Method for controlling an electrical distribution system

Abstract

The invention relates to a method (100) for controlling an electrical distribution system (1) that comprises a data concentrator (2) connected to a plurality of sensors (6), wherein sensor (6) is associated with a protection and communication device (4) connected between the sensor (6) and the concentrator (2), and wherein the concentrator (2) and each protection and communication device (4) each comprises electronic circuitry for implementing the management method (100). The control method comprises at least the following steps: - configuring (101) a list of data items and a transmission frequency for each protection and communication device (4) according to the sensor (6) and an electrical load that are associated therewith; - acquiring (102) a signal from a sensor (6) and transmitting it to the corresponding protection and communication device (4); - transmitting (103) a predefined data item or a calculation corresponding to the acquired signal, wherein the transmission is sent by the corresponding protection and communication device (4) to the concentrator (2), and wherein the transmission is sent at the configured transmission frequency.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] TITLE: METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

[0003] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0004] The invention relates to the field of controlling electrical distribution systems, and more particularly relates to the field of controlling aircraft electrical distribution systems.

[0005] STATE OF PRIOR ART

[0006] As is known, aircraft include electrical distribution systems.

[0007] Typically, electrical distribution networks include a large number of sensors that can transmit signals to a data concentrator.

[0008] Currently, very little data is acquired in real time on the state of the electrical distribution system. Indeed, only a few pieces of information concerning self-diagnostics (called Built in Test in English), or concerning consumption calculations, are transmitted in order to provide feedback, or to help with fault diagnosis, or even maintenance. The low level of information transmitted to the hub is due to the bandwidth limitations of the electrical distribution network and the low computing power of the sensors. Indeed, if the sensors all send data at the same time, the electrical distribution system's communication network does not have enough bandwidth and is then saturated. In addition, the quantity of data that would be transmitted would be too large for a standard aircraft computer, which would saturate it.Indeed, in a typical case, an aircraft electrical distribution network includes at least two hundred electrical load sensors. If each sensor transmits current and voltage measurements with a standard frequency of 10kHz at a rate of 64Mb / s, then the quantity and flow of data far exceeds what a standard electrical distribution network can support. Moreover, the computing power required to obtain all the useful information (impedance, power factor, and potentially many others) from the collected raw data would be too high and would exceed what can conventionally be done by an aircraft's onboard sensor computer.

[0009] Thus, in this context, it is necessary to provide a method for controlling an electrical distribution system which makes it possible to recover, as regularly as possible, a greater number of data, relevant according to the associated electrical loads, from the sensors of the electrical distribution network, without saturating the bandwidth of the communication network of the electrical distribution system and without saturating the on-board computers.

[0010] STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0011] For this purpose, according to a first aspect, a method for controlling an electrical distribution system is proposed, comprising a data concentrator connected to a plurality of sensors, each sensor being associated with a protection and communication device connected between the sensor and the concentrator. The concentrator and each protection and communication device each comprise electronic circuitry for implementing the management method. The control method comprises at least the following steps:

[0012] - configure a data list and transmission frequency for each protection and communication device based on the sensor and load associated with it;

[0013] - acquire a signal from a sensor and transmit it to the corresponding protection and communication device;

[0014] - transmitting a predefined data or calculation corresponding to the acquired signal, the transmission being carried out by the corresponding protection and communication device to the concentrator and the transmission being carried out at the configured transmission frequency.

[0015] Thus, the method cleverly proposes to configure each protection and transmission device so that it transmits only the necessary data and at a predetermined frequency. This arrangement makes it possible to save the bandwidth of the electrical distribution system and not to saturate the data concentrator, while making it possible to transmit relevant data as regularly as possible according to the associated electrical loads corresponding to the signal acquired by the sensor. Thus, in other words, the method makes it possible to recover, almost in real time, a large number of data from the sensors of the electrical distribution network, without saturating the bandwidth of the electrical distribution system and without saturating the data concentrator.

[0016] According to a particular arrangement, the step of configuring the data list and the transmission frequency associated with each protection and communication device, comprises the transmission by the concentrator, to each protection and communication device, of specific configuration parameters for each protection and communication device.

[0017] According to a particular arrangement, the step of configuring the data list and the transmission frequency associated with each protection and communication device includes recording the configuration parameters on a non-volatile memory medium of each protection and communication device.

