Protection system and method for input feeder line of solid-state power distribution device

Abstract

The invention provides a system and a method for protecting an input feeder line of a solid-state power distribution device. The protection system comprises: a solid-state power distribution device, the output end of which is connected to a plurality of electric devices; the alternating current bus bar is used for supplying power to the solid-state power distribution device; the input feeder lines are used for providing connection between the AC bus bar and the solid-state power distribution device; the contactor module is used for controlling the on-off of the plurality of input feeder lines; the first current transformer is used for measuring the output current value of the AC bus bar; the second current transformer is used for measuring an input current value of the solid-state power distribution device; the bus bar power supply controller is used for judging whether a fault exists in the protection system or not according to at least one of the output current value, measured by the first current transformer, of the alternating current bus bar and the input current value, measured by the second current transformer, of the solid-state power distribution device; and when it is determined that the protection system has a fault, the contactor module is controlled to disconnect the connection between the AC bus bar and the solid-state power distribution device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply system architecture design, and more particularly, to a protection system and method for an input feeder of a solid-state power distribution device. Background Art

[0002] Solid-state power distribution devices are secondary power distribution devices that integrate solid-state power controllers and are used for power distribution and line protection in power consumption systems. As electrical equipment, the input power supply lines of solid-state power distribution devices also need to be protected.

[0003] The prior art generally uses a circuit breaker to protect the input power supply line of a solid-state power distribution device, such as Figure 1 As shown, a number of AC solid-state distribution boards can be integrated and installed in the solid-state distribution device 102 to realize the nearby power distribution and power line protection of the power system. The AC bus 104 of the power distribution system is used to supply power to each AC solid-state distribution board, wherein each input feeder is protected by a circuit breaker. However, since each solid-state distribution board requires a separate input feeder, a large number of feeders are required. In addition, since the input feeders of each solid-state distribution board require circuit breaker protection, a large number of circuit breakers for upstream protection are also required, which makes the weight of the entire distribution system heavier. In addition, when the rated capacity of the solid-state distribution board becomes larger and larger, the circuit breaker may not be able to adapt to the growing demand for high-power feeder line protection. Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved protection system and method for the input feeder of a solid-state distribution device. Summary of the invention

[0004] This Summary is provided to introduce some concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0005] One of the purposes of the present invention is to provide a protection system and method for input feeders of a solid-state power distribution device. The system uses a feeder protection architecture of an integrated busbar power controller, contactor, and current transformer to determine whether there is a current overload, current difference, or other system faults, thereby replacing a circuit breaker to achieve protection of the input feeders of a solid-state power distribution device.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a protection system for input feeders of a solid-state power distribution device, the protection system comprising: a solid-state power distribution device, the output end of which is connected to a plurality of power-consuming devices to supply power to the plurality of power-consuming devices; an AC bus bar for supplying power to the solid-state power distribution device; a plurality of input feeders for providing connection between the AC bus bar and the solid-state power distribution device; a contactor module arranged in the plurality of input feeders to control the on-off of the plurality of input feeders; a first current transformer for measuring the output current value of the AC bus bar; a second current transformer for measuring the input current value of the solid-state power distribution device; and a bus power supply controller for determining whether a fault exists in the protection system based on at least one of the output current value of the AC bus bar measured by the first current transformer and the input current value of the solid-state power distribution device measured by the second current transformer, and controlling the contactor module to disconnect the connection between the AC bus bar and the solid-state power distribution device when it is determined that a fault exists in the protection system.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the bus power supply controller is further configured to: determine whether there is an overcurrent fault based on the output current value of the AC bus measured by the first current transformer and the rated current value of the solid-state distribution device; and control the contactor module to disconnect the connection between the AC bus and the solid-state distribution device when it is determined that there is an overcurrent fault.

[0008] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the AC bus outputs multi-phase current, and the bus power supply controller is further configured to: determine a load current sum threshold based on the rated current value of the solid-state distribution device, wherein the load current sum threshold is less than the rated current value of the solid-state distribution device; and determine that an overcurrent fault exists when it is detected that the output current value of any phase of the multi-phase current exceeds the load current sum threshold.

