The Boeing Company

Theboeing Company

Other

Shengyi Liu

Lijun Gao

Kamiar J Karimi

Eugene V Solodovnik

Matthew Joseph Krolak

Francisco De Leon

Dariusz Czarkowski

Vyacheslav Khozikov

Dazhong Gu

Qingquan Tang

George Michael Roe

John Anthony Trela

Duanyang Wang

John Ralph Hull

Frederic Lacaux

Mariusz Bojarski

John M Fifield

Kerim Colak

Leila Parsa

Evelyn Marie Matheson

Dorina L Hester

Kolten Carrington Miller

Darren Lee Paschedag

Yujie Song

Mun Shin Chik

Adam J Winstanley

Suman Dwari

Chin-Hsi Chien

Matthew J Krolak

John Dalton Williams

Jeffrey Michael Roach

Arthur Edward Brockschmidt, Jr

Mark Eugene Liffring

Joseph S Breit

Mehdy Barekatein

Sridhar K Iya

Steven B Helton

Kurt M Lorhammer

Glen M Brown

Julia Zhang

Porter J Hill

Shawna Murray

Jeremiah Vannest

Neil Pande

Sheau-Wei (Johnny) Fu

Jeffery M Roach

Sheau-Wei J Fu

Steve B Helton

A system, apparatus, and/or method for an aircraft that provides a novel independent-speed variable-frequency generator for aviation power generation. The generator architecture utilizes a 2-stage generator architecture with a wound rotor PM exciter (PME) that provides excitation to the rotor of a generator. A rotating bi-directional AC/DC/AC electric power converter connects the rotor windings of the exciter and the generator.

Architecture for an electric power generator for aviation

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 direct drive electrically-geared turbofan is provided via a first magnetic gearbox assembly connected to a fan of a turbofan engine; a second magnetic gearbox assembly connected to a spool shaft of the turbofan engine; and a speed controller configured to adjust a rotational speed of the fan based on a rotational speed of the spool shaft by selectively coupling and decoupling the first magnetic gearbox assembly with the second magnetic gearbox assembly. In various aspects, the first or second magnetic gearbox assembly includes a permanent magnet array, while a different one of the first or second magnetic gearbox assemblies includes a rotor winding separated from the permanent magnet array by an air gap; and the speed controller is configured to selectively couple and decouple the first and second magnetic gearbox assemblies with each other via controlling a switch in a winding circuit with the rotor winding.

Direct drive electrically-geared turbofan

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.

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

A system may include a variable frequency independent speed (VFIS) motor-generator. The system may further include a first power conditioner coupled to a set of stator windings of the VFIS motor-generator and a second power conditioner, distinct from the first power conditioner, coupled to a set of primary windings of a high-frequency transformer, where a set of secondary windings of the high-frequency transformer are coupled to a set of rotor windings of the VFIS motor-generator. A method may include providing a first power signal at the set of stator windings. The method may further include generating a second power signal at the second power conditioner for driving the set of rotor windings, where a shaft speed of the VFIS motor-generator is based on a difference between a first frequency of the first power signal and a second frequency of the second power signal.

Method and system for operating a variable frequency independent speed motor in an extended speed range

The present disclosure provides an electrically gear turbofan that includes a fan; a first spool shaft; and an electrical gearbox including: an armature winding connected to the first spool shaft and coupled to a power source; and a magnetic receiver connected to the fan, and wherein an air gap is defined between the armature winding and the magnetic receiver. The turbines and electrical gearing enable an operator to rotate the spool shaft at a first rotational speed; power an armature winding to generate an armature magnetic field, wherein the armature magnetic field rotates at a second rotational speed; transfer rotational energy via the armature magnetic field from the spool shaft to the magnetic receiver; and rotate the fan at a third rotational speed. In some aspects, the third rotational speed is controlled via a direction and a magnitude of the second rotational speed relative to the first rotational speed.

Electrically geared turbofan

A battery and related methods are described. The battery can include a plurality of battery cell segments. Each of the battery cell segments can include an anode segment, a cathode segment, and one or more current limiters. The one or more current limiters are configured to conditionally electrically isolate the battery cell segment based on an occurrence of a short circuit within the battery cell segment. The battery can be used to store electrical power and/or provide electrical power to a load.

Battery cell design for preventing internal short circuits from occurring and propagating

A battery and related methods are described. The battery can include a plurality of battery cell segments. Each of the battery cell segments can include: a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) material whose resistance increases with temperature, an anode segment, a cathode segment, and one or more current limiters. The one or more current limiters of a battery cell segment are configured to conditionally electrically isolate the battery cell segment based on an occurrence of a short circuit within the battery cell segment. The battery can be used to store electrical power and/or provide electrical power to a load.

Battery cell design for preventing internal short circuits from occurring and propagating using positive temperature coefficient (PTC) materials

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 battery management system (BMS) for early detection of a battery cell internal short-circuit. The BMS includes a memory, one or more processing units, and a machine-readable medium on the memory. The machine-readable medium stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing units, cause the BMS to perform numerous operations of a method for early detection of the battery cell internal short-circuit.

Battery management system for early detection of a battery cell internal short-circuit

System and method for allocating load power drawn from multiple batteries for powering propulsion of a vehicle. The system includes: high-energy and high-power batteries respectively designed for optimal production of DC power during high-specific-energy and high-specific-power propulsion; and battery health management systems configured to monitor state of charge and state of health of the batteries and generate battery status signals. The system further includes a propulsion load configured to produce propulsion force using power converted from power generated by at least one of the batteries and a system controller configured to allocate load power drawn from the high-energy and high-power batteries for use by the propulsion load in dependence on a propulsion phase of the vehicle and the battery status.

System and method for allocating propulsion load power drawn from high-energy and high-power batteries

Systems, methods, and apparatus for secondary windings to modify a permanent magnet (PM) field of a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, a disclosed system for a PMSG comprises a permanent magnet (PM) of the PMSG to rotate and to generate a permanent magnet field. The system further comprises a plurality of stator primary windings (SPW), of the PMSG, to generate primary currents from the permanent magnet field. Further, the system comprises a plurality of stator secondary windings (SSW), of the PMSG, to draw secondary currents from a power source, and to generate a stator secondary winding magnetic field from the secondary currents. In one or more embodiments, the permanent magnet field and the stator secondary winding magnetic field together create an overall magnetic field for the PMSG.

Stator secondary windings to modify a permanent magnet (PM) field

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Sammamish, WA, United States of America

Shengyi Liu