[0018] According to a particular arrangement, the step of configuring the data list and the transmission frequency associated with each protection and communication device includes a prior step of deleting previously recorded configuration parameters.

[0019] According to a particular arrangement, the step of transmitting data includes a calculation of the data based on the acquired signal and a specific calculation instruction for each protection and communication device.

[0020] According to a particular provision, the calculation instruction is a configuration parameter.

[0021] According to a particular arrangement, the acquired signal corresponds to a measurement of a quantity chosen from voltage, current or temperature.

[0022] According to another aspect, there is provided an electrical distribution system which comprises a data concentrator connected to a plurality of sensors, each sensor being associated with a protection and communication device connected between the sensor and the concentrator, the concentrator and each protection and communication device each comprising electronic circuitry for implementing the control method comprising at least the following steps:

[0023] - configure a data list and a transmission frequency associated with each protection and communication device based on the sensor and an electrical load associated with it;

[0024] - acquire a signal from a sensor and transmit it to the corresponding protection and communication device;

[0025] - transmitting a predefined data or calculation corresponding to the acquired signal, the transmission being carried out by the corresponding protection and communication device to the concentrator and the transmission being carried out at the configured transmission frequency.

[0026] According to a particular arrangement, each protection and communication device includes a non-volatile memory medium.

[0027] According to another aspect, there is provided an aircraft comprising an electrical distribution system according to the invention.

[0028] According to another aspect, there is provided a computer program product comprising program code instructions for executing the method according to the invention, when said instructions are executed by at least one processor.

[0029] According to another aspect, there is provided a non-transitory storage medium on which is stored a computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the method according to the invention, when said instructions are read from said non-transitory storage medium and executed by a processor.

[0030] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The above-mentioned features of the invention, as well as others, will appear more clearly on reading the following description of at least one exemplary embodiment, said description being made in relation to the attached drawings, among which:

[0032] [Fig. 1] schematically illustrates an architecture of an electrical distribution system according to the invention; [Fig. 2] schematically illustrates the architecture of a data concentrator;

[0033] [Fig. 3] schematically illustrates the architecture of a protection and communication device;

[0034] [Fig. 4] schematically illustrates a method of controlling an electrical distribution system.

[0035] DETAILED PRESENTATION OF IMPLEMENTATION METHODS

[0036] Electrical distribution system

[0037] With reference to Fig. 1, according to a first aspect, an electrical distribution system 1 is proposed.

[0038] The system 1 comprises a data concentrator 2 (i.e. an on-board computer). According to a particularly advantageous arrangement, the concentrator 2 is a standard computer of an electrical distribution system 1 of an aircraft.

[0039] Typically, the concentrator 2 is a computer system comprising electronic circuitry configured to implement a method 100 for controlling the electrical distribution system 1 of an aircraft.

[0040] As shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2, the computer system forming the concentrator 2 may comprise, connected by a communication bus 210: a processor 201; a random access memory 202; a read-only memory 203, for example of the ROM (“Read Only Memory” in English) or EEPROM (“Electrically-Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory” in English) type; a storage unit 204, such as a hard disk HDD (“Hard Disk Drive” in English), or a storage media reader, such as an SD (“Secure Digital” in English) card reader; and an input-output interface manager 205.

[0041] The processor 201 is capable of executing instructions loaded into the RAM 202 from the ROM 203, an external memory, a storage medium (such as an SD card), or a communications network. When the hub 2 is powered on, the processor 201 is capable of reading instructions from the RAM 202 and executing them. These instructions form a computer program enabling the implementation, by the processor 201, of the method 100 and the steps described herein.All or part of the method 100 and the steps described below can thus be implemented in software form by executing a set of instructions by a programmable machine, for example a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) type processor or a microcontroller, or be implemented in hardware form by a machine or a dedicated component, for example an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) component. Generally speaking, the concentrator 2 comprises electronic circuitry adapted and configured to implement, in software and / or hardware form, the methods and steps described below in relation to the concentrator 2 in question.

[0042] Furthermore, the electrical distribution system 1 comprises a plurality of sensors 6. The sensors 6 are known sensors which will not be detailed further in this document. According to a particular arrangement, the sensors 6 are adapted to acquire signals corresponding to current, intensity and / or temperature values. It is specified that according to other embodiments, the sensors 6 can be adapted to acquire other physical quantities.