[0009] In another embodiment of the present invention, the bus power supply controller is further configured to: determine whether there is a leakage fault based on the output current value of the AC bus measured by the first current transformer and the input current value of the solid-state distribution device measured by the second current transformer; and control the contactor module to disconnect the connection between the AC bus and the solid-state distribution device when it is determined that there is a leakage fault, wherein the leakage fault includes a ground fault and a phase-to-phase fault.

[0010] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the AC bus outputs multi-phase current, and the bus power controller is further configured to: compare the output current value of each phase in the multi-phase current with the sum of the input current values ​​of the solid-state distribution device of the corresponding phase to obtain multiple current difference values; and when it is detected that any current difference value among the multiple current difference values ​​exceeds a preset error threshold, determine that there is a ground fault.

[0011] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the busbar power supply controller is further configured to: determine that a phase-to-phase fault exists when it is detected that the sum of differences between any two current difference values ​​among the plurality of current difference values ​​exceeds an error threshold.

[0012] In another embodiment of the present invention, the busbar power controller is further configured to: record the corresponding fault type when determining that a fault exists in the protection system, the fault type including at least one of an overcurrent fault, a ground fault and a phase-to-phase fault; and send a signal to report the fault type.

[0013] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the bus power controller is further configured to: control the contactor module to disconnect the connection between the AC bus and the solid-state distribution device before detecting an overcurrent fault, a ground fault, and a phase-to-phase fault; and when the contactor module is detected to be closed, record the fault type as a contactor module fault.

[0014] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the AC bus outputs multi-phase current, and the bus power controller is further configured to: detect multiple current values ​​of the multi-phase current from the first current transformer and the second current transformer when the contactor module is detected to be disconnected; and when any current value among the multiple current values ​​exceeds a preset error threshold, record the fault type as a current transformer fault of the corresponding phase.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for a protection system of the present invention is provided, the method comprising: obtaining, by a bus power controller, an output current value of an AC bus from a first current transformer; obtaining, by a bus power controller, an input current value of a solid-state distribution device from a second current transformer; and determining, by the bus power controller, whether a fault exists in the protection system based on at least one of the output current value of the AC bus and the input current value of the solid-state distribution device, and controlling a contactor module to disconnect the connection between the AC bus and the solid-state distribution device when it is determined that a fault exists in the protection system.

[0016] These and other features and advantages will become apparent by reading the following detailed description and by reference to the associated drawings.It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are illustrative only and are not restrictive of the aspects of what is claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to understand the manner in which the above features of the present invention are used in detail, the above briefly summarized contents can be described in more detail with reference to various embodiments, some of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings only show some typical aspects of the present invention and should not be considered to limit its scope, because the description may allow for other equally effective aspects.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the power supply architecture of a traditional solid-state power distribution device is explained.

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the architecture of a protection system for an input feeder of a solid-state power distribution device according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated.

[0020] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the principle of leakage protection according to an embodiment of the present invention is explained.

[0021] Figure 4 A flow chart illustrating a method for protecting an input feeder of a solid-state power distribution device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 A flow chart illustrating protection of a solid-state power distribution device input feeder for an aircraft power system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 A block diagram illustrating a hardware implementation of a control unit according to one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated.

[0024] In the drawings, the drawings are not drawn to scale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and the features of the present invention will be further revealed in the following specific description.

[0026] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although certain embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein, which are instead provided for a more thorough and complete understanding of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of the present disclosure are only for exemplary purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0027] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means more than two; the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inside", "outside", etc. indicate positions or positional relationships only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present disclosure. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. "Vertical" is not strictly vertical, but is within the allowable error range. "Parallel" is not strictly parallel, but is within the allowable error range.

