Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation

Other

Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation-pcss

John A Dickey

Josh C Swenson

David M Kucharski

Kevin Case Fritz

Robert C Cooney

Donald G Kilroy

Bruce D Beneditz

Christian Miller

Jimmy Peralta

Michael James Krenz

Francis C Belisle

Mark W Metzler

Jeffrey T Wavering

Michael J Hanson

Josef Maier

Carl A Wagner

Joshua C Swenson

Norbert J Simper

Kevin Donald Kilroy

Daniel Knope

Terrence R Leibham

Damon L Raynor

Alkesh R Patel

Matt Earing

Russell G Stoneback

Marc A Bouton

Kenneth Spear

Rainer J Seidel

Kyle Steven Ives

A surface having a controllable contour. A plurality of closely-spaced panels form the surface. A post actuator is disposed beneath each panel vertex such that application of a force to a post actuator causes the post actuator to vertically extend and thereby a region of a panel above the post actuator to move upwardly. Release of a force on a post actuator causes the post actuator to contract vertically and permit a region of the panel above the post actuator to move downwardly. Each post actuator is independently controllable to extend and contract. A control system supplies water to each post actuator to vertically extend the post actuator and releases water from each post actuator to cause the post actuators to contract vertically. By controlling the supply and release of water to and from each post actuator a desired contour for the panels can be achieved.

Golf putting green with controllable surface contour

In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, a system can include a main board, two or more redundant CPUs for any number of channels operatively connected to the main board and two or more power sources operatively connected to provide power to at least one or more of the two or more CPUs. A respective isolated communications block can be operatively connected to each of the two or more CPUs configured to provide external communications from other components on the main board to a respective CPU.

Solid state power controllers

A power system includes a field effect transistor (FET) with a first terminal, a gate terminal, and a third terminal. A Zener diode is connected in series between the first terminal of the FET and the gate terminal of the FET. The Zener diode is oriented to allow current through the Zener diode only if its voltage difference is at or over the Zener voltage of the Zener diode. A capacitor is connected in parallel with the Zener diode. The capacitor is configured to raise gate drive current of the FET during a rising edge of a lightning transient and thereby reduce voltage drop across the FET faster than the Zener diode can do on its own.

Lightning protection for power MOSFETs

Circuit board assemblies include a circuit board portion having a recess formed therein, an electrically and thermally conductive insert, shaped to fit in the recess formed in the circuit board portion, an electrically and thermally conductive layer adapted and configured to interface with an external chassis, and a thermally conductive electrically insulative portion interposed between the electrically and thermally conductive insert and the electrically and thermally conductive layer, adapted and configured to conduct heat from the electrically and thermally conductive insert to the electrically and thermally conductive layer without conducting electricity.

Devices and methods to improve thermal conduction from SMT and chip on board components to chassis heat sinking

In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, a system can include, a printed circuit board (PCB), a controller on the PCB configured to output a gate drive signal to one or more gate driversto drive a gateof a switch (e.g., a transistor), and an isolation domain. The isolation domain can be defined in the PCB between the controller and the one or more gate drivers. More specifically, the isolation domain can begin at a first moat and end at a second moat, defined between the controller and the one or more gate drivers. The isolation domain can be configured to prevent common mode noise in the gate drive signal.

Noise control for printed circuit board

An arc fault detection system with a built-in-test includes an arc fault detector having a load noise voltage input, a test current input and an arc fault detector output. The system includes a processing unit having a switch in electrical communication with the test current input and an input in electrical communication with the arc fault detector output. A method for testing an arc fault detection system includes generating a new bit with a processing unit and outputting the new bit to a switch operatively connected to the processing unit to at least one of turn the switch on or turn the switch off. The method includes reading a signal at an input of the processing unit.

Systems and methods for arc fault detection built-in-test

A control system is provides that includes a logic gate generating an output state signal, and first and second redundant controllers, wherein the first controller is configured to output a first state signal to a first input of the logic gate, and the second controller is configured to output a second state signal to a second input of the logic gate, and wherein the first controller is configured to receive an impedance isolated feedback signal corresponding to the second state signal from the second controller, and the second controller is configured to receive an impedance isolated feedback signal corresponding to the first state signal from the first controller, so that each controller can determine whether both inputs to the logic gate match one another.

