The Boeing Company

Other

Theboeing Company

Eugene V Solodovnik

Kamiar J Karimi

Shengyi Liu

Frederic Lacaux

Vyacheslav Khozikov

Lijun Gao

Mark Eugene Liffring

Evelyn Marie Matheson

Thomas F Currier

Jeffrey Joseph White

Matthew Joseph Krolak

John Anthony Trela

Robert Dennis Holley

Kolten Carrington Miller

Francisco De Leon

Jian Huang

Mark Stephen Shander

Todd Burton Brouwer

Dariusz Czarkowski

Terrance L Thomas

Dazhong Gu

Sheverria Aikens

Mehdy Barekatein

Lowell W Schaffner

Jon J Dhondt

Carolyn Kerr

Dorina L Hester

N Evan Lurton

Yujie Song

Adam J Winstanley

Matthew J Krolak

Anil Kumar

John Ralph Hull

Timothy McNally Mitchell

John Dalton Williams

Aaron Jonathan Kutzmann

Michael Thomas Fox

Farhad Nozari

Mary Eileen Beckman

Jerry Edward Farstad

Sheau-Wei Johnny Fu

Esther S Zidovetzki

Patrick R Darmstadt

Alejandro Silva

Nicholas J Silveri

Paul A Mezs

Zachary R Lewis

Robert D Holley

Mark S Shander

Todd B Brouwer

Methods and systems for charging a battery string while protecting against overcharging. One system includes: a pair of disconnect devices; a power distribution bus which is electrically connected to a battery string via the disconnect devices; a battery charger connected to supply battery power to the power distribution bus for charging the battery string; a module monitoring unit configured to sense individual battery cell voltages during charging; a first processor configured to activate one disconnect device to open when the sensed individual battery cell voltages indicate overcharging; a plurality of sensors connected to sense a full-string voltage measured across the battery string and first and second half-string voltages measured across first and second half-strings of the battery string; and a second processor connected to receive sensor data during charging. The second processor is configured to independently activate the second disconnect device to open when the sensor data indicates continued overcharging.

Systems and methods for fail-safe battery protection independent from battery management system

An aircraft adaptive battery charging system is provided. The adaptive battery charging system comprises: a battery system; a bidirectional converter, wherein the bidirectional converter is capable of an inverter mode and a rectifier mode; an alternating current (AC) motor; a number of controllable contactors that control electrical current between the battery system, bidirectional converter, AC motor, and a power source wherein the controllable contactors can be switched between a closed position to allow electrical current flow and an open position to prevent electrical current flow; a motor controller; a battery charging system controller configured to send control signals to the battery system, motor controller, and controllable contactors in response to system command signals; and a vehicle system controller that sends system command signals to the motor controller and battery charging system controller.

Adaptive battery charging system and method

One example provides a method for generating and using electric power in a hybrid power system for an aircraft. The hybrid power system has an engine and a high-voltage DC (HVDC) bus interconnecting a generator-motor system, an AC distribution system, and a DC distribution system. The method comprises operating the engine through a plurality of different operation phases. The method further comprises selectively providing, based on thrust demands of the engine, electric power from the HVDC bus to the generator-motor system to assist the engine in providing thrust. The method further comprises selectively extracting, using the engine driving the generator-motor system with a high-pressure spool (HPS) shaft and/or a low-pressure spool (LPS) shaft of the engine, electric power from the engine. The method further comprises selectively delivering the electric power extracted from the engine to the AC distribution system and/or the DC distribution system.

Hybrid turbine and multiple-spool electric power system for aircraft

A discrete signal interlock system for activating an electric machine in an aircraft includes a first controller, a second controller, and a power source coupled via a single wiring harness bundle to a motor controller that is operatively connected to the electric machine. The motor controller includes a first circuit that is electrically coupled to a driver enabler of the motor controller, and a second circuit that is electrically coupled to a driver of the motor controller. The single wiring harness bundle encloses a first signal cable electrically coupling the first controller to the first circuit, a second signal cable electrically coupling the second controller to the second circuit, a first power cable electrically coupled to the first circuit, and a second power cable electrically coupled to the second circuit. Activation of the motor controller requires activation of the driver in concert with activation of the driver enabler.

