Hybrid power system for an aircraft
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorHao Huang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for distributing in an aircraft are provided. More particularly, in one embodiment, a system can include one or more gas turbine engines configured to provide propulsion and electrical power to an aircraft. The system can further include one or more electrical engines configured to provide propulsion for the aircraft. The system can include one or more first electrical power systems configured to provide power to the one or more electrical engines for one or more electrical power propulsion loads for the aircraft. The system can further include one or more second electrical power systems configured to provide power for one or more non-propulsion electrical power loads of the aircraft.
Claims20
A system for distributing electrical power in an aircraft, the system comprising:
- one or more gas turbine engines configured to provide propulsion and electrical power to an aircraft;
- one or more electrical engines configured to provide propulsion for the aircraft;
- one or more first electrical power systems configured to provide power to the one or more electrical engines for one or more electrical power propulsion loads on the aircraft;
- and
- one or more second electrical power systems configured to provide power for one or more non-propulsion electrical power loads of the aircraft.
A method for distributing electrical power in an aircraft, the method comprising:
- monitoring, by one or more control devices, an operational status of a lower voltage electrical power system included on an aircraft,
- wherein the lower voltage electrical power system is configured to provide power to one or more onboard systems of the aircraft for one or more non-propulsion electrical power loads;
- detecting, by the one or more control devices, a failure associated with the lower voltage electrical power system based at least in part on the operational status;
- and
- coupling, by the one or more control devices, a high voltage electrical power system to the lower voltage electrical power system based at least in part on the detected failure such that the high voltage electrical power system can provide power to the lower voltage electrical power system for the one or more non-propulsion electrical power loads of the aircraft.
An aircraft, comprising:
- one or more gas turbine engines configured to provide propulsion and electric power to the aircraft;
- one or more electrical engines;
- one or more onboard systems configured to receive power for one or more non-propulsion electrical power loads;
- one or more high voltage electrical power systems configured to receive a first power generated by one or more of the gas turbine engines and to provide a second power to the one or more electrical engines;
- one or more lower voltage electrical power systems configured to receive a third power generated by one or more of the gas turbine engines and to provide a fourth power to the one or more onboard systems;
- one or more contactors configured to couple one or more of the lower voltage electrical power systems to one or more of the higher voltage electrical power systems;
- and
- one or more control devices configured to:
- monitor an operational status of the one or more lower voltage electrical power systems,
- detect a failure associated with the one or more lower voltage electrical power systems based at least in part on the operational status, and
- send one or more command signals to the one or more contactors to couple one or more of the high voltage electrical power systems to one or more of the lower voltage electrical power systems based at least in part on the detected failure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.