[0043] Each sensor 6 is associated with a protection and communication device 4 connected between the sensor 6 and the concentrator 2. Each protection and communication device 4 makes it possible to protect electrical lines of the electrical distribution system 1.

[0044] According to the embodiment shown schematically in Fig. 3, each protection and communication device 4 comprises electronic circuitry configured to implement a method 100 for controlling the electrical distribution system 1 of an aircraft.

[0045] As shown schematically in Fig. 4, each protection and communication device 4 may comprise, connected by a communication bus 410: a processor 401; a random access memory 402; a read-only memory 403, for example of the ROM (“Read Only Memory” in English) or EEPROM (“Electrically-Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory” in English) type; a storage unit 404, such as a hard disk HDD (“Hard Disk Drive” in English), or a storage media reader, such as an SD (“Secure Digital” in English) card reader; and an input-output interface manager 405.

[0046] The processor 401 is capable of executing instructions loaded into RAM

[0047] 402 from read-only memory 403 (non-volatile memory), from an external memory, from a storage medium (such as an SD card), or from a communication network. When each protection and communication device 4 is powered on, the processor 401 is capable of reading instructions from the read-only memory 402 and executing them. These instructions form a computer program allowing the implementation, by the processor 401, of the method 100 and the steps described herein.

[0048] All or part of the method 100 and the steps described below can thus be implemented in software form by executing a set of instructions by a programmable machine, for example a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) type processor or a microcontroller, or be implemented in hardware form by a machine or a dedicated component, for example an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) component. Generally speaking, each protection and communication device 4 comprises electronic circuitry adapted and configured to implement, in software and / or hardware form, the method and steps described below in relation to each protection and communication device 4 in question.

[0049] Furthermore, the electrical distribution system 1 comprises a plurality of electrical lines of known structures which will not be detailed in this document.

[0050] Aircraft

[0051] According to another aspect, there is provided an aircraft comprising the electrical distribution system 1.

[0052] Management process

[0053] According to another aspect, a method 100 for controlling the electrical distribution system 1 is proposed which comprises at least the following steps:

[0054] - configure (step 101) a data list and a transmission frequency associated with each protection and communication device 4 as a function of the sensor 6 and an electrical load associated with it;

[0055] - acquiring (step 102) a signal from a sensor 6 and transmitting it to the corresponding protection and communication device 4; - transmitting (step 103) a predefined data or calculation corresponding to the acquired signal, the transmission being carried out by the corresponding protection and communication device 4 to the concentrator 2 and the transmission being carried out at the configured transmission frequency.

[0056] Thus, the method 100 cleverly proposes to configure each protection and transmission device 6 so that it transmits data at a predetermined frequency. This arrangement makes it possible to save the bandwidth of the electrical distribution system 1 and not to saturate the data concentrator 2 or the protection members 4, while making it possible to transmit as regularly as possible data corresponding to the signal acquired by the sensor 6, and adapted to the computing power of the protection and communication member 4 and to the associated electrical load. Thus, in other words, the method 100 makes it possible to recover, almost in real time, a large number of data adapted to the powered electrical loads from the sensors of the electrical distribution network, without saturating the bandwidth of the electrical distribution system and without saturating the data concentrator 2 or the protection and communication members 4.

[0057] Typically, the acquired signal corresponds to a measurement of a quantity chosen from voltage, current or temperature. It is specified that according to other embodiments, the acquired signal may correspond to other physical quantities.

[0058] It is specified that according to a particularly advantageous arrangement, step 101 of configuring a list of data and a transmission frequency associated with each protection and communication device 4 is carried out as a function of the sensor 6 and an electrical load which are associated with the protection and communication device 4.

[0059] In a particularly advantageous manner, the step 101 of configuring a list of data and a transmission frequency of each protection and communication device 4, comprises the transmission 1011 by the concentrator, to each protection and communication device, of specific configuration parameters for each protection and communication device. In an even more advantageous manner, the step 101 of configuring a transmission frequency of each protection and communication device comprises the recording 1012 of the configuration parameters on a non-volatile memory medium 404 of each protection and communication device 4.

