Current Balancing for Avionics Power Redundancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
In aerospace avionics applications, multiple 28 VDC voltage sources with slight voltage differences lead to current imbalances, increasing the demand for maximum current capabilities and wiring, as conventional systems fail to ensure equal current distribution among redundant power sources.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising current balancers with series pass elements and controllers that throttle these elements to balance output current, utilizing current sensors and amplifiers for feedback and control, ensuring balanced current distribution across multiple voltage sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple redundant voltage sources are used to power avionics applications, then system reliability is improved, but current distribution becomes imbalanced causing increased maximum current requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs feedback mechanisms where current sensors monitor the actual current drawn from each voltage source, and this information is fed back to controllers that adjust the series pass elements. This closed-loop feedback system ensures that current distribution is continuously monitored and corrected to maintain balance, thereby preventing any single source from being overloaded while preserving the reliability benefits of redundant power sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically changes the electrical parameters (resistance values) of the series pass elements based on real-time current measurements. By adjusting these parameters through controller actuation, the system modifies the electrical characteristics of each power path to achieve balanced current distribution, directly addressing the power capability issue while maintaining redundant source reliability.
2Reliability
If multiple voltage sources with different voltage levels are connected in parallel, then power redundancy is achieved, but current imbalance occurs drawing majority current from higher voltage source
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces series pass elements as intermediary components between the voltage sources and the load. These intermediaries act as adjustable resistance elements that mediate the current flow from each voltage source, allowing the system to maintain power redundancy while achieving balanced current distribution by inserting controllable impedance in each parallel branch.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the resistance parameters of the series pass elements to compensate for voltage differences between parallel sources. By changing these electrical parameters in real-time based on voltage level detection and current measurement, the system maintains ease of operation and current balance while preserving the reliability benefits of multiple redundant sources.
3Ease of operation
If current balancers with controllers and sensors are added to balance current distribution, then current balance is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the current balancing function into separate modular units, with each voltage source branch equipped with its own series pass element, current sensor, and controller. This segmentation allows each module to operate semi-independently, making the overall system more manageable and easier to implement despite the added complexity, as each segment handles a specific portion of the current balancing task.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system (100) comprises a first current balancer (300) and a second current balancer (400). Each of the first and second current balancers includes a first input line (102) for a first voltage source (104) connected to a first output (106), a second input line (108) for a second voltage source (110) connected to a second output and is in parallel with the first input line, a first series pass element (114) connected in series with the first input line, and a second series pass element (116) connected in series with the second input line. The system further includes a controller (118) operatively connected to the first series pass element and to the second series pass element to throttle at least one of the first series pass element and the second series pass element to balance output current in the first and second outputs.