[0028] The directional words appearing in the following description are all directions shown in the figures, and do not limit the specific structure of the present disclosure. In the description of the present disclosure, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present disclosure can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0029] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The appearance of the phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0030] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "and / or" is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B may represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0031] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a protection system for input feeders of a solid-state power distribution device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, the protection system of the input feeder of the solid-state power distribution device includes a solid-state power distribution device 202, an AC bus bar 204, a plurality of input feeders 206, a contactor module 208, a first current transformer 210, a second current transformer 212, and a bus power controller 214. The AC bus bar 204 is used to supply power to the solid-state power distribution device 202, and the output end of the solid-state power distribution device 202 is connected to a plurality of electrical devices to supply power to the plurality of electrical devices. The AC bus bar 204 is connected to the solid-state power distribution device 202 through a plurality of input feeders 206, and a contactor module 208 is provided in the plurality of input feeders 206 to control the on and off of the plurality of input feeders 206. The bus power supply controller 214 in the protection system is used to determine whether the protection system has a fault based on at least one of the output current value of the AC bus 204 measured by the first current transformer 210 and the input current value of the solid-state distribution device 202 measured by the second current transformer 212, and control the contactor module 208 to disconnect the connection between the AC bus 204 and the solid-state distribution device 202 when it is determined that the protection system has a fault.

[0032] In a non-limiting embodiment, the protection system of the input feeder of the solid-state power distribution device can realize the overcurrent protection function by obtaining the current information of the output end of the AC bus 204 and the input end of the solid-state power distribution device 202. Specifically, the bus power controller 214 in the protection system can be further configured to: determine whether there is an overcurrent fault according to the output current value of the AC bus 204 measured by the first current transformer 210 and the rated current value of the solid-state power distribution device 202, and control the contactor module 208 to disconnect the connection between the AC bus 204 and the solid-state power distribution device 202 when it is determined that there is an overcurrent fault.

[0033] For example, the AC bus 204 can output multi-phase current. Figure 2 For the sake of explanation, a three-phase current is taken as an example. It can be appreciated that the present invention can also be applied to other multi-phase currents. The busbar power supply controller 214 can be further configured to: determine a load current sum threshold value according to the rated current value of the solid-state distribution device 202, wherein the load current sum threshold value is less than the rated current value of the solid-state distribution device 202; when it is detected that the output current value of any phase in the multi-phase current exceeds the load current sum threshold value, it is determined that an overcurrent fault exists. Accordingly, the busbar power supply controller 214 can send a control command to the contactor module 208 to disconnect the contactor module 208, thereby disconnecting the feeder 206 to achieve overcurrent protection.

[0034] The above solution can replace the circuit breaker used in the prior art (such as Figure 1 Specifically, the circuit breaker trip characteristic curve can be fitted by software, and when the busbar power supply controller 214 detects that the current from the first current transformer 210 exceeds the current of the fitted circuit breaker trip characteristic curve (equivalent to the load current sum threshold), the contactor module 208 is controlled to be disconnected.

[0035] Table 1 shows the comparison between the circuit breaker solution and the embodiment of the present invention under normal operation and under the condition of overcurrent fault.

[0036]

[0037] Table 1

[0038] As shown in Table 1, for the solid-state power distribution device 202, Figure 1In the circuit breaker scheme shown, the rated value of the circuit breaker is set to 50A. During normal operation, the three-phase current of the AC bus 204 is 30A, which is less than 50A, so the circuit breaker does not trip. In the embodiment of the present invention, the load current sum threshold is also 50A through software fitting. The first current transformer 210 measures that the three-phase current of the AC bus 204 is 30A, which is less than 50A, so the contactor module 208 remains closed. When an overcurrent fault occurs, for the circuit breaker scheme, the A phase current is 60A, which is greater than the rated value of the circuit breaker 50A, and the circuit breaker is disconnected. For the embodiment of the present invention, the A phase current is measured to be 60A, which is greater than the load current sum threshold, and the bus power supply controller 214 controls the contactor module 208 to disconnect. It can be seen that the scheme of the present invention can replace the circuit breaker to achieve overcurrent protection, and compared with the circuit breaker scheme, the scheme of the present invention can achieve the effect of weight reduction.

