# US 10,312,849 B2 · Aircraft starting and generating system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,312,849 B2 - Document ID: US10312849B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/550,827 - Filed: 2015-02-18 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2015-02-18 - Assignees: GE Aviation Systems LLC - Applicants: GE Aviation Systems LLC - Inventors: Hao Huang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312849B2 ## CPC - H02P 27/08: with pulse width modulation - B60L 15/02: characterised by the form of the current used in the control circuit - B60L 50/16: with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion - B64D 47/00: Equipment not otherwise provided for - F02C 7/268: Starting drives for the rotor {, acting directly on the rotor of the gas turbine to be started} - F02N 11/04: the motors being associated with current generators - F02N 11/087: {Details of the switching means in starting circuits, e.g. relays or electronic switches} - H02J 7/14: for charging batteries from dynamo-electric generators driven at varying speed, e.g. on vehicle - H02P 9/302: {Brushless excitation} - H02P 9/48: Arrangements for obtaining a constant output value at varying speed of the generator, e.g. on vehicle (H02P9/04 - H02P9/46 take precedence) - H02P 21/50: {Vector control arrangements or methods not otherwise provided for in H02P21/00- H02P21/36} - B60L 2200/10: Air crafts - B60L 2210/20: AC to AC converters - B60L 2210/40: DC to AC converters - B60L 2220/14: Synchronous machines - B64D 41/007: {Ram air turbines} - B64D 2221/00: Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft - F02C 7/00: Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants (controlling F02C9/00) - F02N 2011/0874: {characterised by said switch being an electronic switch} - F02N 2011/0896: {Inverters for electric machines, e.g. starter-generators} - F05D 2220/323: for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines - F05D 2220/76: an electrical generator - F05D 2260/85: Starting - H02J 7/163: {with special means for initiating or limiting the excitation current} - H02J 2105/32: {for aircrafts} - Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility - Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft - H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00) - F02N: STARTING OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; STARTING AIDS FOR SUCH ENGINES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract An aircraft starting and generating system includes a starter/generator and an inverter/converter/controller (200) that is connected to the starter/generator and that generates AC power to drive the starter/generator in a start mode for starting a prime mover of the aircraft, and that converts AC power, obtained from the starter/generator after the prime mover have been started, to DC power in a generate mode of the starter/generator. A four leg inverter is coupled with a DC power output (452) of the starter/generator and has an inverter/converter/controller (ICC) (580) with a four leg MOSFET-based bridge configuration that drives the starter/generator in a start mode for starting a prime mover of the aircraft, and converts DC power to AC power in a generate mode of the starter/generator. A four leg bridge gate driver (560) is configured to drive the four leg MOSFET-based bridge (580) during start and generate mode using bi-polar pulse width modulation (PWM). ## Claims ### Claim 1 An aircraft starting and generating system, comprising: a starter/generator that includes a main machine, an exciter, and a permanent magnet generator; a direct current (DC) power output from the starter/generator; a four leg inverter coupled with the DC power output and having an inverter/converter/controller (ICC) having a four leg metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET)-based bridge configuration, and that generates DC power to drive the starter/generator in a start mode for starting a prime mover of the aircraft, and that converts DC power, obtained from the starter/generator after the prime mover have been started, to alternating current (AC) power in a generate mode of the starter/generator; and a four leg bridge gate driver configured to drive the four leg MOSFET-based bridge; wherein the four leg bridge gate driver operates to drive the four leg MOSFET-based bridge during start and generate mode using bi-polar pulse width modulation (PWM). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The aircraft starting and generating system of claim 1 wherein the four leg MOSFET-based bridge configuration further comprises three legs each having a single phase output of a three phase AC output and a fourth leg having a neutral output. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The aircraft starting and generating system of claim 2 wherein the three phase AC output is 400 Hz. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The aircraft starting and generating system of claim 1 wherein the four leg MOSFET-based bridge further comprises at least one of a silicon carbide-based bridge or Gallium Nitride-based bridge. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The aircraft starting and generating system of claim 1, further comprising an exciter MOSFET-based bridge that is connected to an exciter stator of the exciter, and an exciter bridge gate driver configured to drive the exciter MOSFET-based bridge. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The aircraft starting and generating system of claim 5 wherein the exciter MOSFET-based bridge further comprises at least one of a silicon carbide-based bridge or Gallium Nitride-based bridge. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The aircraft starting and generating system of claim 1, further comprising a main machine MOSFET-based bridge that is connected to a stator of the main machine, and a main machine bridge gate driver configured to drive the main machine MOSFET-based bridge. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The aircraft starting and generating system of claim 7 wherein the main machine comprises a main machine MOSFET-based bridge configuration that absorbs excess power of the system in a regeneration mode by storing the excess power in the kinetic energy of the prime mover of the aircraft, and wherein the main machine bridge gate driver operates to drive the main machine MOSFET-based bridge during regeneration mode using Space Vector Pulse Width Modulation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The aircraft starting and generating system of claim 7 wherein the main machine MOSFET-based bridge further comprises at least one of a silicon carbide-based bridge or Gallium Nitride-based bridge. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The aircraft starting and generating system of claim 1 wherein the four leg MOSFET-based bridge further comprises an array of individually-controllable MOSFETs. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The aircraft starting and generating system of claim 10 wherein the four leg bridge gate driver operates to drive each individually-controllable MOSFET. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The aircraft starting and generating system of claim 1 wherein the four leg MOSFET-based bridge further comprises individually-controllable wide bandgap device MOSFETs. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The aircraft starting and generating system of claim 12 wherein the MOSFETs further comprise external diodes configured across a body diode of the MOSFETs. ### Claim 14 A method of controlling an aircraft starting and generating system having a starter/generator that includes a main machine having a DC power output, an exciter, and a permanent magnet generator, a four leg converter coupled with the DC power output and having an inverter/converter/controller (ICC) having a MOSFET-based bridge configuration, and a four leg bridge gate driver configured to drive the MOSFET-based bridge, the method comprising: if in start mode, supplying power to the four leg MOSFET-based bridge and driving the four leg MOSFET-based bridge during start mode using bi-polar Pulse Width Modulation (PWM), and wherein the driving the main MOSFET-based bridge during start mode starts a prime mover of the aircraft; and if in generating mode, driving the four leg MOSFET-based bridge using bi-polar PWM to convert DC power, obtained from the DC power output of the starter/generator, to four leg AC power. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising, if in motoring mode, supplying power to the four leg MOSFET-based bridge and driving the four leg MOSFET-based bridge during start mode using bi-polar PWM, and wherein the driving the main MOSFET-based bridge during start mode rotates a prime mover of the aircraft. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising performing diagnostic tests on at least one of the starter/generator or the prime mover. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising if in start mode, switching to generating mode after the starting the prime mover of the aircraft. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein, if in generating mode, the driving the MOSFET-based bridge further comprises converting the DC power to 400 Hz AC power. ### Claim 19 An aircraft comprising: an engine; a starter/generator connected to the engine and having a main machine, an exciter, and a permanent magnet generator; a direct current (DC) power output from the starter/generator; a four leg inverter coupled with the DC power output and having an inverter/converter/controller (ICC) having a four leg metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET)-based bridge configuration, and that generates DC power to drive the starter/generator in a start mode for starting the engine, and that converts DC power, obtained from the starter/generator after the engine has been started, to alternating current (AC) power in a generate mode of the starter/generator; and a four leg bridge gate driver configured to drive the four leg MOSFET-based bridge; wherein the four leg bridge gate driver operates to drive the four leg MOSFET-based bridge during start and generate mode using bi-polar pulse width modulation (PWM). ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The aircraft of claim 19 wherein the four leg MOSFET-based bridge configuration further comprises three legs each having a single phase output of a three phase AC output and a fourth leg having a neutral output.