Redundant control system fault protection using only two controllers

A transistor module assembly includes a longitudinally extending load bus bar, a longitudinally extending feed bus bar parallel to the load bus bar, and at least one transistor package operatively connected to the load and feed bus bars. The transistor package includes a drain surface and a source lead. The drain surface is operatively connected to the feed bus bar for receiving current therefrom. The source lead is operatively connected to the load bus bar for dissipating current from the transistor package to the load bus bar.

Transistor assemblies

A relay contactor is provided and includes a shaft assembly comprising a plate, which is movable between an open position at which the plate is displaced from leads and a closed position at which the plate contacts the leads and an actuation system configured to selectively move the plate into the closed position. At least one of the shaft assembly and the actuation system is configured such that, as the plate moves into and away from the closed position, a movement of the plate relative to the leads comprises at least a non-linear, rotational or an abnormally linear component.

Relay contactor with combined linear and rotation motion

A power control module includes a power device having a first side and a second side opposite from the first. The power control module includes a printed wiring board (PWB) spaced apart from the first side of the power device. The PWB is electrically connected to the power device. A heat sink plate is soldered to a second side of the transistor for heat dissipation from the transistor. The PWB and/or the heat sink plate includes an access hole defined therein to allow for access to the transistor during assembly. A method of assembling a power control module includes soldering at least one lead of a power device to a printed wiring board (PWB), pushing the power device toward a heat sink plate, and soldering the power device to the heat sink plate.

Power control modules

A solid-state power controller (SSPC) system with a built-in-test circuit includes a SSPC field-effect transistor (FET) switch. The system includes a current sense resistor electrically connected to the SSPC FET switch in series. A resistor is electrically connected to the current sense resistor in series. A switch is electrically connected to the resistor in series. A method for testing a current sense resistor value in a solid-state power controller (SSPC) system includes determining a cycle count, generating a new bit with a processing unit, and outputting the new bit to a switch operatively connected to the processing unit to at least one of turn the switch on or turn the switch off. The method includes reading a load current with the processing unit to determine whether a current sense resistor electrically coupled to the switch is operating within a desired resistance range.

Systems and methods for current sense resistor built-in-test

A printed circuit board (PCB)-mounted contactor including a PCB with planar surface, source and load terminals fixed to the PCB, and a contact. The contact is supported by the PCB and is movable between open and closed positions. Movement of the contact is parallel to the planar surface. Electrical assemblies having PCB-mounted contactors and methods of controlling current flow in electrical systems with PCB-mounted contactors are also described.

Printed circuit board mounted contactors

A power distribution system includes a solid state power controller (SSPC). The SSPC includes a microcontroller having at least one voltage sense input. The microcontroller is configured to selectively allow a current through the SSPC in response to a common mode voltage to ground and/or a SSPC differential voltage meeting or exceeding a respective pre-determined threshold. A method of operating a SSPC includes determining whether at least one of a common mode voltage to ground or a SSPC differential voltage meet or exceed a respective pre-determined threshold. The method includes selectively allowing a current through the SSPC in response to at least one of the common mode voltage to ground or the SSPC differential voltage meeting or exceeding the respective pre-determined threshold.

Systems and methods for lightning protection in power distribution modules

A system for identifying an arc fault in a wire, the system comprising a controller operably connected to a first load via first wire; the controller configured to supply a current to the first load, wherein the controller is operable to measure and filter the first voltage on the first wire with a bandpass filter having a selected pass band to select and retain spectral content, amplify the retained spectral content, and identify an envelope of the amplified retained spectral content. The controller also operable to measure a first current in the first wire and correlate changes in the first current with a characteristic of the amplified retained spectral content to identify an arc fault, wherein the characteristic includes a buffered envelope as a signal indicative of the amount of energy in the selected passband frequency range.

High frequency arc fault detection

A method of identifying an arc fault in a wire operably connected between a controller and a load. The method includes operably connecting a sense wire to the wire in close proximity to a load supplied by the controller via the wire, measuring a first voltage on the wire at the load via the sense wire, measuring a second voltage on the wire at an output interface of the controller and measuring a current in the first wire. The method also includes identifying any differences between the voltage on the wire measured at the load and the second voltage on the wire measured at the output interface, ascertaining any anomalies in the current measured in the wire, and correlating the differences between the first voltage and the second voltage with any anomalies in the current to identify an arc fault.

Growing community of inventors

Caledonia, IL, United States of America

John A Dickey