[0039] In another non-limiting embodiment, the protection system of the input feeder of the solid-state power distribution device can realize the feeder leakage fault protection function by detecting the current difference between the output current of the AC bus 204 and the input current value of the solid-state power distribution device 202. Specifically, the bus power controller 214 in the protection system can be further configured to: determine whether there is a leakage fault according to the output current value of the AC bus 204 measured by the first current transformer 210 and the input current value of the solid-state power distribution device 202 measured by the second current transformer 212, and control the contactor module 208 to disconnect the connection between the AC bus 204 and the solid-state power distribution device 202 when it is determined that there is a leakage fault. The leakage fault may include a ground fault and a phase-to-phase fault. Figure 3 The situation where a ground fault and a phase-to-phase fault occur when the AC busbar outputs a three-phase current is shown. It can be appreciated that the present invention can also be applied to other multi-phase currents.

[0040] Further, in the case of a ground fault, when the AC busbar 204 outputs a multi-phase current, the busbar power supply controller 214 may be configured to: compare the output current value of each phase in the multi-phase current with the sum of the input current values ​​of the solid-state distribution device of the corresponding phase to obtain multiple current difference values, and when it is detected that any current difference value among the multiple current difference values ​​exceeds a preset error threshold, it is determined that a ground fault exists. In the case of a phase-to-phase fault, the busbar power supply controller is further configured to: when it is detected that the sum of the difference between any two current difference values ​​among the multiple current difference values ​​exceeds the error threshold, it is determined that a phase-to-phase fault exists.

[0041] Table 2 shows the comparison between the circuit breaker solution and the embodiment of the present invention in the case of a ground fault and a phase-to-phase fault.

[0042]

[0043] Table 2

[0044] As shown in Table 2, the circuit breaker solution only determines whether the output current value of each phase of the AC bus is less than the rated value of the circuit breaker. When the current values ​​of phase A, phase B, and phase C are all less than 50A, the circuit breaker does not trip and other faults cannot be discovered.

[0045] In the solution of the present invention, for the case of a ground fault, for example, when the insulation of the A-phase conductor to the ground is poor or other faults occur, resulting in a current in the A-phase to the ground, causing the A-phase current at the bus output end to increase, while the A-phase current of the solid-state distribution device is normal, and the currents of the B-phase and C-phase are normal. At this time, if the current of the solid-state distribution device 202 is normal, the bus power supply controller 214 obtains the output current of the A-phase as 45A and the total input current value of the A-phase at the solid-state distribution device 202 as 30A based on the current measured by the first current transformer 210 and the second current transformer 212, and calculates that the input and output current difference of the A-phase is 15A, which is greater than the preset error threshold of 10A, thus triggering the A-phase to ground fault protection, controlling the contactor module 208 to disconnect, and locating the A-phase conductor fault at the same time.

[0046] In the solution of the present invention, for the case of phase-to-phase fault, for example, when the insulation between the A-phase and B-phase conductors is poor or other faults occur, resulting in a current path between the A-phase and B-phase, resulting in an increase in the current of the A-phase and B-phase at the busbar output end. At this time, the busbar power supply controller 214 obtains the input and output current differences of the A-phase and B-phase separately based on the current measured by the first current transformer 210 and the second current transformer 212, through a calculation similar to that used in the above ground fault situation, that is, both are 8A, which are less than the preset error threshold of 10A, and the C-phase is normal. At this time, the busbar power supply controller 214 further calculates the sum of the input and output current difference of the A-phase and the input and output current difference of the B-phase to be 16A, which is greater than the error threshold of 10A, triggering the phase-to-phase fault protection between the A-phase and the B-phase, controlling the contactor module 208 to disconnect, and locating the conductor fault between the A-phase and the B-phase.

[0047] From the above analysis, it can be seen that the circuit breaker solution can only trip through the heat accumulation generated by the current on a single wire, and cannot identify other circuit faults, such as phase-to-phase faults and ground faults. However, phase-to-phase faults and ground faults indicate that the wire is damaged or poorly insulated, and there is leakage between the wires or between the wires and the aircraft. This is a relatively harmful fault and needs to be isolated in time. The premise of isolating the fault is to identify the fault. The solution of the present invention can quickly identify the fault, take measures to isolate the fault, and optionally, as described below, further record the fault data to locate the fault location and cause.

