The Boeing Company

Marvin J Whitney

Thomas R Hasenoehrl

John T Paterson

Kevin Scott Callahan

Kamiar J Karimi

Shahriar Khosravani

Mark Eugene Liffring

Mark Stephen Shander

Ed Woods

Mark S Shander

A composite vehicle architecture without a current return network for reducing lightning threats. A plurality of modular equipment centers (MECs) are spatially distributed throughout the vehicle. Equipment loads within the vehicle are each serviced by the nearest MEC. Twisted and shielded electrical conductor pairs provide secondary power to the equipment loads to minimize the amount of wire throughout the aircraft as well as the return currents on the aircraft.

Modular equipment center lightning threat reduction architecture

A fault-tolerant self-indicating surge protector system and methods are presented. An unwanted surge of electrical energy induced by a lightning strike is directed away from a sensitive electrical or electronic component, and the unwanted surge of electrical energy is directed through series connected pairs of varistors. A voltage signal is extracted from a center tap point between the series connected pairs of the varistors, and the voltage signal is monitored for a health of the varistors. A high impedance in a varistor among the varistors is provided for a low voltage across the varistor, and a low impedance in the varistor is provided and the unwanted surge of electrical energy is diverted through the varistor in response to a high voltage across the varistor.

Fault-tolerant self-indicating surge protection system for aircraft

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Everett, WA, United States of America

Marvin J Whitney