Aircraft Electrical Architecture Consolidating Control Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the aeronautical field, there is a recurring issue of reducing on-board weight in vehicles, particularly in aircraft, where the existing electrical architectures for controlling inverters are not optimized for weight reduction, and there is a need for more efficient management of power converters to meet varying energy demands.
Innovation Solution
An electrical architecture is proposed that includes a common operation control module and current control module shared among converters, with a pulse width modulator and close control module, allowing for the pooling of control equipment while maintaining independence of each converter, and featuring a real-time operating system for efficient channel separation and optical fiber connections for galvanic isolation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate control equipment is associated with each converter, then each converter can be controlled independently, but the on-board weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges separate control equipment into a common control unit that can manage multiple converters. The control unit includes a processor that executes control algorithms for different converters, sharing common components such as oscillators, pulse width modulators, and communication interfaces, thereby reducing overall weight while maintaining independent control capability through software-based converter identification and parameter configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit is designed with universal functionality to control different types of converters (e.g., buck, boost, buck-boost) through a single device. The processor can be configured via communication interfaces to identify and control specific converters based on their parameters, allowing one control unit to serve multiple converters with different characteristics without requiring dedicated control equipment for each
2Weight of moving object
If control equipment is pooled across converters, then on-board weight is reduced, but the complexity of managing multiple converters increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit is segmented into modular functional blocks including a processor, communication interfaces, pulse width modulators, and converter-specific control algorithms. Each converter is identified and managed as a separate logical entity within the unified control structure, allowing independent configuration and control parameters for each converter while sharing common hardware resources
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit implements feedback mechanisms where the processor receives status information from multiple converters through communication interfaces, identifies the target converter based on configuration parameters, and adjusts control signals accordingly. This feedback loop enables the single control unit to dynamically manage multiple converters with different operating conditions without increasing operational complexity
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical architecture for controlling inverters and to an aircraft includes the architecture. The electrical architecture comprises: a plurality of converters capable of operating independently of one another, each converter being intended to power a charge, associated with each converter/charge pair: a charging loop, comprising at least one sensor measuring a parameter that is characteristic of the operation of the charge, an operation control module, receiving an operation setpoint of the charge and information originating from the operation sensor, the operation control module controlling a current setpoint of the considered converter so that the information originating from the operation sensor follows the operation setpoint. The operation control module is common to the converters.