[0048] In a non-limiting embodiment, the busbar power controller 214 may be further configured to record the corresponding fault type when determining that the protection system has a fault, and send a signal to report the fault type. For example, referring to Table 1 and Table 2, the busbar power controller 214 may control the contactor module 208 to disconnect when detecting an overcurrent fault, a ground fault, or a phase-to-phase fault, and simultaneously locate the corresponding fault and report it to the aircraft.

[0049] In a non-limiting embodiment, the protection system may also perform other detections before detecting the overcurrent fault, ground fault, and phase-to-phase fault described above, for example, performing a self-test on the contactor module 208. Specifically, the busbar power controller 214 may be further configured to: before detecting the overcurrent fault, ground fault, and phase-to-phase fault, control the contactor module 208 to disconnect the connection between the AC busbar 204 and the solid-state power distribution device 202, and when detecting that the contactor module 208 is closed, record the fault type as a contactor module fault.

[0050] Furthermore, the protection system can also perform self-test on the first current transformer 210 and the second current transformer 212. Specifically, the AC bus 204 outputs multi-phase current, and the bus power controller 214 can be further configured to: when it is detected that the contactor module 208 is disconnected, detect multiple current values ​​of the multi-phase current from the first current transformer 210 and the second current transformer 212, and when any current value among the multiple current values ​​exceeds a preset error threshold, record the fault type as a current transformer fault of the corresponding phase.

[0051] Figure 4 A flow chart illustrating a method 400 for a protection system for a solid-state power distribution device input feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention. The protection system may include a solid-state power distribution device as described above, an AC bus bar, a plurality of input feeders, a contactor module, a first current transformer, a second current transformer, and a bus power controller.

[0052] At block 410 , the method 400 may include obtaining, by a busbar power supply controller, an output current value of the AC busbar from a first current transformer.

[0053] At block 420 , the method 400 may include obtaining, by the busbar power controller, an input current value of the solid-state power distribution device from the second current transformer.

[0054] In box 430, method 400 may include: the bus power controller determines whether there is a fault in the protection system based on at least one of the output current value of the AC bus and the input current value of the solid-state distribution device, and controls the contactor module to disconnect the connection between the AC bus and the solid-state distribution device when it is determined that there is a fault in the protection system.

[0055] The above describes the protection system of the input feeder of the solid-state power distribution device and the corresponding protection method of the present invention. It can be seen that the present invention can have the following advantages:

[0056] (1) Instead of multiple circuit breakers on the input feeder of the solid-state power distribution device, a busbar power controller is used to control the closing and opening of the contactor module to achieve overcurrent protection.

[0057] (2) By adding current transformers at the output end of the AC busbar and the input end of the solid-state distribution device, detailed current information of each feeder can be obtained through the busbar power controller, which can identify leakage faults (including ground faults and phase-to-phase faults) that cannot be protected by the circuit breaker, further facilitating the timely and accurate location of the fault.

[0058] (3) By reducing the number of circuit breakers in the input feeders of the solid-state distribution device, reducing the number of connectors / terminals, merging the input feeders of the solid-state distribution device, and appropriately increasing the feeder wire gauge, the number of feeders can be reduced, thereby reducing the weight of the feeders.

[0059] Figure 5 The flowchart of protecting the input feeder of a solid-state power distribution device for an aircraft power system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The flowchart combines the operations of the above embodiments to protect the input feeder of the solid-state power distribution device. Figure 2 The protection process is explained by using the protection system of the solid-state distribution device input feeder shown.

[0060] At block 502 , the busbar power controller 214 detects that the aircraft battery switch is pressed in or an external power source is connected, and the aircraft is powered on.

[0061] At block 504, the busbar power controller 214 determines whether the aircraft is in the air. If the busbar power controller 214 does not detect an air-to-ground signal, the valid air-to-ground signal recorded in the upload is used for determination. If it is determined that the aircraft is on the ground, proceed to block 506 to enter the self-check process. Conversely, if it is determined that the aircraft is in the air, the self-check process is skipped and the process is directly proceeded to block 516 to enter the subsequent detection process.