Method and system for activating an electric machine in an aircraft

A hybrid power system for an aircraft. The hybrid power system comprises a high-voltage DC (HVDC) bus and a generator-motor system configured to (1) selectively receive electric power from the HVDC bus to assist in providing propulsion and (2) provide electric power to the HVDC bus during regulated power extraction. An LPS generator/motor is coupled with an LPS shaft of an engine. An HPS generator/motor is coupled with an HPS shaft of the engine. A first AC/DC converter is connected to the LPS generator/motor and the HVDC bus. A second AC/DC converter is connected to the HPS generator/motor, the first AC/DC converter, and the HVDC bus. An electric motor is connected to the HVDC bus and configured to provide propulsion and/or electric power. Further, AC and DC distribution systems are connected to the HVDC bus. A control system is configured to selectively control connections to the HVDC bus.

A method for protecting an electric propulsion system in response to occurrence of a fault. The method includes the step of activating short circuits in power switches of inverters in a motor controller to redirect current regenerated by a motor which is electrically coupled to the motor controller and mechanically coupled to a propeller. The method further includes feathering the propeller while the motor is regenerating current. The protection logic is designed to address different types of faults, including faults in the high-voltage direct-current bus, faults in the motor controller, and faults in the motor.

Protection system for aircraft electric propulsion motor and motor controller

An electrical system for an aircraft includes an AC electric power source electrically connected to a rotary electric motor via a plurality of AC contactors. An AC/DC inverter is electrically connected to the rotary electric motor, a DC power bus is electrically connected to the AC/DC inverter, and a plurality of sensors are arranged to monitor electric currents between the AC electric power source and the rotary electric motor. A first controller is arranged to control the AC/DC inverter; and a second controller is arranged to monitor the sensors and are operatively connected to the AC contactors. The second controller is operable to monitor, via the sensors, the electric currents between the AC electric power source and the rotary electric motor, and detect a fault based upon the electric currents, and deactivate the AC contactors in response to the fault.

System and method for ground fault monitoring in an aircraft

Methods and systems for protection/disconnect of airborne high-power/energy high-voltage modular multi-string battery packs (such as battery packs for airborne electric propulsion systems). The methods and systems are based on a dissimilar/redundant distributed battery pack protection architecture and use a smart mid-point battery disconnect in conjunction with centralized battery management system. The resulting battery disconnect/protection system is configured to detect bus faults, load faults and string faults and then take appropriate action to isolate the detected fault. For example, in response to a short circuit in one battery string, the faulty battery string may be disconnected from the positive and negative busbars while the remaining battery strings continue to provide power.

Smart battery disconnect and protection architecture for airborne high-power modular multi-string battery pack

Methods and apparatus for detecting and characterizing arc faults in an aerospace electric propulsion system and then coordinating the operation of various elements of the protection system to execute a fault-clearing sequence. In a current-based method, the arc is detected and characterized based on differential readouts from current sensors. The difference between currents measured at two ends of a protection zone are compared to a difference threshold. In a power-based method, the arc is detected and characterized based on differential readouts from voltage and current sensors. The differential voltage and current readouts are used to compute the respective powers at two ends of a protection zone. The difference between the respective powers is integrated over a period of time and then the integrated difference is compared to a difference threshold. A differential protection trip mode is invoked when the difference threshold is exceeded.