[0060] Furthermore, according to a particular arrangement, step 101 of configuring a transmission frequency of each protection and communication device 4 comprises a prior step 1010 of deleting previously recorded configuration parameters.

[0061] Thus, in other words, the step 101 of configuring the transmission frequency comprises a prior configuration of each protection and communication device 1. This prior configuration comprises a reset (erasing then saving) of the parameters, which makes it possible to guarantee that the method 100 is executed with the appropriate parameters. Typically, the configuration step 101 can be executed at each start-up of the aircraft in which the electrical distribution system 1 is installed.

[0062] According to a particular arrangement, the step 103 of transmitting data comprises a calculation 1031 of the data as a function of the acquired signal and a specific calculation instruction for each protection and communication device. In other words, according to this arrangement, each piece of data transmitted is calculated by the protection and communication device 4 which transmits it, which makes it possible to reduce the calculation load of the concentrator 2. In other words, unlike known methods which have all the calculations carried out by the concentrator, this arrangement makes it possible to transfer part of the calculations to the protection and communication devices 4.

[0063] According to an even more particular arrangement, the calculation setpoint is a configuration parameter. Thus, according to this arrangement, the calculation setpoint is configured for each protection and communication device during step 101.

[0064] Program Product According to another aspect, there is provided a computer program product comprising program code instructions for executing the method 100 when said instructions are executed by at least one processor 201 and / or 401.

[0065] Storage Medium According to another aspect, there is provided a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the method 100.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Method (100) for controlling an electrical distribution system (1), comprising a data concentrator (2) connected to a plurality of sensors (6), each sensor (6) being associated with a protection and communication device (4) connected between the sensor (6) and the concentrator (2), the concentrator (2) and each protection and communication device (4) each comprising electronic circuitry for implementing the management method (100), the control method (100) being characterized in that it comprises at least the following steps: - configuring (101) a data list and a transmission frequency for each protection and communication device (4) according to the sensor (6) and an electrical load associated with it; - acquiring (102) a signal from a sensor (6) and transmitting it to the corresponding protection and communication device (4); - transmitting (103) a predefined data or calculation corresponding to the acquired signal, the transmission being carried out by the corresponding protection and communication device (4) to the concentrator (2) and the transmission being carried out at the configured transmission frequency.

2. Method (100) according to claim 1, wherein the step (101) of configuring the data list and the transmission frequency associated with each protection and communication device (4), comprises the transmission (1011) by the concentrator, to each protection and communication device (4), of specific configuration parameters for each protection and communication device (4).

3. Method (100) according to claim 2, wherein the step (101) of configuring the data list and the transmission frequency associated with each protection and communication device (4), comprises recording (1012) the configuration parameters on a non-volatile memory medium (403) of each protection and communication device (4).

4. Method (100) according to claim 3, wherein the step (101) of configuring the data list and the transmission frequency associated with each device protection and communication (4) comprises a prior step (1010) of deleting previously recorded configuration parameters.

5. Method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the step of transmitting (103) data comprises a calculation (1031) of the data as a function of the acquired signal and a specific calculation instruction for each protection and communication device (4).

6. Method (100) according to claims 2 and 5 in combination, in which the calculation instruction is a configuration parameter.

7. Method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the acquired signal corresponds to a measurement of a quantity chosen from voltage, current or temperature.

8. Electrical distribution system (1) characterized in that it comprises a data concentrator (2) connected to a plurality of sensors (6), each sensor (6) being associated with a protection and communication device (4) connected between the sensor (6) and the concentrator (2), the concentrator (2) and each protection and communication device (4) each comprising electronic circuitry for implementing the control method (100) comprising at least the following steps: - configure (101) a data list and a transmission frequency associated with each protection and communication device (4) according to the sensor (6) and an electrical load associated with it; - acquiring (102) a signal from a sensor (6) and transmitting it to the corresponding protection and communication device (4); - transmitting (103) a predefined data or calculation corresponding to the acquired signal, the transmission being carried out by the corresponding protection and communication device (4) to the concentrator (2) and the transmission being carried out at the configured transmission frequency.

9. System (1) according to claim 8, wherein each protection and communication device (4) comprises a non-volatile memory medium (403).

10. Aircraft comprising an electrical distribution system (1) according to any one of claims 8 or 9.

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