[0062] In block 506 , the busbar power controller 214 controls the contactor module 208 to be disconnected, and in subsequent steps, performs self-tests on the contactor module 208 and various current transformers and other devices themselves.

[0063] At block 508, the busbar power controller 214 performs a self-test on the contactor module 208, for example, to detect whether the contactor module 208 is closed. When according to block 506, that is, when the busbar power controller 214 sends a control command to the contactor module 208 to request the contactor module 208 to be opened, if it is detected that the contactor module 208 is actually closed, the process proceeds to block 510; otherwise, if it is detected that the contactor module 208 is actually opened, the process proceeds to block 512.

[0064] At block 510 , the busbar power controller 214 records that a false close fault has occurred on the contactor module 208 and then proceeds to block 528 .

[0065] In block 512, after eliminating the fault of the contactor module 208, the busbar power supply controller 214 performs a self-test on each current transformer, for example, to detect whether there is current in any current transformer. In a non-limiting example, a current threshold may be preset, and when it is detected that the current in any current transformer is greater than the current threshold, it is determined that there is current in the current transformer, and then the process proceeds to block 514. Otherwise, when the busbar power supply controller 214 detects that there is no current in each current transformer, the process proceeds to block 516.

[0066] At block 514 , the busbar power controller 214 records which phase or phases' current transformers are faulty and then proceeds to block 528 .

[0067] In box 516 , the above self-tests are completed, and no faults are found in the contactor module 208 , current transformers, and other equipment. Then, the busbar power controller 214 controls the contactor module 208 to close, and then proceeds to box 518 .

[0068] At block 518 , the busbar power controller 214 collects signals from each current transformer and then proceeds to block 520 to perform a logic decision.

[0069] In block 520, the busbar power controller 214 performs an overcurrent fault determination, i.e., determines whether the output current of any phase of the AC busbar 204 is too large. When the output current is found to be too large according to the method described above, it is determined that there is an overcurrent fault, and the process proceeds to block 522. Otherwise, when the output current is not found to be too large, i.e., when there is no overcurrent fault, the process proceeds to block 524.

[0070] At block 522 , the busbar power controller 214 records which phase has an overcurrent fault, and may further record a corresponding fault current value, and then proceeds to block 528 .

[0071] In block 524, the busbar power controller 214 performs a ground fault determination, i.e., determines whether the input and output current difference of any phase of the AC busbar 204 is too large. When it is found that the input and output current difference is too large according to the method described above, it is determined that there is a ground fault, and the process proceeds to block 526. Otherwise, when it is not found that the input and output current difference is too large, i.e., when there is no ground fault, the process proceeds to block 530.

[0072] At block 526 , the busbar power controller 214 records which phase has a ground fault, and may further record a corresponding fault current value, and then proceeds to block 528 .

[0073] In block 530, the busbar power supply controller 214 performs phase-to-phase fault determination, i.e., determines whether the input-output current difference between any two phases of the AC busbar 204 is too large. When it is found that the input-output current difference is too large according to the method described above, it is determined that there is a phase-to-phase fault, and the process proceeds to block 532. Otherwise, when it is not found that the input-output current difference is too large, i.e., when there is no phase-to-phase fault, the process proceeds to block 534.

[0074] At block 532 , the busbar power controller 214 records which two phases have a phase-to-phase fault, and may further record corresponding fault current values, and then proceeds to block 528 .

[0075] In box 528 , the busbar power controller 214 detects that there is a fault in the protection system, and disconnects the contactor module 208 , and may also provide a recorded fault signal and a disconnect signal for the contactor module 208 to the aircraft's warning, display and maintenance systems, and then proceed to box 536 .

[0076] In block 534 , after the busbar power controller 214 completes various tests and finds no fault in the protection system, the busbar power controller 214 keeps the contactor module 208 closed and the aircraft is powered on normally.

[0077] In box 536, the aircraft is powered off. Specifically, corresponding to box 528, the aircraft receives a fault report and then powers off, while corresponding to box 534, the aircraft completes the flight mission normally and then powers off.