An electric propulsion unit comprising a housing, an AC motor, a beta rod, a propeller, a governor, an inverter, and a controller. The AC motor is disposed within the housing and includes bearings supported inside the housing, a hollow motor shaft rotatably coupled to the housing by the bearings, a stator which is supported by the housing, and a rotor which is mounted to the hollow motor shaft. The beta rod is axially translatable inside the hollow motor shaft. The propeller is mechanically coupled to the hollow motor shaft. The propeller includes propeller blades having an adjustable pitch angle which depends on an axial position of the beta rod. The governor is configured to adjust a pitch angle of the propeller blades by actuating axial translation of the beta rod. The controller is disposed inside the housing and configured to control the pitch angle of the propeller blades.

Integrated electric propulsion unit

An electric drive system including an impedance balancing noise filtering circuit is disclosed. The electric drive system includes a direct current (DC) power source configured to output DC power to an output port and an inverter configured to convert the DC power output by the DC power source into alternating current (AC) power that is provided to an input port of an AC load. The impedance balancing noise filtering circuit includes an impedance bridge electrically intermediate the output port of the DC power source and the input port of the AC load. The impedance balancing noise filtering circuit includes different sets of passive components that are positioned on both the DC-side and the AC-side of the inverter. These sets of passive components are configured to facilitate impedance balancing that reduces common-mode (CM) electromagnetic interference (EMI) emission at the output port of the DC power source.

Impedance balancing for noise filtering in electric drive systems

A system including a power modulation device and an active voltage balancing system is provided. The power modulation device includes first and second semiconductor switches in series. The active voltage balancing system includes a differential voltage logic configured to detect a voltage difference between the first and second semiconductor switches and edge capture logic configured to detect a time difference between when the first and second semiconductor switches are switched. The active voltage balancing system further includes a micro-controller configured to output first and second gate drive signals to drive the first and second semiconductor switches. The micro-controller is configured to tune the first and second gate drive signals based on the voltage difference to compensate for voltage imbalance and the time difference to compensate for drive signal asymmetry to actively balance a voltage between the first and second semiconductor switches.

Active voltage balancing for power modulation device

A system and method for providing power to a vehicle is disclosed. The system can include a plurality of parallel module converter modules ('modules') each capable of supplying a predetermined electrical load. The plurality of parallel module converter modules can be networked to form a parallel module converter ('converter') for prioritizing and allocating each electrical load to one or more parallel module converter modules. Each module can include an internal protection controller and a logic controller. The individual modules can provide power to various loads in the vehicle either alone, or in concert with other modules. The system can enable fewer power controllers to be used, saving weight and time. The controllers in the system can also be utilized at a higher level reducing unnecessary redundancy.

Parallel modular converter architecture

Systems and methods for current ripple reduction for a direct current (DC) source powering an alternating current (AC) load. In accordance with one embodiment, the system and method involve interleaved operation of a 3&#xd7;3-phase AC motor having multiple groups of windings. In accordance with another embodiment, the system and method involve interleaved operation of multiple co-shafted 3-phase AC motors. In accordance with a further embodiment, the system and method involve interleaved operation multiple 3-phase AC motors (not co-shafted) of the same level of power. The interleaved operation entails interleaved switching inside a set of inverters which are connected in parallel between a DC bus and the windings of the AC motor (motors).

Current ripple reduction for a direct current source powering an alternating current load

A fault-tolerant power system architecture for aircraft electric propulsion. The fault-tolerant systems continue to operate in the event of the failure of (or one or more faults within) some component. The fault-tolerant design enables the system to continue its intended operation, possibly at a reduced level, rather than failing completely, when some part of the system fails. When a turn-to-turn fault in an AC motor is detected, a motor controller will short three top or three bottom switches in the inverter together (effectively shorting the associated stator windings) to divert fault current from the motor windings to the motor controller, where cooling is available. Also, when a fault in or at the input to a motor controller is detected, the motor controller cuts off power to the motor by issuing a command that causes an upstream contactor with high-voltage DC bus input to open.

Fault-tolerant power system architecture for aircraft electric propulsion

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Lake Stevens, WA, United States of America

Eugene V Solodovnik