (14)

  1. 1. A power generation system (1) for an aircraft (100), the power generation system (1) comprising: -at least two ram air turbine RAT units (2, 2 '), wherein each RAT unit (2, 2') has a respective electrical output; -at least one AC/AC converter (3); -at least two generators (4, 4 '), wherein each generator (4, 4') is adapted to be connected to a respective engine (5, 5 '), wherein each generator (4, 4') has a respective electrical output; -one respective switching device (6) for each AC/AC converter (3), each switching device (6) being configured for selectively connecting an electrical output of one generator (4, 4 ') or an electrical output of at least one RAT unit (2, 2') to an input of the respective AC/AC converter (3); -a control unit (7), the control unit (7) being configured for commanding the control of at least one switching device (6) such that in case of failure of all engines (5, 5 '), the control unit (7) commands the control of the at least one switching device (6) to connect the output of at least one RAT unit (2, 2') to the input of the respective AC/AC converter (3).
  2. 2. The power generation system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (7) is further configured for commanding the at least one switching device (6) such that in case of failure of all engines (5, 5 '), the control unit (7) commands the at least one switching device (6) to connect each output of at least two RAT units (2, 2') to an input of a respective AC/AC converter (3).
  3. 3. The power generation system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit (7) is further configured for, when at least one of the engines (5, 5 ') is operable, commanding the at least one switching device (6) to connect the output of the generator (4, 4 ') connected to the operable engine (5, 5 ') to the input of the respective AC/AC converter (3).
  4. 4. The power generation system (1) according to any of the preceding claims, comprising one respective AC/AC converter (3, 3 ') for each RAT unit (2, 2').
  5. 5. The power generation system (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the at least two RAT units (2, 2') comprises a RAT and a RAT generator directly connected to the RAT.
  6. 6. The electrical power generation system (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the RAT generator is of variable frequency generator type, preferably of permanent magnet generator type.
  7. 7. An electrical power network (10) for an aircraft (100), the electrical power network (10) comprising: -a power generation system (1) according to any of the preceding claims, and -An emergency power distribution network (20) connected with the power generation system (1), wherein the emergency power distribution network (20) comprises one respective AC emergency power bus (21, 22) for each AC/AC converter (3, 3 '), wherein each AC emergency power bus (21, 22) is configured for connecting a respective output of an AC/AC converter (3, 3') to at least one respective AC electrical load.
  8. 8. The electrical power network (10) of claim 7, wherein: -the power generation system (1) comprises at least two AC/AC converters (3, 3'), and -The emergency power distribution network (20) comprises at least two respective AC emergency power buses (21, 22), one AC emergency power bus (21, 22) for each AC/AC converter (3, 3').
  9. 9. The electrical power network (10) of claim 8, wherein: -the power network (10) further comprises a second switching device (31), the second switching device (31) being configured for selectively connecting one AC emergency power bus (21) to at least another AC emergency power bus (22) or disconnecting one AC emergency power bus (21) from at least another AC emergency power bus (22), and -The control unit (7) is further configured for, in a flight condition, commanding the second switching device (31) to connect one AC emergency power bus (21) to at least another AC emergency power bus (22) to balance the power between the at least two AC emergency power buses (21, 22) based on the power delivered by each of the at least two RAT units (2, 2').
  10. 10. The power network (10) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the emergency power distribution network (20) further comprises: -one respective AC/DC converter (23, 24) for each AC emergency power bus (21, 22), wherein each AC/DC converter (23, 24) is arranged at the output of the respective AC emergency power bus (21, 22); -at least one respective DC emergency power bus (25, 26) arranged at the output of each respective AC/DC converter (23, 24), wherein the at least one respective DC emergency power bus (25, 26) is adapted to connect at least one DC electrical load.
  11. 11. The electrical power network (10) of claim 8, wherein: -the power network (10) comprises: -a third switching device (32), the third switching device (32) being configured to selectively connect one DC emergency power bus (25) to at least another DC emergency power bus (26) or disconnect one DC emergency power bus (25) from at least another DC emergency power bus (26), and -Control means configured for, in flight conditions, commanding the third switching means (32) to connect one DC emergency power bus (25) to at least another DC emergency power bus (26) to balance the power between the at least two DC emergency power buses (25, 26) based on the power delivered by each of the at least two RAT units (2, 2').
  12. 12. The power network (10) according to any one of claims 10 or 11, wherein the emergency power distribution network (20) further comprises one respective DC/DC converter for each DC emergency power bus (25, 26) and one respective storage device (29, 30) for each DC emergency power bus (25, 26), wherein each respective DC/DC converter is arranged between an output of the respective DC emergency power bus and an input of the respective storage device (29, 30).
  13. 13. An aircraft (100), the aircraft (100) comprising the power generation system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 or the power network (10) according to any one of claims 7 to 12, wherein the at least two RAT units (2, 2') in the power generation system (1) are arranged to be accommodated within the aircraft (100) in a retracted position and to be located outside the aircraft (100) in a deployed position.
  14. 14. The aircraft (100) of claim 13, wherein the power generation system (1) or the power network (10) is housed within a fuselage portion of the aircraft or a wing portion of the aircraft.