[0078] It should be understood that the above operations on each frame are only exemplary, and other operation steps can be added or some operation steps can be deleted modularly as needed, and the sequence of some steps can be adjusted as needed. In addition, the design involved in the present invention can also be applied to other circuits that need to protect the input feeder of the solid-state power distribution device.

[0079] Figure 6 A block diagram illustrating a hardware implementation of a control unit according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 6, the control device 600 will now be described, which is an example of a control unit applicable to various aspects of the present disclosure, such as Figure 2 The busbar power controller 214 in. The control device 600 may be any machine or device configured to perform processing and / or control, and may be, but is not limited to, a workstation, a server, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a smart phone, or any combination thereof.

[0080] The control device 600 may include an element that is connected to the bus 602 or is in communication with the bus 602, possibly via one or more interfaces. For example, the control device 600 may include a bus 602, and one or more processors 604, one or more input devices 606, and one or more output devices 608. The one or more processors 604 may be any type of processor, and may include but is not limited to one or more general purpose processors and / or one or more special purpose processors (such as special processing chips). The input device 606 may be any type of device that can input information into a computing device, and may include but is not limited to a mouse, keyboard, touch screen, microphone, and / or remote controller. The output device 608 may be any type of device that can present information, and may include but is not limited to a display, a speaker, a video / audio output terminal, a vibrator, and / or a printer. The control device 600 may also include or be connected to a non-volatile storage device 610, which may be any storage device that is non-volatile and can achieve data storage, and may include but is not limited to a disk drive, an optical storage device, a solid-state storage, a floppy disk, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape or any other magnetic medium, an optical disk or any other optical medium, a ROM (read-only memory), a RAM (random access memory), a cache memory and / or any other memory chip or memory cartridge, and / or any other medium from which a computer can read data, instructions and / or code. The non-volatile storage device 610 may be separable from the interface. The non-volatile storage device 610 may have data / instructions / code for implementing the above methods and steps. The control device 600 may also include a communication device 612. The communication device 612 may be any type of device or system that can achieve communication with an external device and / or network, and may include but is not limited to a modem, a network card, an infrared communication device, a Bluetooth TM Wireless communication devices and / or chipsets such as devices, WiFi devices, WiMax devices, cellular communication facilities, etc.

[0081] The bus 602 may include, but is not limited to, an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, an Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, a Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.

[0082] The control device 600 may also include a working memory 614 , which may be any type of working memory that may store instructions and / or data useful for operation of the processor 604 , and may include, but is not limited to, random access memory and / or read-only memory devices.

[0083] Software elements may be located in the working memory 614, including, but not limited to, an operating system 616, one or more applications 618, drivers, and / or other data and code. Instructions for performing the above methods and steps may be included in one or more applications 618. The executable code or source code of the instructions of the software elements may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (such as the storage device 610 described above), and may be read into the working memory 914, possibly by compilation and / or installation. The executable code or source code of the instructions of the software elements may also be downloaded from a remote location.

[0084] From the above embodiments, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure can be implemented by software with necessary hardware, or by hardware, firmware, etc. Based on such understanding, the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in part in the form of software. Computer software can be stored in a readable storage medium such as a floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, or flash memory of a computer. The computer software includes a series of instructions to enable a computer (e.g., a personal computer, a service station, or a network terminal) to perform a method or a part thereof according to a corresponding embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0085] Throughout the specification, reference has been made to "one example" or "an example", which means that the specifically described features, structures, or characteristics are included in at least one example. Therefore, the use of such phrases may refer to more than one example. Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more examples.

[0086] However, one skilled in the relevant art may recognize that the examples may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, resources, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, resources, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the examples.

[0087] Although examples and applications have been illustrated and described, it should be understood that these examples are not limited to the precise configuration and resources described above. Various modifications, changes and variations that are obvious to those skilled in the art can be made to the arrangement, operation and details of the methods and systems disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the examples claimed.

Claims

1. A protection system for an input feeder of a solid-state power distribution device, the protection system comprising: A solid-state power distribution device, wherein an output terminal of the solid-state power distribution device is connected to a plurality of electrical devices to supply power to the plurality of electrical devices; an AC bus bar for supplying power to the solid-state power distribution device; a plurality of input feeders for providing connections between the AC busbar and the solid-state power distribution device; A contactor module, arranged in the plurality of input feeders to control the on and off of the plurality of input feeders; A first current transformer, used to measure the output current value of the AC busbar; A second current transformer, used to measure the input current value of the solid-state power distribution device; as well as A bus power supply controller is used to determine whether the protection system has a fault based on at least one of the output current value of the AC bus measured by the first current transformer and the input current value of the solid-state distribution device measured by the second current transformer, and control the contactor module to disconnect the connection between the AC bus and the solid-state distribution device when it is determined that the protection system has a fault.

2. The protection system according to claim 1, characterized in that The busbar power controller is further configured to: Determining whether an overcurrent fault exists according to the output current value of the AC busbar measured by the first current transformer and the rated current value of the solid-state power distribution device; and The contactor module is controlled to disconnect the connection between the AC bus bar and the solid-state power distribution device when an overcurrent fault is determined to exist.

3. The protection system according to claim 2, characterized in that The AC busbar outputs multi-phase current, and the busbar power controller is further configured to: determining a load current sum threshold value according to a rated current value of the solid-state power distribution device, wherein the load current sum threshold value is less than the rated current value of the solid-state power distribution device; When it is detected that the output current value of any phase of the multi-phase current exceeds the load current sum threshold, it is determined that an overcurrent fault exists.

4. The protection system according to claim 1, characterized in that The busbar power controller is further configured to: Determining whether there is a leakage fault according to the output current value of the AC busbar measured by the first current transformer and the input current value of the solid-state power distribution device measured by the second current transformer; and When it is determined that there is a leakage fault, the contactor module is controlled to disconnect the connection between the AC bus bar and the solid-state power distribution device, The leakage fault includes a ground fault and a phase-to-phase fault.

5. The protection system according to claim 4, characterized in that The AC busbar outputs multi-phase current, and the busbar power controller is further configured to: Comparing the output current value of each phase of the multi-phase current with the sum of the input current values ​​of the solid-state power distribution device of the corresponding phase to obtain a plurality of current difference values; as well as When it is detected that any current difference value among the multiple current difference values ​​exceeds a preset error threshold, it is determined that a ground fault exists.

6. The protection system according to claim 5, characterized in that The busbar power controller is further configured to: When it is detected that the sum of the differences between any two current difference values ​​among the plurality of current difference values ​​exceeds the error threshold, it is determined that there is a phase-to-phase fault.

7. The protection system according to claim 1, characterized in that The busbar power controller is further configured to: When it is determined that the protection system has a fault, a corresponding fault type is recorded, wherein the fault type includes at least one of an overcurrent fault, a ground fault, and a phase-to-phase fault; as well as The fault type is signaled.

8. The protection system according to claim 7, characterized in that The busbar power controller is further configured to: Before detecting the overcurrent fault, the ground fault and the phase-to-phase fault, controlling the contactor module to disconnect the connection between the AC bus bar and the solid-state power distribution device; as well as When it is detected that the contactor module is closed, the fault type is recorded as a contactor module fault.

9. The protection system according to claim 8, characterized in that The AC busbar outputs multi-phase current, and the busbar power controller is further configured to: When the contactor module is detected to be disconnected, detecting a plurality of current values ​​of the multi-phase current from the first current transformer and the second current transformer; as well as When any current value among the multiple current values ​​exceeds a preset error threshold, the fault type is recorded as a current transformer fault of the corresponding phase.

10. A method for use in a protection system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, the method comprising: The busbar power supply controller obtains the output current value of the AC busbar from the first current transformer; The busbar power supply controller obtains the input current value of the solid-state power distribution device from the second current transformer; as well as The busbar power supply controller determines whether the protection system has a fault based on at least one of the output current value of the AC busbar and the input current value of the solid-state distribution device, and controls the contactor module to disconnect the connection between the AC busbar and the solid-state distribution device when it is determined that the protection system has a fault.

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