Description

Power generation system for aircraft Technical Field The present disclosure is in the field of aircraft, and in particular relates to power generation systems for aircraft. The invention also relates to an electrical power network comprising an electrical power generation system, and to an aircraft comprising an electrical power generation system. Background Commercial transport jet aircraft typically include two or more main turbine engines for propulsion of the aircraft and also for powering various electrical and hydraulic loads on the aircraft. These aircraft also typically include at least one Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), which is typically mounted aft of the fuselage to produce auxiliary power that is in addition to or instead of the power provided by the aircraft's main engines. Thus, the APU may be used to power an aircraft when the main engine is not operational. This may occur, for example, when an aircraft waits for departure at an airport gate. In addition, the APU may also provide temporary power to start the main engine during normal operation and/or temporary emergency power during an engine failure condition or other emergency. In addition, these commercial transport jet aircraft typically also include ram air turbines (often abbreviated as "RATs") for generating emergency power in addition to or instead of the power provided by the main engines of the aircraft. The RAT is typically directly connected to a dedicated generator for use as a power source. Other RAT devices are indirectly connected to a dedicated generator via a hydraulic pump such that the hydraulic pump generates hydraulic power which is then used to power the generator. A dedicated alternating current/alternating current (AC/AC) converter is typically connected to the output of the generator of the RAT unit. The function of the dedicated AC/AC converter is to convert an Alternating Current (AC) input signal from the generator output of the RAT unit into an Alternating Current (AC) output signal in which the output voltage and frequency can be arbitrarily varied and adjusted. The RAT is a small windmill propeller installed in an aircraft under normal flight conditions to be loaded in a cabin in a fuselage or wing. When required, the RAT is manually or automatically deployed outside the aircraft to drive a generator, a hydraulic pump, or both a generator and a hydraulic pump installed in the aircraft. During the time between power outage and RAT deployment, aircraft batteries are typically used to power the basic instrumentation. The RAT generates power from the airflow by ram pressure due to the speed of the aircraft. Typically, modern aircraft employ RATs only in emergency situations, in the event of a hydraulic system failure, or after a failure of the primary and secondary power sources. In the event of a simultaneous failure of both the primary and secondary power sources, the RAT will power important systems of the aircraft including flight controls or flight critical instrumentation, navigation and communication equipment. As an important power emergency source in modern aircraft, providing RAT units is becoming increasingly popular, as it can provide critical power support in emergency situations, thereby ensuring safe operation of the aircraft. However, RATs are not without their drawbacks. One drawback of RAT is its complex integration within the aircraft. This is due to the difficult choice of RAT location, which is subject to stringent aerodynamic requirements. Another disadvantage of RATs is that it does not provide enough power to power all hydraulic and/or electrical loads on the aircraft. If the RAT unit is configured to power an excessive number of loads in an emergency, the emergency power system may become overloaded, which may lead to RAT stalls. This may result in a reduction or even complete elimination of energy for all loads, including loads critical to the safe operation of the aircraft during an emergency. Furthermore, providing RAT units is accompanied by the disadvantage of having hidden danger. In other words, since the RAT unit is not operating in normal flight, any failure of the RAT component (e.g., corrosion of parts, wire degradation, or component wear) can potentially result in the RAT unit not operating, which would constitute a hazard. Only in emergency situations, when a RAT is required, the hidden trouble is found. As a precaution, regular maintenance checks are typically performed on today's aircraft to verify that the RAT is operating properly. However, these checks of RAT components to ensure reliability are often time consuming and labor intensive. Accordingly, there is a need for a solution that is capable of generating and supplying power in different situations (e.g. in emergency situations) for aircraft systems where a high degree of reliability is important. Disclosure of Invention The disclosed power generation system for an aircraft, power network and aircraft provide a solution